Major General Melvin Zais and Hamburger Hill

Major General Melvin Zais, a second generation Russian American, orchestrated the battle between the 29th Regiment of the Peoples Army of Vietnam and the 101st Airborne Division around Dong Ap Bia Hamburger Hill, Vietnam. General Zais focused operations on and around Hamburger Hill to prevent the build up of men, weapons, and supplies in the A Shau Valley, which would have allowed for Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army forces to conduct another Tet Offensive. As General Zais developed the situation in Thua Thien Province, similarities can be drawn to an offensive he assisted in coordinating within southern France Col de Braus in World War II. This familiarity in size of terrain, enemy presence, and friendly tactical actions assisted Zais in his understanding of the situation at Dong Ap Bia. By conducting continuous assaults up the 937 meters of Dong Ap Bia to destroy the 29th Regiment of the Peoples Army of Vietnam, he prevented the perceived threat of another Tet Offensive.