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Thanks for your analysis. That's it in a nutshell, . . .

The biggest single battle at khe sanh in the north in late 67-early 68 was an example. We lost a few hundred men over 100 days, they lost perhaps 10,000. Notably, at Khe Sanh the enemy had the best soviet equipment, they also had soviet migs with soviet pilots and they had soviet artillery also.

. . . however, I don't remember any accounts or reports of the North's air power engaging our air power over Khe Sanh or anywhere else over the South. Also, you might get an argument, as to the largest battle, from the 'grunts,' both Army and Marines, who fought at the Battle for the Hue Citadel that took place at the same time as Khe Sanh.

you're right, that might not be correct about biggest battle, depending on how you measure it. But that battle lasted over 100 days. The enemy massed 20,000 troops at us, tried to over-run a camp with 5,000 or so americans in it. I read a slim book about that battle. It said the enemy had Migs with russian pilots working that battle. It said they had big artillery pieces also. I talked to two people who were there, they told stories. Our troops were so well dug in and prepared that when the enemy attacked it was just a killing field for them. They made it a very high priority to over-run our troops. We made it a very high priority to not let them.

Somebody should make a movie out of it.

however, I don't remember any accounts or reports of the North's air power engaging our air power over Khe Sanh or anywhere else over the South.

The communists tried this earlier in the war,and kept losing all their airplanes. They even went so far as to use eastern European,Russian,and Cuban pilots. They got tired of losing their fighters,so they mostly stayed on the ground after that.

yes, that is curious how they apparently used Migs at khe sanh in late 67/early 68, but did not use them in the south afterwards. I think maybe because khesanh was in the far north of south vietnam. The Migs were new tothem. Maybe they didn't want to risk using them further south or maybe we shot them out of sky? Also, I'm sure those soldiers taking back Hue during the tet that began right as Khe sanh battle was ending would disagree with the assessment that khe sanh being largest battle. If I'd been a grunt I'd rather have been dug in at Khe sanh than fighting to take back Hue after the communists took it.

It was a real tough war for our soldiers. They performed so well. That is the main message everyone should know. Mel Gibson's recent movie was based on fact, it is not hollywood baloney. Also, believe it or not, John Wayne's movie from 68, was it called 'The Green Beret'?, that one portrayed events that were similar to some events that actually did occur also. They really did try to over-run camps just like that and they really did suffer the kinds of lopsided casualties shown in that movie.