The Tet Offensive

The Turning Point of the War

Jan-April 1968

General Westmoreland

US has more than 500,000 troops in Vietnam

“Light at the end of the tunnel”

January 31, 1968

80,000 NVA launch attacks on 150 targets in South Vietnam

3 Major battles for the US

Saigon

NVA forces attacked city

Siege lasted about 1 week.

After about 1 week, the Marines were back in control of Saigon.

Hue

Jan 31- April 8, 1968

Former Provincial capital of Vietnam

The situation in 1968…

US troops were not allowed in the city. ARVN troops were supposedly in control.

The Citadel

The Marines are victorious

142 Marines killed and 857 wounded,

74 U.S. Army killed and 507 wounded.

South Vietnamese suffer 384 killed and 1830 wounded.

NVA killed are estimated at over 5000.

The Battle for Khe Sanh

Khe Sanh is located in the hills near the DMZ

January 21, 1968

VC and NVA hoped the early strike at Khe Sanh would distract the US.

Johnson feared it would be another Dien Bien Phu

Marines hold on

5,000 Marines were able to hold off 40,000 NVA/C

The fighting is fierce and re-supply is difficult.

The body count

US: 300 dead

US: 1400 wounded

NVA: 10-15,000 dead (estimate)

Fall out from the TET Offensive

The media…if we were winning, why were there 150 attacks at the same time?

Images like this shocked Americans

Walter Cronkite

"the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate."

Reporting like this created the belief that we were losing the war.

March, 1968

After a narrow primary victory over McCarthy, LBJ decides not to seek re-election.