jan 30, 1968 - Tet Offensive
Description:
Tet is the Buddhist new year. There was traditionally a truce between north and south Vietnam during the holiday of Tet, to allow people to travel and see family. Because so many people were traveling, south Vietnam’s guards were relaxed with who they let into the country. Khe Sanh was needed so that north Vietnam could more successfully ambush the south and so that they could regain control of a portion of the Ho Chi Minh trail, however they were unable to take it. The Viet Cong and NVA snuck into cities, disguised as travelers, and attacked during the holiday. The attack on Hue was on of the longest lasting battles of the Tet Offensive, and it destroyed many historic buildings and showed that the ARVN were useless.
This event had a significant impact on the war because it showed to the U.S. and to the south Vietnamese that north Vietnam was not against using dirty tricks and doing whatever it took to win the war. It was done in hopes of showing people of south Vietnam that their cities and government could not protect them, and to bring the war into the broadcasted media coverage of American homes.
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History of Vietnam
A brief history of Vietnam
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