The Tet Television Offensive: 40 Years Ago Today (Remembering 1968)

1/31/08 | Self

[Nextrush]

This link is a review of the Braestrup book, which I read as a teenager.

www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1978/nov-dec/bishop.html

Video on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1vJqTN-qVI

[blam]

"The story of this attack was the first of many distorted stories that would be spread by the mainstream media in the weeks to come."

I was 24 and my only child would be born in three weeks. I am still mad at the media and smile today when I read that one is having financial difficulties.

God Bless those boys who gave their lives.

[YOUGOTIT]

“but visually speaking the attack was shocking to Americans sitting in their living rooms.”

During Tet and the second try at another Tet the VC in South Vietnam were essentially eliminated from the war and thousands of VC and North Vietnamese Communist were killed it was one of the greatest victories in History by the US Military.

But the anti-American left-wing media who supported the Communist never stated that it was a victory and made it look as though it was a defeat. This and the other anti-American left-wing pig faced Nazi anti war idiots helped to kill many Americans and millions of South Vietnamese.

I curse those who supported the Communist.

[abb]

I am still mad at the media and smile today when I read that one is having financial difficulties.

Allow me to bring a smile to you this morning!

Belo (Dallas Morn. News) says 4th-quarter newspaper, TV revenues fall (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1962493/posts

Newspaper Slump Sinks Scripps (Rocky Mtn News, Memphis Com Appeal - Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1962505/posts

[JoanVarga]

THANK YOU for posting this! Allow me to point to an article I bookmarked recently from Commentary magazine entitled, "Who Owns the Vietnam War?"

Today even the New York Times has had to concede that Tet was an overwhelming American victory. But, like many others, it still refuses to acknowledge the implications. Tet not only destroyed the Vietcong as an effective political and military force; together with the siege of Khe Sanh, it also crippled the NVA. Like the Somme or Verdun in World War I, these big battles exacted a price in “a lost generation” of North Vietnamese youth. Small wonder that in mid-1968 General Giap made the fateful decision to scale back NVA operations to hit-and-run raids while relying more heavily than ever on the sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia.

[abb]

The Tet template was used against President Bush by the Drive-Bys. But he was made of sterner stuff than Flop Ears (Lyndon Johnson). Had Johnson told Cronkite to go to hell, we would have prevailed in Vietnam. Many Cambodians would have live a bit longer.

[Nextrush]

It took them several years after Tet to get up the strength for their next big offensive up in the DMZ area.

The Communists were hurt bad in 1968, but the spirit of the American people was broken by the mainstream media bias and sensationalism.

[JoanVarga]

The lack of interest in this thread is testimony to the very effective obfuscation surrounding this outrage, even today.

Cronkite lied. People died.

Dan Rather was woven from the same whole-cloth.

[BenLurkin]

It was our first introduction to the enemy within.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

The Tet template was used against President Bush by the Drive-Bys. But he was made of sterner stuff than Flop Ears (Lyndon Johnson). Had Johnson told Cronkite to go to hell, we would have prevailed in Vietnam. Many Cambodians would have live a bit longer

There would have been lots of Americans living had ole "flop ears" as you call him would have had some balls.... I had the distinct pleasure of making a point of driving by his ranch in the '70's and pi$$ing on one of his fence posts....didn't do any good, but made me feel better...I did it for the guys who busted their a$$es because of his ineptitude..

[abb]

Not to turn this into an LBJ thread, but I envy the pleasure you had peeing on his fencepost. I hope you were within sight of his grave while doing it.

I have read just about everything I could on LBJ - all of Caro’s books, Dalleck, etc. I guess he interests me because he was such a predominant figure when I first became interested in politics. He was the equal of Hillary in his pure lust for power. That’s all that mattered to him.

[oh8eleven]

I was Marine artillery up on the DMZ and the action had been hot and heavy for months prior to Tet. We knew Khe Sahn had become a focal point for the NVA and figured "Uncle Ho" had finally decided to stand and fight. We were more than ready.
We kicked their butts and wiped out thousands upon thousands of them. The final assault never happened and it's still unknown if that was because of the NVA's losses or because the siege at Khe Sahn was just a ploy to draw attention away from the rest of the country. Personally, I believe it was the former.

Semper Fi ...

[Yo-Yo]

MSM coverage of the Tet Offensive and of Iraq today just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Eva]

My husband’s ship arrived in the gulf on the 18th of January, 1968. They had a front row seat, wishing that they could do more than provide cover for those trapped by enemy fire on land.

[BluH2o]

This and the other anti-American left-wing pig faced Nazi anti war idiots helped to kill many Americans and millions of South Vietnamese.
I curse those who supported the Communist.

Does the name Walter Cronkite come to mind? Jane Fonda?

[Gay State Conservative]

We kicked their butts and wiped out thousands upon thousands of them.

In the end it didn't really matter though...did it? Once Comrade Chronkite declared the war to be lost the script was written.

IMHO,Comrade Chronkite should be....well,I won't say it.I don't want to be banned.

[oh8eleven]

In the end it didn't really matter though...did it? Once Comrade Chronkite declared the war to be lost the script was written.
Maybe so, but it wasn't a truly definitive moment when it happened the way it's looked at today. What most pinko-commies conveniently forget is that N. Vietnam signed a Peace Treaty, then violated the treaty a year or so later and invaded the south.

[Harold Shea]

You were at C-2 up there in Red Devil country?

Rough place for sure.

I was there 2 yrs later than you and we kicked Congs butt then too.

[oh8eleven]

Not sure what you mean by "Red Devil." I was with 1st 8" (3rd Marine Div) and started at Cam Lo in the summer of '67. Eventually went on to Gio Linh in the Fall, then over to C-2 from Nov thru April. After everything dried up, we went mobile all along the DMZ before finally ending up back at C-2 in June.
I knew the Army was there after I left and I'd read they converted one of the bunkers into a club. It took a direct hit from a 122mm rocket with "boo-koo" casualties.
Sounds like we shared the same red dust ... glad you made it back.

[Harold Shea]

Red Devil was the 1st of the 5th Army

Remember that “club”,hadn`t heard that story about the rocket hit,hated
those damn 122`s.Didn`t care much for C-2,too loud

Bad spot was the infamous Rockpile,always took fire there.Hiding under
a tanker carrying JP4 out to Khe Sahn while under fire still still brings a shudder.

I was Signal working all FB`s around Quang Tri

Got a boonie cap to this day with that red dust still visible