Operation Speedy Express

Operation Speedy Express
	Part of the Vietnam War
	; Fire Support Base Danger, headquarters of an element of the 1st Brigade, 9th U.S. Infantry Division, Định Tường Province
Date	1 December 1968 – 31 May 1969
Location	Mekong Delta provinces Định Tường, Kiến Hòa and Gò Công, Republic of Vietnam
Result	U.S. claims operational success; VC claims U.S. operational failure
Belligerents
United States	Viet Cong
Commanders and leaders
MG Julian Ewell	Unknown
Units involved
1st Brigade, 9th U.S. Infantry Division	Unknown
Strength
8,000	Undetermined
Casualties and losses
242 killed	U.S. claimed body count: 10,889 killed; 688 individual and 60 crew-served weapons recovered Department of Defense Internal Report and others: 5,000 to 7,000 civilian casualties Viet Cong report: 3,000 civilians killed

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. 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.^: 357–9

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, however 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.