Operation Speedy Express

Operation Speedy Express was a controversial military operation conducted by the United States Army's 9th Infantry Division during the Vietnam War in the Mekong Delta provinces of Kiến Hòa and Vĩnh Bình from December 1968 to May 1969. The operation, led by Major-General Julian Ewell, was part of counterinsurgency operations by the United States Armed Forces which targeted the Viet Cong (VC). U.S. forces aimed to interdict VC lines of communication and prevent Viet Cong personnel from establishing outposts in the region via the operation. The U.S. claimed the operation was successful in achieving its objectives, although the VC denied this and claimed the operation failed to stop their activities in the region. The number of Vietnamese casualties that resulted from the operation is controversial. The U.S. Army's official body count estimate of VC fighters killed was 10,889, but this has been described as an exaggeration and the U.S. Army inspector general estimated that there may have been between 5,000 and 7,000 Vietnamese civilian casualties during the operation. Fewer than 750 weapons were captured by American forces. A VC report from December 1969, stated that the US military killed 3,000 civilians and destroyed thousands of houses, and hundreds of hectares of fields and orchards, during the operation.