Tet Offensive

             In January of 1968 both sides were building up their forces. After years of fighting General Vo Nguyen Giap of the Socialists Republic of Vietnam felt that the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) needed a decisive victory over the Americans to progress towards victory. Having control over Khe Sanh, the American generals saw the build-up coming. By late January, some 6,000 Marines had been flown in to the Khe Sanh garrison and thousands more had been moved north of Hue. On January 21, 1968 the NVA came into contact with US forces when they tried to cross a river that runs along Khe Sanh. This attack was just the first of a string of attacks all along South Vietnam cities, thus the Tet Offensive began.
             "They came in twos and threes, disguised as refugees, peasants, workers, and ARVN soldiers on holiday leave." (www.vwam.com/vets/vets) About five battalions of NVA/VC or Viet Cong infiltrated Saigon without any of the security officers taking notice. Jury-rigged coffins, flower carts, and trucks apparently filled with vegetables and rice was used to sneak the weapons in the city incognito style. The VC also had a network of ammunition stockpiles throughout the major South Vietnam cities. Although Tet had long been a period of peace between the north and south, the NVA were looking to "flank" the American and ARVN forces by attacking multiple fronts simultaneously.
             General Frederick Weyand later said that he anticipated the attack but the numbers show otherwise. The General have had his attention on Khe Sanh because the ARVN was very ill prepared for the attack. The Tet offensive caused some 12,000 civilian deaths, the NVA/VC lost 45,000, and the ARVN causalities totaled 4,300 KIA.`
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Tet Offensive. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 05:00, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/76450.html