Vietnam Research Writing Exercise: The Tet Offensive

The Tet Offensive

 Fifty years ago, South Vietnamese were preparing for one of the most important holidays in their culture.  This was the lunar new year or Tet. Due to the significance of this event the Tet was also observed as a cease-fire in the conflict.  Deceptively. though. the NVA (North Vietnamese Regular Army) and the VC (Vietcong) sprung a surprise attack across over 100 South Vietnamese cities and villages including the cities of Saigon and Hue.  These bloody attacks would go on for two months.  The televising of the battle of Saigon and the battle of Hue would go on to become symbols of the United States government’s failure in the eyes of the United States public.

On January 21, 1968 the NVA attacked the US Marine garrison at Khe Sanh as a diversion to draw the attention of the American soldiers as the main offensive was prepared for.  VC would disguise themselves as civilians on holiday while the NVA would attack from the mountainous Vietnam-Leos border.  On January 30, 1968 the Tet Offensive would begin a day early as VC launched attacks on 13 cities.  The next day the full offensive began with attacks on major cities, towns, military installations, and a bold attack on the US embassy in Saigon during the battle of Saigon.  The VC were able to breach a wall of the US embassy while diplomats sought shelter inside.  While the american forces were able to repel the attack, the whole thing was caught on camera and televised to United States citizens.

Similarly, the battle of Hue was also filmed by media outlets although not do to the high profile target but because of the long and bloody fighting.  The battle of Hue would begin on January 31, 1968 and continue until February 26, 1968.  The nearly month long close quarters fighting would be one of the deadliest battles of the war leaving over 5000 dead.  After the recapture of the city the US and ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) forces found that the VC had arrested anyone who supported or was associated with of the United States or Republic of Vietnam, executed them and burred their bodies in mass graves.

Twelve men storm a tower during the battle of Hue. Of these twelve, Five will be critically injured in the next 30 seconds.
Photo credit: John Olson, military photographer 

The United States and ARVN were eventually able recapture and secure all land contested by the offensive, although with heavy civilian casualties.  The offensive was deemed a military defeat for the NVA, but a strategic victory as the United States saw what state the war was actually in.  Before the Tet Offensive the US government said that victory in Vietnam was right around the corner and mislead the american people into thinking that the North Vietnamese forces could never carry out an attack on this scale.  Afterwards the public saw that the war was not ending soon and, the anti-war movement grew to new heights.

word count: 470
Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offensive
https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1862.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezuFR5OwHU8&t=78s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPgWqgpgVRc&t=234s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVCSnhn8His&t=106s