Tet+Offensive+HAE

Tet Offensive

On the Vietnam New Year (January 30-31, 1968), also known as Tet, the Viet Cong attacked U.S. and South Vietnam troops. Tet usually includes a major celebration equivalent to Christmas, Mardi gras and Easter. If Tet occurs during war, the troops usually took a few days off fighting. This made for a perfect opportunity for the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. This offensive had been planned a couple months before it happened. Viet Cong spies were woven throughout the US and South Vietnam government leading the North Vietnam and Viet Cong. They helped set up the offensive because they told Viet Cong where there were more soldiers and where the major strongholds are. This is why most of the soldiers attacked the capitol Hue, where the longest battle took place. It started when the Viet Cong attacked two guards outside the American embassy. The guards retreat to shut the gate. Therefore the Viet Cong blew a hole in the wall. Then many of them come through the walls in attempt to take the embassy. This sort of attacking was happening all over South Vietnam’s cities and towns. Almost none of the troops were ready because they weren’t expecting an attack on Tat. It took about six hours for the Viet Cong to be defeated at the embassy. The Viet Cong told all radio stations to tell the South Vietnamese and the U.S. if they didn’t lie their weapons down civilians would be harmed. The Viet Cong then set up road blocks on highways and more than half of fourteen million people in the U.S. were affected by it. Also many people were startled because they thought the U.S. was winning the war. No Sergeant or General could answer that. Then North Vietnam soldiers joined the attack and U.S. troops had to fight while being bombed. Satellite and Network TV soon brought this news throughout the world. In the first day (twenty-four hours) about 5,800 Viet Cong were dead. However, they would not give up and they had lots of snipers posted all around. Also, Viet Cong had the advantage on air support too because the US did not want to drop bombs on their own soldiers or on civilians. Fighting continued to late February when the US started to push back. All this time barely anybody continued to support the war. Lyndon B. Johnson believed that the attack by the Viet Cong was made to change even more Americans minds. Finally this battle was over. However, about 3,895 American service personnel were killed, about 214 allied troops (Australia, Korea, Thai, Filipino), 4,954 South Vietnamese troops, about 5,800 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops and about 4,300 civilians. Recovery took a long time as the scent of death hung around.