Pleiku
Encyclopedia
Pleiku is a town in central Vietnam
, located in that nation's central highland
region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province
; it is inhabited primarily by the Bahnar
and Jarai
ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or Degar
.
The town is the centre of the urban district of Pleiku which covers an area of 261 km². As of 2003 the district had a population of 186,763.
The town sits at the junction of several national roads—National Road 14 to Kon Tum in the north and Buon Ma Thuot
in the south and National Road 19 to Stœng Trêng in Cambodia
in the west (via Ratanakiri Province) and to Binh Dinh Province
in the east.
The city is home to the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
club.
Pleiku is served by Pleiku Airport in the near outskirts of the city.
because it was the primary terminus of the military supply logistics corridor extending westwards along Highway 19 from the coastal population center and port facilities of Qui Nhơn
. Additionally, its central location on the plateau, between Kontum in the north, Buôn Ma Thuột
to the south, and the North Vietnamese Army's base areas inside Cambodia
to the west made Pleiku the main center of defense of the entire highland region of the Republic of Vietnam.
This was strategically obvious to both sides; the U.S. established an armed presence very early in the conflict at Camp Holloway
, and the Việt Cộng attack
on this base in early 1965 was one of the key escalating events that brought U.S. troops into the conflict.
After the fall of Buôn Ma Thuột to a major North Vietnamese assault in early 1975, and the resulting insecurity of Highway 19 leading from Qui Nhơn, President Thiệu
ordered the hasty evacuation of Pleiku. The military operation to attempt the withdrawal of ARVN forces down poorly-maintained tertiary road LTL-7B through Cheo Reo to Tuy Hòa
led to a horrific catastrophe in which over a hundred thousand evacuees from Pleiku and Kontum were killed or left stranded without support.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, located in that nation's central highland
Tây Nguyên
Tây Nguyên, translated as Western Highlands and sometimes also called Central Highlands, is one of the regions of Vietnam. It contains the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng....
region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai is a province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into one city , two towns , and 13 districts:#Chư Păh#Chư Prông#Chư Sê#Đắk Đoa#Đắk Pơ#Đức Cơ#Ia Grai#Ia Pa...
; it is inhabited primarily by the Bahnar
Bahnar people
The Bahnar are an ethnic group of Vietnam living primarily in the Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, as well as the coastal provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên...
and Jarai
Jarai
The Jarai is an ethnic group based primarily in Vietnam's Central Highlands. The Jarai language is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family...
ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or Degar
Degar
The Degar are the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The term Montagnard means "mountain people" in French and is a carryover from the French colonial period in Vietnam. In Vietnamese, they are known by the term thượng - this term can also be applied to other minority ethnic...
.
The town is the centre of the urban district of Pleiku which covers an area of 261 km². As of 2003 the district had a population of 186,763.
The town sits at the junction of several national roads—National Road 14 to Kon Tum in the north and Buon Ma Thuot
Buon Ma Thuot
Buôn Ma Thuột or sometimes Buon Ma Thuat or Ban Mê Thuột, is the capital city of Dak Lak Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Its population is approximately 300,000...
in the south and National Road 19 to Stœng Trêng in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
in the west (via Ratanakiri Province) and to Binh Dinh Province
Binh Dinh Province
Bình Định is a province of Vietnam. It is located in Vietnam's South Central Coast region.-Administration:Binh Dinh is divided into one city and 10 districts:*An Lão*An Nhơn*Hoài Ân*Hoài Nhơn*Phù Cát*Phù Mỹ*Tuy Phước*Tây Sơn*Vân Canh...
in the east.
The city is home to the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Hoang Anh Gia Lai
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai is a Vietnamese soccer club based in Pleiku. They play in the top division in Vietnamese soccer. Their home stadium is Pleiku Stadium.The team signed an agreement with Arsenal F.C...
club.
Pleiku is served by Pleiku Airport in the near outskirts of the city.
History
Pleiku was strategically important during the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
because it was the primary terminus of the military supply logistics corridor extending westwards along Highway 19 from the coastal population center and port facilities of Qui Nhơn
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhơn , also Quy Nhơn, is a coastal city in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of 286 km². Quy Nhon is the capital of Bình Định province. As of 2009 its population was 280,900. Historically, the commercial activities of the city...
. Additionally, its central location on the plateau, between Kontum in the north, Buôn Ma Thuột
Buon Ma Thuot
Buôn Ma Thuột or sometimes Buon Ma Thuat or Ban Mê Thuột, is the capital city of Dak Lak Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Its population is approximately 300,000...
to the south, and the North Vietnamese Army's base areas inside Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
to the west made Pleiku the main center of defense of the entire highland region of the Republic of Vietnam.
This was strategically obvious to both sides; the U.S. established an armed presence very early in the conflict at Camp Holloway
Camp Holloway
Camp Holloway was a United States Army helicopter base at Pleiku in the Central Highlands of Vietnam from 1962 through the early 1970s. Named in 1963 for CH-21 helicopter pilot Warrant Officer Charles Holloway, who in December 1962 became the first aviator assigned to the 81st Transportation...
, and the Việt Cộng attack
Viet Cong attack on Pleiku airbase
The attack on Camp Holloway occurred during the early hours of 7 February 1965, in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Camp Holloway was a helicopter facility constructed by the United States Army in 1962, to support the operations of Free World Military Forces in the Central Highlands of...
on this base in early 1965 was one of the key escalating events that brought U.S. troops into the conflict.
After the fall of Buôn Ma Thuột to a major North Vietnamese assault in early 1975, and the resulting insecurity of Highway 19 leading from Qui Nhơn, President Thiệu
Nguyen Van Thieu
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was president of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. He was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , became head of a military junta, and then president after winning a fraudulent election...
ordered the hasty evacuation of Pleiku. The military operation to attempt the withdrawal of ARVN forces down poorly-maintained tertiary road LTL-7B through Cheo Reo to Tuy Hòa
Tuy Hoa
Tuy Hòa is the capital city of Phu Yen province in south-central Vietnam. The city has the total area of 107 km2 and the population of 262 000 ....
led to a horrific catastrophe in which over a hundred thousand evacuees from Pleiku and Kontum were killed or left stranded without support.