Tet Offensive- 1968
The Tet Offensive was a main turning point in the Vietnam War, which marked the slow retreat for the United States. The Tet Offensive was a series of battles that were launched on January 30, 1968. “Tet” was a Vietnamese holiday, catching several South Vietnamese troops off guard. The Vietcong surprised the U.S. Marine camp at Khe Sanh. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong sent over 70,000 troops into South Vietnamese villages. The most important battle of the Tet Offensive was the attack on South Vietnam’s capital city, Saigon. The United States and Allied forces had to fight against the Vietcong for they attacked at MACV headquarters at Tan Son Nhut airfield. This battle ended in victory for the United States. However, the victory was followed only by the realization by the US that their enemy, the Vietcong, was a lot stronger than they had expected. They had incredulous coordination and surprising attacks. At this point the United States faced a dilemma. To send more troops and weaponry to Vietnam to fight these highly trained, deadly Vietcong, could cause a monetary crisis and an upset in the American public. President Johnson sent out a request to withdrawal US troops from Vietnam, and later in 1968, he publicly stated that he would try to negotiate a peace treaty with Vietnam.