[kabar]

January 31, 1968 - The turning point of the war occurs as 84,000 Viet Cong guerrillas aided by NVA troops launch the Tet Offensive attacking a hundred cities and towns throughout South Vietnam.

February 2, 1968 - President Johnson labels the Tet Offensive "a complete failure."

For the North Vietnamese, the Tet Offensive is both a military and political failure in Vietnam. The "general uprising" they had hoped to ignite among South Vietnamese peasants against the Saigon government never materialized. Viet Cong had also come out of hiding to do most of the actual fighting, suffered devastating losses, and never regained their former strength. As a result, most of the fighting will be taken over by North Vietnamese regulars fighting a conventional war. Tet's only success, and an unexpected one, was in eroding grassroots support among Americans and in Congress for continuing the war indefinitely.

April 30, 1969 - U.S. troop levels peak at 543,400. There have been 33,641 Americans killed by now, a total greater than the Korean War.

August 23, 1972 - The last U.S. combat troops depart Vietnam.

January 27, 1973 - Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announces the draft is ended in favor of voluntary enlistment.

January 27, 1973 - The last American soldier to die in combat in Vietnam, Lt. Col. William B. Nolde, is killed.

March 29, 1973 - The last remaining American troops withdraw from Vietnam as President Nixon declares "the day we have all worked and prayed for has finally come."

[rollo tomasi]

President Johnson labels the Tet Offensive "a complete failure." (For the Viet Cong in reality)

Which I stated, hence Cronkite was a tool because he was spouting lies for a purpose (Comprehension please).

My contention is the military commanders who saw this, yet promoted the lie, should not be treated with honor, only contempt. After Tet there was a huge opportunity to counter-attack and GO NORTH (Would of been nice at least taking out their logistics/energy/infrastructure etc..). Not happening because suburbanites swallowed Cronkite's/LBJ's "blue pills" while military commanders were happily (Pensions $$$$ in their eyes) "black pills".

[Snickering Hound]

For the North Vietnamese, the Tet Offensive is both a military and political failure in Vietnam. The "general uprising" they had hoped to ignite among South Vietnamese peasants against the Saigon government never materialized. Viet Cong had also come out of hiding to do most of the actual fighting, suffered devastating losses, and never regained their former strength. As a result, most of the fighting will be taken over by North Vietnamese regulars fighting a conventional war. Tet's only success, and an unexpected one, was in eroding grassroots support among Americans and in Congress for continuing the war indefinitely.

One other benefit for the North Vietnamese from Tet was that the Southern VC leadership was decimated. The Vietnamese Politburo put loyal North Vietnamese troops into surviving VC cadres to make sure they stayed in charge.

Actually winning would have been better for them but there was some 'heads I win, tails you lose' for the VC.