Description This campaign was from 30 January to 1 April 1968. On 29 January 1968 the Allies began the Tet-lunar new year expecting the usual 36-hour peaceful holiday truce. Because of the threat of a large-scale attack and communist buildup around Khe Sanh, the cease fire order was issued in all areas over which the Allies were responsible with the exception of the I CTZ, south of the Demilitarized Zone.
Determined enemy assaults began in the northern and Central provinces before daylight on 30 January and in Saigon and the Mekong Delta regions that night. Some 84,000 VC and North Vietnamese attacked or fired upon 36 of 44 provincial capitals, 5 of 6 autonomous cities, 64 of 242 district capitals and 50 hamlets. In addition, the enemy raided a number of military installations including almost every airfield. The actual fighting lasted three days; however Saigon and Hue were under more intense and sustained attack.
The attack in Saigon began with a sapper assault against the U.S. Embassy. Other assaults were directed against the Presidential Palace, the compound of the Vietnamese Joint General Staff, and nearby Ton San Nhut air base.
At Hue, eight enemy battalions infiltrated the city and fought the three U.S. Marine Corps, three U.S. Army and eleven South Vietnamese battalions defending it. The fight to expel the enemy lasted a month. American and South Vietnamese units lost over 500 killed, while VC and North Vietnamese battle deaths may have been somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000.
Heavy fighting also occurred in two remote regions: around the Special Forces camp at Dak To in the central highlands and around the U.S. Marines Corps base at Khe Sanh. In both areas, the allies defeated attempts to dislodge them. Finally, with the arrival of more U.S. Army troops under the new XXIV Corps headquarters to reinforce the marines in the northern province, Khe Sanh was abandoned.
Tet proved a major military defeat for the communists. It had failed to spawn either an uprising or appreciable support among the South Vietnamese. On the other hand, the U.S. public became discouraged and support for the war was seriously eroded. U.S. strength in South Vietnam totaled more than 500,000 by early 1968. In addition, there were 61,000 other allied troops and 600,000 South Vietnamese.
The Tet Offensive also dealt a visibly severe setback to the pacification program, as a result of the intense fighting needed to root out VC elements that clung to fortified positions inside the towns. For example, in the densely populated delta there had been approximately 14,000 refugees in January; after Tet some 170,000 were homeless. The requirement to assist these persons seriously inhibited national recovery efforts.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1968
To Month/Year
April / 1968
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember 1/6, 198th Light Infantry Brigade
Memories Sure doesn't seem like 41+ years ago, that we were in that hell-hole. When I think about it, I thank the Lord for allowing us to make it back alive, and then I think again about our brothers who did not. May all of our fallen comrades rest in peace, Amen.
Here's my recollection of Tet 1968:
On the eve (1/30/68) of the Vietnamese New Year - Tet Mau Than - we heard there would be a cease fire for part of the seven day celebration. Then came January 31,1968, first day of Tet, 123 days since I boarded the USNS Upshur, our 100th day in country. Only 247 days until ETS on 10/6/68 according to the markings on my steel pot's camouflage cover!!! The Vietnamese were very careful about what they did on the fist day as they believed events of this day determined their luck for the rest of the year. That day, all hell broke loose. We heard rumors of the broken truce and widespread attacks by the NVA and VC. The news of this major offensive was soon confirmed and we were on alert around the clock. It was still relatively quiet in our area, but rumors had it that large enemy forces were on the move.
We went back to Chu Lai and then, by Chinook, to Da Nang. We later learned that we were part of Task Force Miracle. Da Nang was the furthest North we had been and, from my recollection, we thought we were going to guard an air base, where Marines had been attacked when Tet began. But we were in for a big surprise. We arrived the morning of 2/8/68 and, within the hour, we were in deuce and a halves, being transported to a location where Bravo Company took position as a blocking force, south of the village of Lo Giang, where there were supposedly 100 VC. As soon as my entire platoon had crossed a chest-deep creek, we heard the sound of mortars. At first we thought it was our mortar platoon but soon realized they were incoming from the village. They had us zeroed in and were walking the mortars in all around us. Small arms fire started coming from the village when I heard the cry for a Medic. I maneuvered to the wounded soldier, Rob Appley, who had recently turned 18. He had been hit in the side, mainly because he had his flak jacket wide open. I began to bandage the wound and a mortar round exploded nearby. I had a few scratches on my face and hands, but Rob took another piece of shrapnel through the top of his boot, penetrating the arch of his foot. After I bandaged his wounds, Butch, another guy from 1st platoon, carried Rob to the Medevac location. The rest of my platoon had maneuvered to the left to avoid being outflanked by the enemy. That was the most frightening day of my entire life. Finally, the mortars stopped and Rob was evacuated, along with several others. I eventually found out that shrapnel had passed thru his liver, his spleen was removed and he was in fair condition. Our entire company retreated from the blocking position for re-supply and we watched our artillery and jets bombard the village. We found out about American losses from some guys in A and C Companies. It wasn't until much later that we found out that the intel ligence information had been wrong and there were actually some 400 well fortified NVA Regulars in the village. Every once in awhile a mortar found its way into our new position. The air strikes and artillery continued well into darkness.
The next day we swept through the village and found several dead Americans who had been part of the attacking force. They had been the victims of an ambush. There were several tied to trees and shot in the head. We called in choppers and lifted the dead in their ponchos. They were awfully heavy and we were awfully depressed. Then we found one of our guys alive. It was a miracle that he had been out there all night and survived. He had a badly sprained ankle during the attack and hid in a tree line all night. He saw NVA shooting at bodies on the ground, but fortunately, they never found him. His biggest fear was that he would be hit by our own air and artillery strikes. But the Lord was with him. We moved through the village, took a body co unt and gathered the weapons, equipment and supplies that had been left behind. There were multiple shallow graves and we found socks tied together filled with boiled rice on many of the bodies. The fiercest fighting had been done by A & C Companies who lost 20+ men KIA and about 40 more WIA.
The 198th had won its first major battle, considering over 250 of the enemy had been killed in the village and we were told that the rest had been captured or killed as they retreated. I was happy that I was able to do my job under real pressure and that Rob would make it home in one piece. After that battle, the 198th was referred to by some as "The Da Nang Gang." We received a Valorous Unit Citation for the victory at Lo Giang. Shortly thereafter, the 198th Light Infantry Brigade Information Office published and distributed a document in the field. It was a 4 page battle account, to call attention and recognition to their outstanding combat performance in the face of a well-armed enemy. It concluded: "The men of the First Battalion, Sixth Infantry have proven themselves as `BRAVE AND BOLD'." I still have my copy of this document. It was later determined that Lo Giang was the bloodiest battle waged by the Americal Division during its 4 years in Vietnam.
Only 13 days later, on 2/21/68, I got my ticket home, when, after surviving the aforementioned battle, I was ironically a victim of "friendly fire."
Thanks again to each and every one of you for your service. We did our best for each other a long time ago when we soldiers once....and young, the Brave & Bold men of the 198th Light Infantry Brigade.
Be well, brothers,
Joe (Doc) De Frank Americal Division B, 1/6, 198th LIB 1st Plt Medic 67-68