This day in 1968, the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched what came to be known as the Tet Offensive. It was a military disaster for the Communists, but an overwhelming psychological victory over the American people. Despite catastrophic losses, the North Vietnamese Communists achieved a greater objective in showing their troops and the world that they could coordinate large scale operations over hundreds of square miles with perfect timing. It was a huge morale boost for the Communists, even though they took heavy casualties.
Through the years I served with many Vietnam veterans, and have heard incredible anecdotes from that war. It sounds better coming from a vet; I'd like to ask readers to share with us your memories of Tet, below.
S.L.
.
I was in the lower Mekong Delta area during Tet 68 serving as a Birddog crew chief and observer. We knew for several weeks that the lull in VC activity meant they were grouping for something big. We thought it would come right afer the usual Tet truce. It came at the start of Tet, but we were still somewhat prepared.
ReplyDeleteWe killed more enemy in a week of fighting than we had killed in many previous months combined. The VC and their advisors(N.Vietnamese or Chinese?)came right into our firepower and we decimated them. They lost lots of their leadership. We also found out that most South Vietnamese were anti-Communist and were thoroughly alienated by the Tet attacks.
We won, but LBJ panicked, the MSM reported it wrong and our politicians became disenchanted to continue the war.
Awesome. Thanks for your service - S.L.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Vietnam is a good example of when the pol's send you to war, they should let you do whatever it takes to go ahead and win it. Basic Truism of STORMBRINGER #1: When your country finds itself in a war - regardless of how you got there - to do anything BUT whatever it takes to win is not only counterproductive and destructive, it is CRIMINAL.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your service - S.L.
Warfare is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
ReplyDeleteYour article is very well done, a good read.