1. My Perspective on the Event & on the Media Bác-Sỹ NguyễnlêHiếu, Ph.D
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
My Perspective on the Event
& on the Media
Bác-Sỹ NguyễnlêHiếu, Ph.D

2. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Historians deal with historic events all the times.
Sometimes, we even associate events of
our own personal life to historic dates.
At national level,
Odd question: How well
do we really remember
events of the past???
What were you doing on Nov 22, 1963 at 12:30pm ?

3. The 1968 TẾt Offensive In 1983: 20 years after the assassination:
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Q: What were you doing
on Nov 22, 1963 at 12:30pm
when President Kennedy
was assassinated?
According to non-scientific surveys:
In 1983: 20 years after the assassination:
the majority of people could give a precise answer
In 2003: 40 years after the tragedy: only 30% could.
The senior citizens’ answers:…
The youngster: “I wasn’t born yet”
In a similar line of thinking, we can ask:

4. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Many people will say: I was not there or
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
What happened during the Tết Offensive of 1968?
Many people will say:
I was not there or
I was not born yet
Old events need to be told for future generations
This presentation is a piece of oral history
1- Review of chain of events in my lifetime leading
to the Tết offensive and to my attitude change
2- How much the media influence my
thoughts during the offensive
3- Use of old photos
as flashback
Let’s start from the beginning

5. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Part 1: ADMIRATION
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Part 1: ADMIRATION
I was born a child of a colonized country in the 1930’s
French Indochina: 5 countries
so was my father, at the turn of the century
France had imposed The Accords of Protectorate to Việt-Nam in 1883
after the massacre at the port Thuận-an.
In my family, we cultivated our identity by studying
Vietnamese humanities and Vietnamese history.
Children were encouraged to read two books
always readily available in the house

6. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Book#1- The story of Kiều: our national masterpiece
Trơ như đá vững như đồng
Thanh-minh trong tiết tháng ba
Two books can be read at anytime in our home. Bk #1 is Kiều, our national literary piece. It told the saga of a young girl who left her beau she had met by the bridge one spring afternoon, and sold herself in order to save his father in trouble. She went from one prostitution house to another. At one time, she was living happily with a warlord when he was killed by treachery. He was so bewildered that even after death, he still stood erect until she came and cried at his feet. Only then did he fall down.
So bề tài sắc lại là phần hơn

7. THE 1968 TẾT OFFENSIVE Publisher of Nam-Phong, President of Society
bshieu
1/1/2008
THE 1968 TẾT OFFENSIVE
Publisher of Nam-Phong, President of Society
for Mutual Instruction Tri-tri, advocate for a
Constitutional Monarchy, and Prime minister 32-45
The Story of Kiều was celebrated and illustrated by Phạm-Quỳnh
( )
The piece was celebrated by Pham-Quynh, the Publisher of Nam-phong, Pres. Of Society for Mutual Instruction Tri-tri, Advocate for a Constitutional Monarchy. He became Prime Minister from

8. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
My hero: King Hàm-Nghi, the 13 y/o king who, from the jungle, called for the general uprising Cần-vương Movement; he ended in exile in Algeria
Book #2:
Abridged History of Việt-Nam
By Trần-Trọng-Kim, Teacher, Historian,
Author and Prime Minister
At an early age, I developed
ADMIRATION
The other book is the Abridged history of Vietnam by Tran-Trong-Kim, Teacher, Historian, Author, and Prime Minister. From that book, I chose my hero: King Ham-nghi, the 13 y/o child-king who ran away from the capital, went to the jungle from where, he called for a general uprising Cần-Vương. He was captured and sent in exile in Algeria; he died abroad and was buried in France.

9. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
At an early age, I developed admiration for several individuals, who worked diligently to build-up Việt-Namese culture and enhance Việt-Namese identity i.e. Trần-Trọng-Kim, Phạm-Quỳnh, Nguyễn- Văn-Tố, HM Bảo-Đại, Prof. Hoàng-Xuân-Hãn, Nhất-Linh, Nguyễn-Mạnh-Tường, etc.
Phạm-Quỳnh
wrote the FIRST Declaration of
Independence in March 1945,
(signed by Bảo-Đại and the
royal government) Trần-Trọng-Kim, P.D.Tốn & N-V-Vinh Prime Minister, of the FIRST government
of Free Việt-Nam
Bảo-Đại
N.V.Tố H-X-Hãn
Nhất-Linh N.M.Tường
…While those individuals had been around for a while
At an early age, I developed ADMIRATION for several individuals who had worked diligently to cultivate VN culture and identity. Among those, I can cite P-Quỳnh, (here between PD Tốn and N-V-Vĩnh); and TTK.
Ex King Bao-Dai (who abdicated in 45 then came back as head of state until 1955 when he was overthrown by NĐD),
N-V-Tố, Head of the Anti-illiteracy program and meticulous researcher of EFEO,
HXHãn, researcher, teacher, who made Vietnamese the principal language vehicle in the whole national educational system
Nhất-Linh NTTam, writer, a leader of VN nationalist party
Nguyễn-Mạnh-Tường, one of the most francophile, French-trained lawyer v.v While those individuals had been around for a while,

10. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy (1913-1997)
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy
( )
(Modern) King Bảo-Đại: 1925 – 1945
Head of State:
Declaration of Independence
March 1045
Unification of Việt-Nam
August 1945

11. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Nguyễn-Văn-Tố (1889-1947) Researcher, EFEO
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Nguyễn-Văn-Tố
( )
Researcher, EFEO
Head, Counter-Illiteracy Movement
( )
Minister for Social Services
(Sep 1945-Mar 1946)
President, National Assembly
(Mar 1946-Aug 1946)
Minister without folio
(Aug 1946-Oct 1947)
Killed by French in Oct 1947

12. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Hoàng-Xuân-Hãn (1908-1996)
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Hoàng-Xuân-Hãn
( )
Ecole Normal Superieure
Polytechnique
Ponts et Chaussée
Researcher, Writer
Minister of Education
(Mar-Aug 1945)
Introduced Vietnamese as language vehicle in the National Educational System
Dictionary of technical
and scientific terminology

13. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Nguyễn-Tường-Tam Nhất-Linh (1905-1963)
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Nguyễn-Tường-Tam
Nhất-Linh
( )
Writer (Self reliance Group)
Tự-lực văn-đoàn
Reformed Vietnamese prose
Vietnamese Nationalist Party
Foreign Minister
(Mar-Aug 1946)

14. bshieu
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The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Nguyễn-Mạnh-Tường ( ) Văn Phạm Việt Nam (cùng Bùi Kỷ, Trần Trọng Kim) (1941) * Việt Nam Tự Điển (Hội Khai Trí Tiến Đức) * Construction de l'Orient (1937) * Sourires et Larmes d'une Jeunesse (1937) * Pierres de France (1940) * Apprentissage de la Méditerranée (1940) * Le Voyage et le Sentiment (1940) * Một Cuộc Hành Trình (1955)
* Un Excommunité-HàNội: : Procès d'un intellectuel (Kẻ bị khai trừ - Hà Nội 54-92: Bản án một người trí thức) Quê Mẹ Paris xuất bản 1992
* Lý luận giáo dục châu Âu: Từ Érasme tới Rousseau thế kỷ XVI, XVII, XVIII - Nhà Xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội ) trang
* Aikhylos (Eschyle) và bi kịch cổ đại Hi Lạp - Nhà xuất bản Giáo dục (1996)
* Virgile - nhà thơ vĩ đại của thời kỳ La mã cổ đại- Nhà xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội (1996) trang

15. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
While those individuals have been around for sometimes, in Aug 1945,
the list of my heroes augmented with an INSTANT celebrity: Hồ-Chí-Minh who gave the September 1945 Declaration known as of Independence
(a misnomer)
A Declaration of Independence had
been made several months earlier by Bảo-Đại and Phạm-Quỳnh
“France had left; Japan surrendered (to the Allied)” so said Minh. He did not wrestle the power from them
Actually, Bảo-Đại abdicated and transferred the power to a Republican government
The so-called Declaration of
Independence on Sep 2nd, 1945
was in fact for the
Founding of the Republic.
That Declaration of the Republic
was signed by the whole
Provisional Government.
…in Aug 45, there was an addition to my list of heroes: this was an INSTANT celebrity: HCM who gave the Declaration of 2nd Sep. It was wrongly called the Declaration of Independence; however, it was accepted by the long use of the term. First, there had been a Declaration of Independence made several months earlier by Bao-Dai and Pham-Quynh, Then, in Ho’s speech, he said that “France had left” so he did not gain Independence from France. He also said that “the Japanese had surrendered”, but to the Allied Forces, not to HCM. At that time, The Japanese were still in place and had offered their services to maintain order to Bao-Dai and then PM Tran-Trong-Kim. So Ho did not gain independence from Japan. In fact, he received the transfer of power from Bao-Dai, through Ho’s emissaries who came to Hue. So this was a change from a Monarchy to a Republic, more exactly a Declaration of a Revolution, a change of political regime.

16. bshieu
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The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Ex-King Bảo-Đại became the Supreme Councilor The reseacher Tố, min. Soc.Affairs Nhất-Linh, Foreign Minister Hãn, Political Chief, Đà-lạt
H-C-Minh had fought for the country, founded the Republic and was able to surround himself with respectable and respected individuals in the government as well as in the team going to the Đà-lạt Preliminary Conference
Giáp, Deputy Head of delegation
Tường, cultural Chief, Đà-lạt
For a while, the country was united behind Minh
Hồ-Chí-Minh has fought against the French and the Japanese, found the Republic and was able to surround himself with respectable and respected individuals, in the government as well as in the team going to the Dalat preliminary conference.
For a while, the whole country was united behind Hồ

17. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Soon, from admiration, I experienced pain as I watched my heroes and leaders fight bitterly among themselves.
PART 2: PAIN
Many men and women of my generation felt trapped
as children in a dysfunctional family
The Saga of children in a Dysfunctional family
After the initial ADMIRATION, soon, I experienced PAIN as I watched my heroes and leaders fight bitterly among themselves. Many men and women of my generation felt trapped as children of a dysfunctional family.

18. The 1968 TẾT Offensive The Unity Government collapsed by the mid-1946
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾT Offensive
The Unity Government collapsed by the mid-1946
The Supreme Councilor was sent to China then ordered to stay there
(he would be judged in absentia in 1948)
Vice-P.M. Nguyễn-Hải-Thần (VNCMDMH) and Foreign Minister Nguyễn-Tường-Tam (VNQDĐ) left
Other non-Communist politicians disappeared
News of Phạm-Quỳnh being taken prisoner then “disappeared”;
The Non-Communist leaders entertained
the idea of forming a new Nationalist front.
Many of them resurfaced around Bảo-Đại.
France took advantage of the situation:
The State of Việt-Nam was created
The Unity Government collapsed by mid The Suprême Councilor was sent to China by the government then asked to stay away. (he would be judged in absentia in 1948 by the Military tribunal of tactical region III). Other leaders left for China or just disappeared, including Vice-Premier N-H-Thần and Foreign minister N-T-Tam. Then came the news that former PM Phạm-Quỳng was taken prisoner, then killed.
The Nationalist entertained the idea of forming another Front. Many reappeared around Bao-Dai. France of course jumped on the case The State of Viet-Nam was created.

19. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive

20. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
The country was divided in July 1954
Families became divided. By choice? by chance? by circumstances?
PAIN: The Saga of a divided country: the 1954 exodus
In 1954, the country was divided. The people was divided. Families were divided. Some cases by choice, other by chance, other still by individual circumstances. We knew the PAIN, the saga of a divided country, of the 1954 EXODUS. American and French ships helped with the exodus of 2 M Vietnamese who fled the North Communist to move South.

21. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
PAIN: The Saga of Divided People TO LEAVE or NOT TO LEAVE That was the question
There was the pain of a difficult decision: TO STAY or TO LEAVE?

22. The 1968 TẾt Offensive The Pain The Saga Of A Broken Family
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
The Pain
The Saga Of A Broken Family
My parents became communist comrades and my parents-in-law became anti-Communist fighters. Not by choice but by family circumstances.
(for this quilt show) I created a Vietnamese map, cutting the map in half at the 17th parallel to represent the Split in In the process of creating this quilt, I made every effort to stitch the split back together. It will take immense effort, tireless work and many stitches to heal the spirit.
I hope our generation and generations
to come will work together
to heal our historical pain
Chau Thuy Huynh graduated from UC Berkeley in May, 2006
The Story of a Broken family, told by Chau Thuy Huynh, a graduate from UC Berkeley during a Quilt show.

23. The 1968 TẾt Offensive PAIN:
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
PAIN:
The Saga of a divided people affected old and young
To Stay or To Leave?
PAIN :
The Saga of a Symbol:
The FLAG
Anh hy sinh, lá cờ in vết đạn
Em vá cờ, em vá mảnh giang san..
The PAIN stays with old and young, men and women, within families: Always that difficult decision of STAYING or LEAVING?
Then there is the pain for the symbol: the flags.

24. The 1968 TẾt Offensive PAIN: The Saga of a Broken Country:
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
PAIN: The Saga of
a Broken Country:
The Story of the Two Flags
Growing up in Việt-Nam, every Monday at school, I had to salute the Communist Việt-Namese flag, I felt extremely proud of being Việt-Namese and extremely proud of the flag.
When I came to the US, I witnessed a different attitude…The Việt-Namese-Americans were (also as proud) saluting "their" own flag, as I would be when saluting mine.
I soon came to realize their
perspective and developed
a sense of respect for
both flags.
Chau Thuy Huynh, UC Bekerly

25. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾT Offensive
The flags have different patterns, but they use the same two colors: red and yellow. In this quilt, I combined the two flags. The two flags are of the same origin and when combined, they balance each other and make each other more beautiful
Chau Thuy Huynh, UC Bekerly
In fact, several flags had a various mix of the two colors Red and Yellow, from the time of Thành-Thái (at the turn of the century, through the TT Kim era, the Communist state of (N) Viet-Nam in 1945 then the flag of (S-)VN since 1948).

26. Part 3: DISILLUSION The 1968 TẾt Offensive
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Following the Admiration, came the Pain of a Divided Nation
In 1954: my family moved from Hà-nội to Sài-gòn.
Part 3: DISILLUSION
Disillusion filled my heart as I learned about
what was happening in North Việt-Nam
Admiration then Pain continued with DISSILUSION which filled my heart we in the South, learned about the Repressive policy of the cruel Land Reform program and the One-hundred-flower campaign.

27. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Land Reform & Denunciation Program
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Land Reform & Denunciation Program
Land Redistribution & Class struggle
Photos by Dmitri Baltermant
The land Reform program also include a DENUNCIATION one in which, thousands of landowners and Rich farmers lost their lives. Those photos were taken by a Russian reporter. (also available at the VN Center here in Lubbock). A designated land owner-victim was chosen. He was then taken to a popular tribunal, was confronted by real or imaginary “victims”, threatened, then killed. Later on, it was found that excesses had been committed, the Party apologized. A recent report shows how many errors and injustices had been committed.
Take note of the “finger-pointing” and the “fist”, the aggressive and threatening atmosphere exerted on the victim.

28. The 1968 TẾt Offensive Results of Land reform and Class Denunciation Program OUt of four victims, 3 were wrongly Killed
bshieu
1/1/2008
Category
# killed
# wrongly condemned %
Exploiting Landowners
26,453
20,493
77.4
(Plain) Landowners
82,777
51,480 62
Landowners (having participated in Revolution and Resistance)
586
290 49
Rich Farmers (Not owning land)
62,192
51,003 82
All categories
172,008
123,226
71,66
People in countryside were divided in landowners and rich farmers (who did not own land). Landowner group was further divided in exploiting ones, simple (not cruel) and the ones who had contributed to the Revolution and the Resistance. In total, of 172 thousand deaths, 123 thousand were wrongly condemned, 72% (about one in three people).

29. The 1968 TẾt Offensive One-hundred flowers affair
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Bị xử phạt nặng nhất là Thụy An và Nguyễn Hữu Đang. Bà Thụy An bị kết tội làm gián điệp với kết án: "mụ phù thủy hiện nguyên hình rắn độc", bị kết án 15 năm tù cùng với Nguyễn Hữu Đang trong phiên tòa ngày 21/1/1960 tại Hà Nội. Mãi đến năm 1974 hai người mới được ra tù nhưng bị quản thúc thêm một thời gian nữa
One-hundred flowers affair
Repression of intellectuals and writers who demanded freedom of thought and of expression
In the One-hundred flower program: the party practiced a very harsh repression of over 80 writers and intellectuals who had asked for
FREEDOM of thought and speech.
Phan Khôi, ( ) the first poet of new poetry and strong nationalist.
Hoang Cam, (1922-) who wrote about the elusive ideal/happiness in the well known poem the (imaginary) Diêu-bông leaf.
N-V-Đang, ( -2007) former minister of Youth who got 15 year jail sentence followed by several years of banishment.
Van-Cao, ( ) the writer of the Communist national anthem, expelled from Ass. of artists.
N-M-Tuong, ( ) relieved of all position, titles, functions, placed in isolation. He wrote Un Excommunié
Hữu-Loan, (1916- )the author of the Resistance poem of Violet flowers.

30. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
I was bewildered at the harsh treatment inflicted to intellectuals because of their demand for free thought and expression
ONE-HUNDRED-FLOWERS AFFAIR
Expelled from Professional Associations, no further professional creative activity
Khai trừ vĩnh-viễn (definitively):
Phan Khôi, Trương Tửu, Thụy An (Hội Nhà Văn), Trần Duy (Hội Mỹ Thuật)
Khai trừ ba năm (3 yrs):
Trần Dần, Lê Đạt (Hội Nhà văn), Tử Phác và Đặng Đình Hưng (Hội Nhạc sĩ)
 Khai trừ một năm (1 yr):
Hoàng Cầm và Phùng Quán ra khỏi (Hội Nhà Văn)
Jail time & banishment
Thụy-An, Nguyễn-Hữu Đang, Trần Duy bị kết án từ 12 đến 15 năm tù.
Removed from office and placed under house arrest /social & economical isolation
Các giáo sư đại học như Trương Tửu, Trần Đức Thảo, Nguyễn Mạnh Tường, Đào Duy Anh... bị cách chức và bị quản thúc
The nation was bewildered at the harsh treatment inflicted to intellectuals because of their demand for free thought and expression. Several were expelled from Professional Associations. In a well controlled state, that means that the condemned were cut off completely with any artistic and life-supporting activities. Jail time was stiff for other. Teachers were removed from office and placed under house arrest or in isolation.
Trương-Tửu (Nguyễn-Bách-Khoa ) Hàn-Thuyên: phê-bình, nghiên-cứu y-học, sống về Đông-y.
Trần Dần ( ) đi Chí-Linh, Thái-nguyên; tô màu ảnh và vẽ tranh
Trần-Duy (hội Mỹ-thuật)
Tử-Phác
Đặng-Đình-Hưng
Lê-Đạt (1929- ) Đào-Công-Đạt, khai-trừ, đi nông-trường Chí-linh, Hải-dương
Phùng-Quán ( ) Nhà văn, nhà báo. Khai-trừ, chuyển đi lao-độngnông-nghiệp ở Thái-bình, Thánh-hoá v.v.
Đào-Duy-Anh ( ) Sử-học, nghên-cứu ngôn-ngữ văn-học VN, đảng Tân-Việt, bị tủ; sau 1930:lo văn-hoá; Sau Trăm-hoa, chuyễn công-tác

31. Part 4: AWAKENING The 1968 TẾt Offensive
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
With pain and disillusion in my heart, nevertheless, I still hoped that the two sides of my then divided country would enter a peaceful competition to provide greater freedom, richer economy, better education, brighter opportunities and overall more fulfillment in the lives of our people.
Part 4: AWAKENING
Instead, the 1968 Tết Offensive produced a rude awakening for the nation: North Việt-Nam had only chosen the war option
With pain and disillusion in my heart, nevertheless, I still hoped that the two sides of my then divided country would enter a peaceful competition to provide greater freedom, richer economy, better education, brighter opportunities and overall more fulfillment in the lives of our people.
We hope that preliminary results of this peaceful competition would soften the Vietcong rebellious mood. Instead, came the 1968 Tet Offensive which became the rude awakening for the nation: North Vietnam had only chosen the war option

32. The 1968 TẾt Offensive AWAKENING
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
AWAKENING
On New Year, during the ceasefire, North Việt-Namese forces attacked some forty cities and strategic points with two main objectives:
1- to upset SVN administration, hoping to trigger a general uprising
2-militarily, to obtain some land and a city to serve as capital for the Việt-cộng: they chose the city of Huế
On New Year, during the ceasefire, North Vietnamese forces attacked some forty cities and strategic points with two main goals:
1- to upset SVN administration, in the hope of triggering a general uprising which would show support to Communists.
2-militarily, to obtain some territory and cities to serve as base for Viêtcông; at that time, they hay eye on the city of Huế

33. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Nevertheless, North Việt-Nam claimed victory at Huế; they issued a commemorative stamp which says: BRAVO FOR HUẾ GREAT VICTORY
Death and desolation were not
reported in North Việt-Nam
The general uprising failed to occur The enemy was pushed back
The general uprising did not happen
The enemy was pushed back
Nevertheless, North Vietnam claimed victory at Huê; they issued a commemoration stamp which says: BRAVO FOR HUE VICTORY
Death and desolation were not reported

34. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Soon after the battle: -Mass graves were found -Mass execution, discovered -Some victims, found even buried alive
We watched
on TV, days
after days, exhumation
of bodies, we grieved with mourning families
In the aftermath of the battle of Hue, -Mass graves were found
-Mass execution discovered
-Some victims were even buried alive
We watched
on TV, days
after days, exhumation
of bodies,
We grieved with mourning families

35. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
I felt rage and disbelief at the exposed atrocities
My journey from Admiration to Pain, to Disillusion then
Awakening was personal; but I feel that many men and
women of my generation went through the same process
The Huế
Massacre
Reported by Douglas Pike,
Don Oberdorfer
Denied by Gareth Porter
and associates
Confirmed by Stanley Karnow,
Marilyn B. Young, etc.
I felt rage and disbelief at the exposed atrocities. My journey from Admiration to Awakening was personal; but I feel that my story resounds with many men/women of my generation
Reported by Douglas Pike (The Vietcong strategy of terror: 1971) and by Don Oberdorfer (Tet!: The Turning Point in the Vietnam War. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971)
Rejected by Gareth Porter (The 1968 Hue massacre, Indochina chronicle, #33, 1974)
Confirmed by Stanley Karnow (Vietnam, Wiking, with PBS television, 1983) and by Marilyn B. Young (The Vietnam Wars, (New York: Harper Perennial, 1991) etc

36. bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Role of the Media? The Saigon government has made negligible propaganda use of the massacre (Time Magazine, Oct 1969)
In the aftermath of the Offensive, every
body everywhere had firsthand witnessed Communist treachery and cruelty.
No media/TV was necessary to
appreciate those facts. .
(J.Willbanks: dawn of 24 Feb 68: 2nd battalion, 3rd regiment, ARVN)
The media did fuel a surge of patriotism,
build up a sense of urgency and fortify
the general commitment to the struggle.
Feb 1st: Declaration of martial law
June 15: the National Assembly ordered
a general mobilization (a decree that had
failed to pass only five months previously)
Military mobilization, anti-corruption campaigns, demonstrations of political unity, and administrative reforms were quickly carried out; new determination exhibited among the ordinary citizens.
The Tềt Offensive heightened rather than dampened our spirit
What was the Role of the Media?
In the aftermath of the Offensive, everybody everywhere had first hand witnessed Communist treachery and cruelty.
No media, TV included, was necessary to appreciate those facts.
But the media did fuel a surge of patriotism, build up a sense of urgency and fortify the general commitment to the struggle.
On 1 February the President declared a state of martial law
On 15 June, the National Assembly passed a general mobilization law (a decree that had failed to pass only few months earlier)
Military mobilization, anti-corruption campaigns, demonstrations of political unity, and administrative reforms were quickly carried out.
Both the government and the Americans were encouraged by a new determination that was exhibited among the ordinary citizens of the Republic
Anticommunist stand got a boost

37. The 1968 TẾt Offensive In the US, the same Tết Offensive
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
In all honesty, we didn't achieve our main objective, which
was to spur uprisings throughout the South. As for making
an impact in the United States, it had not been our intention
but it turned out to be a fortunate result (Gen. Trần-Độ)
Despite the outcome of the
battle, the American people and
their leaders came to perceive
the Việt-Nam war as lost.
Advisor Rostow & Def.Sec . Clifford
Clifford replaced McNamara
De-Escalation policy gained acceptance
Troop Request denied
Abrams replaced Westmoreland
In the US, the same Tết Offensive
was reported in a much more
negative way. TV showed daily war reports of devastation and death
(Our) most important guerrilla ally during the war
was the America press.“ (Võ Nguyên Giáp)
In fact, the media fuel
antiwar movement
In the US, the same Tet Offensive was reported in a much more negative way. TV showed daily war reports of devastation and death
In fact, the media fuel
antiwar movement ( Kent state)
“Despite the outcome of the
battle, the American people and
their leaders came to perceive
the war for Vietnam as lost.”
Clifford replaced McNamara
De-Escalation policy gradually gained acceptance
Troop Request denied
Abrams replaced Westmoreland

38. Xuân-Phượng: Áo-Dài, Plon, 2001:207
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
In N. Việt-Nam, the government-controlled media reported “the victory
of Huế” without any mention of destruction, death and despair that
N-VN forces had brought along
In 1975, Xuân-Phượng, head of film
propaganda unit, while filming
the so-called liberation of South
Việt-Nam, wondered why Huế
people ran away from the
“liberating” NVN forces.
Fifteen years later, writing her autobiography, in a foot note, she gave the finally-found explanation: I, as the people of North Việt-Nam, had had no knowledge of the Huế Massacre.
Xuân-Phượng: Áo-Dài, Plon, 2001:207
In North Vietnam, the media reported liberated Huê without any mention of destruction, death and despair.
In 1975, Xuân-Phượng, head of film propaganda unit, wondered why Huê population ran away from the “liberating” NVN forces.
Only long after, she understood the reason: She, as the people of North Vietnam, had had no knowledge of the 1968 Huê Massacre

39. State controlled media Black out =No information
bshieu
1/1/2008
The 1968 TẾt Offensive
Conclusions:
1- The media, also called the 4th power, can do magic trick
A question arises: Should there be a 5th power to control the 4th one,
and assure its veracity and its impartiality?
(Reed Irvine’s AIM? or Ignacio Ramonet’s 5th power?)
South Việt-Nam
Optimism
General mobilization
USA
Pessimism
Mood for Withdrawal
North Việt-Nam
State controlled media
Black out =No information
Give the media
half a glass of water;
it can
make it half FULL
or half EMPTY or even
make it DISAPPEAR
1- Different perception through the media: In South Vietnam, half a glass was half full; in the US, it was half-empty. What about in North VN? Asked about the same half cup, people would say: What glass? Is there any? Give to the media half a glass of water, it can make it half FULL
2- My journey Admiration-Pain-Disillusion-Awakening is personal; However, my story resonates with many men and women of my generation
2- My journey Admiration-Pain-Disillusion-Awakening is personal
However, my story resonates with many men and women of my generation