U.S. Marines, supplemented by
a tank, take cover behind a tree near the southern bridgehead on the
Perfume River, in Hue, Vietnam
Jan. 31, 1968
Tet: The Beginning of the End
By Daren Fonda
Popular
history tells us that American troops were caught napping when North
Vietnam launched the Tet offensive. Yet while Vietnam celebrated its new
year, at least one top U.S. Army officer was practically lying in wait.
General Fred Weyand couldn't stop American officials in Saigon from
throwing a party on Tet's Eve, replete with Chinese firecrackers and a
lawn band. Convinced of an imminent strike, however, Weyand kept his
troops close to Saigon, and officers in his camp placed bets on the
timing. All wagered that the strike would start between midnight and 5
a.m. on Jan. 31, and officers bet on 15-minute intervals, according to
Neil Sheehan's A Bright Shining Lie. Saigon came under fire at
about 3 a.m.
The U.S. and its South Vietnamese allies won the battle,
but it proved an empty victory. The American public perceived the attack
as a sign that the war was amounting to endless folly. The U.S.
military's request for 206,000 more troops became politically
infeasible. Tet played a role in L.B.J.'s decision not to seek
re-election. And young Army Major Colin Powell would later incorporate
Tet's message into his doctrine that the U.S. should fight a war only
with decisive force and vital interests at stake.
TIME Cover
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