[Bigun]

Don’t forget, the VC would NEVER have defeated South Vietnam alone. After their horrendous losses after the 1968 Tet Offensive, they were NEVER AGAIN a significant force in the fighting.

I would only add this little bit of information to that not as a correction but rather as perhaps a footnote:

From at least early 1964 on the stated military objective of U.S. forces in Viet Nam was to draw the Viet Cong out into a set piece battle where they could be destroyed. This is EXACTLY what happened in battles of TET 68 and the media at home turned the greatest victory of the war into a defeat in the minds of most Americans.

[DMZFrank]

“From at least early 1964 on the stated military objective of U.S. forces in Viet Nam was to draw the Viet Cong out into a set piece battle where they could be destroyed. This is EXACTLY what happened in battles of TET 68 and the media at home turned the greatest victory of the war into a defeat in the minds of most Americans.’

BINGO!! That was Westmoreland’s strategy. It worked out as intended. The problem was that the ONLY successful aspect of the Red’s strategy was to cath the US and their South Viet allies flatfooted, ala the Dec 16 1944 Ardennes Offensive. The press was able to transform this one tactical positive for the Commies into a complete victory, despite the fact that they held only one objective, Hue; for more than a three weeks.