U.S. annual casualty figures down
The gradual U.S.withdrawal from the conflict in Southeast Asia is reflected in reduced annual casualty figures.The number of Americans killed in action dropped to 1386 from the previous year total of 4204.
South Vietnam losses for the year totalled 21500 men while the combined Viet Cong and North Vietnamese total was estimated at 97000 killed in action.After 10 years of U.S.involvement in the Vietnam War a total of 45627 American soldiers had been killed.The U.S.
troop levels which started the year at 280000 were down to 159000.This troop reduction was a direct result of the shifting American goal for the Vietnam Warno longer attempting a military victory the U.S.was trying to gracefully extricate itself from the situation by transferring responsibility for the war to the South Vietnamese.
