This page was last updated on: February 25, 2002

Hue was the scene of the longest and heaviest fighting of the Tet offensive (Jan.-Feb., 1968); some 4,000 civilians were killed at the hands of the Communists during their occupation of this former imperial city and most of the city, including the palaces and tombs of the former Annamese kings, was destroyed. Children, all about 15 years old, were kidnaped by the Communists from various schools in Hue during the battle for the city during Tet 1968. Farmers of Duong Mong village vividly remember one night 30 years ago. "They marched the children to the bank of a stream," one elderly farmer related. "We could hear their cries and screams. Then they killed them." Three understrength U.S. Marine battalions, consisting of fewer than 2,500 men, attacked and soundly defeated more than 10,000 entrenched enemy troops, liberating Hue for South Vietnam. The Battle of Hue lasted four weeks and cost some 142 American lives. Marines of the First and Fifth Regiments, fighting alongside the Army of the Republic of Vietnam's 1st Division, were supported by U.S. Army 7th and 12th Cavalry Regiments, among other units, in the battle for Hue. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces were driven out of Hue little by little as U.S. Marines retook the city one block at a time. What should parents tell their children about the Vietnam war.  This is a time of high patriotism in this country, and the questions are flowing.  My Lai is too gruseome a tale for a 10 year old, but then again telling stories about war is not supposed to be sterile and benign. Very simple; tell them the truth, good, bad and anything in between and don't sugarcoat it. Oh, and don't underestimate the resiliance of a ten year old. You might be surprised at just how savvy some of the little tykes are. History has told the facts. In the end, there was a major purpose for the Vietnam War. It was the last major drive into South East Asia by the Communists. Although the negative Communists' attempts to control their own people were never highlighted by the Liberals, American media and American celebrities and Hollywood, the World heard. Millions died under the hand of the Communists and many more men, women and children were lost at sea. The 'reeducation camps' (Concentration Camps) that many more people were sent to is another story left untold!! The Vietnamese village, Phu Da (Duc Duc) that I lived and served in (24/7) was slaughtered by the Vietnamese Communists seven months after we left it. The American news media never said a word about this massacre or all the other massacres generated by the Communists on their own people. Although Vietnam was surrendered to the Communists, look who the Vietnamese Communists want back in Vietnam. They kicked out the Soviet Union for more reasons than just them not having a lot of money to throw around. All the Vietnamese People (including the Vietnamese Communists) hated them. Today, when former American Servicemen and Servicewomen return to the country-side of Vietnam, crowds form around them. The peoples' warm smiles tell the truth. ProudVietnamVeteran@earthlink.net USS Hue City (CG-66), the first United States ship to bear this name and the only ship named after a battle of the Vietnam War, is the twentieth in the Ticonderoga Class of Aegis guided-missile cruisers. Her mission is to conduct prompt, sustained combat operations at sea in support of a carrier battle group or amphibious assault group

Tet Offensive in Vietnam, 1968 Military History Office Dr. Saunders It was thirty four years ago that the Tet Offensive (named General Offensive-General Uprising by the North Vietnamese) began in South Vietnam. Although intelligence estimates indicated an unprecedented amount of supplies were moving down the Ho Chi Minh Trail and three North Vietnamese Division Headquarters and seven regiments (about 15,000 men) had arrived near Khe Sanh, north of Hue, the U.S. leadership did not fully understand the gravity of the situation. Speeches by senior leaders indicated that a possible all-out offensive might develop, but it was unlikely. Tet, or the lunar new year, the Vietnamese most festive holiday, resulted in a declared 36 hour truce and home leave for many of South Vietnam's military. Although some leaves were cancelled, ARVN strength was at about 50 per cent when the attacks were launched on five of the most important cities in South Vietnam, thirty-six provincial capitals, sixty-four district capitals, and fifty hamlets. In the city of Hue, eight battalions stormed the city isolating the U.S. Advisory team. In well-coordinated attacks in the capital of Saigon, three U.S. military barracks, the Presidential Palace, the city radio station, Ton Son Nhut Air Base, and the recently constructed U.S. Embassy were all attacked. American soldiers, on alert for the possible attacks, reacted quickly and well and fought stubbornly in small units. The battle for the northern city of Hue went from house to house and lasted for a month. The North Vietnamese lost 45,000 men, over half of the strength they committed, and were unable to attack in strength for the next two years. The American public, watching graphic footage on the televised evening news, began to question the Johnson administration's handling of the conflict. The Tet offensive brought the war to the cities for the first time and the resulting devastation created many refugees. GEN Westmoreland moved quickly to establish Operation Recovery to coordinate the rebuilding process. While the North Vietnamese failed in their attempt to start a mass uprising in the cities, they controlled the villages and the countryside, making the U.S.-led Pacification program more difficult. The Tet offensive of 1968 demonstrated that despite the element of surprise, American soldiers were able to repel determined and well coordinated attacks. Small unit tactics, excellent NCO leadership, and determination of the soldiers were able to turn the tide for the Americans.