1. Warm Up # 16
What role does popular opinion play in the decisions a President makes?
What role should it play?

2. Tet Offensive and the My Lai Massacre
1968
Tet Offensive and the My Lai Massacre

3. The Road to War
massacre/videos/the-road-to- war?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false
3 minutes – don’t have to show this – general background information

4. Background Vietnam war was from 1959-1975 US involved from 1965-1973
Includes Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
Total deaths – about 1.5 million
58,000 American soldiers died

5. Why was the US Involved? 1954 – Vietnam was divided in half
North – communist
South – democratic
1965 – US gets involved
Sends in troops to the South
Wants to keep the South’s government from collapsing

6. Tet Offensive

7. Lead up to the Tet Offensive:
US dramatically increased the number of military “advisers”
Lead to increased anti- war protests in America
US government claimed progress was being made

8. Khe Sanh January 21, 1968 20,000 NVA troops attack Khe Sanh
NVA under the command of General Giap
Khe Sanh was an isolated American air base, about 14 miles from the northern border
5,000 US Marines were surrounded along with South Vietnamese forces
Siege lasted 77 days
US mounts counterattack and pushes NVA back
At home, protestors were comparing this to Dien Bien Phu

10. General Giap’s Plan US focus was on Khe Sanh Khe Sanh was a diversion
General Giap knew people were protesting the war in the US
Media attention was becoming a key factor
Giap wanted to start an uprising amongst the South Vietnamese against US involvement

11. General Giap’s Plan
Engage in a bloody conflict that would further enrage Americans
Thinks this will break the desire of the US government to carry on
Needs a quick and decisive victory
Ideally leading up to the Presidential Election in America

12. What is Tet? Lunar New Year Called “Tet” in Vietnamese
Most important and popular holiday in Vietnam
Usually a three day holiday, towards the end of January

13. Tet Holiday Truce | 1968 Truce was declared on both sides
Soldiers would celebrate with families
NVA and VC began sneaking into cities with smuggled weapons
Hid weapons in flower carts, coffins, and vegetable trucks
Disguised themselves as peasants, refugees and workers

14. Tet Offensive Begins January 31, 1968 84,000 VC guerillas aided by NVA
Attacks more than 100 cities and towns in the South
Aided by the element of surprise because of the Tet Holiday Truce
Targets
35 of 44 provincial capitals
Saigon – capital of South
US Embassy in Saigon

15. Battle for Saigon 1968: January 3 – March 7 35 NVA and VC units
50 US and Allied units
US and Allies are able to keep Saigon from being taken

16. Attack on the US Embassy
January 31, 1968
19 VC soldiers blew their way into the US Embassy
VC killed 2 of 5 MP’s
Attack fails – VC were pinned down by Marine guards
All 19 VC were killed

17. Battle for Hue January 31 – March 2
12,000 NVA and VC storm this historic city
Hue is not well defended
US and South forces counter-attack
Heaviest fighting of the entire Tet Offensive

19. Massacre in Hue
More than 3,000 “enemies of people” executed by VC and NVA in Hue
Including SV government officials, SV officers, and Catholic priests
Mass graves were found: people were tortured and sometimes buried alive
Estimates might be closer to 6,000 executed

20. Tet Offensive – The Big Picture
Turning Point of the War
Protests in America increased greatly as a result
Psychological victory for the NVA and VC
“Credibility Gap”
Americans had been told the US was winning in Vietnam
Tet Offensive showed differently
Americans don’t trust LBJ or General Westmoreland
“The Living Room War”
People watched the war in their homes
Many saw first hand the assault on the embassy in Saigon
The next image is one of the most famous images from the war

22. 1968 | AP Photo Chief of Police of Saigon, Nguyen Ngoc Loan
Shown executing a suspected VC officer in Saigon
Eddie Adams, the photographer
Won a Pulitzer Prize
Said the man Loan shot had been seen killing others and felt the execution was justified

23. Walter Cronkite
“For it seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.”
Cronkite was a well- respected anchorman for CBS
“That’s it. If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America.”
President Johnson’s quoted response after watching Cronkite’s broadcast

24. Political Fallout of Tet
March 31, 1968
President Johnson announced he would not seek another term
1968
The bloodiest year for US troops in Vietnam
Anti-War Movement
Tet helped unite those at home who disagreed with the war
Movement gained strength, especially during the election of 1968
The Tet Offensive really turns America against the war

25. Tet Offensive Video
war/tet-offensive
5 minutes – overview of Tet

26. My Lai Massacre

27. Background March 16, 1968 My Lai is a small village in South Vietnam
US soldiers of Charlie Company
Told that dozens of VC troops were coming through the area
Told by their captain that all people in My Lai were either VC members or sympathizers

28. What Happened? Soldiers rounded up hundreds of civilians
Many were raped, beaten, and/or tortured
Many were then killed
Between 347 and civilians were killed
According to haeberle, the photographer of these photos, after taking this picture he turned away, heard gunfire and out of the corner of his eye saw the bodies falling

29. Casualties Of those killed: Many were women and children
Many were “suspected” to be enemy fighters by US soldiers
Killed by firearms, grenades and bayonets

30. Haeberle Photos
Army photographer accompanying Charlie Company, took many photos, including these

31. Cover Up and Investigation
Despite the photos, this event was covered up until September 1969 (but wasn’t brought to the public’s attention until November 1969)
The photos were key evidence in the Army’s investigation
Ultimately, 26 soldiers were charged
One was sentenced to life in prison (Lieutenant Calley), but only served 4.5 months
Army concluded there was a widespread failure of leadership, discipline and morale
Americans increased their demand for a withdrawal from Vietnam
Still considered the worst case of American war atrocities

32. My Lai Summarized https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWchy6ykNnQ
9 minutes

33. After 40 years, an Apology for My Lai Massacre