1968: The Pivotal Year
The Tet Offensive Jan. 30, 1968 Vietcong and N. Vietnamese launched surprise attack during Tet New Year. Vietcong attacked major cities and towns and all American airbases in South Vietnam and major cities In Saigon, South Vietnamese capital, the Viet Cong attacked the American embassy Fierce fighting in Saigon continued for several weeks
Communist Brutality Communists slaughtered anyone labeled an enemy, including minor officials, teachers, and doctors Hue, South Vietnam—a massive grave of 3,000 to 5,000 civilian bodies found after Americans retook the city American forces dislodged the Viet Cong from most positions they seized in South Vietnam
Turning point of the War? Americans were shocked that the N. Vietnamese who were supposedly near defeat, could launch an attack Gen. Westmoreland called for more troopssignal that we could not win the war Tet Offensive shattered the credibility of the U.S. gov’t who claimed the enemy was virtually beaten LBJ’s approval rating sunkannounced he would not run in 1968
My Lai Massacre Due to the stress of the war, some American soldiers committed atrocities My Lai, a small village in South Vietnam, was thought to be hiding 250 Viet Cong U.S. infantry moved to clear out the village in March 1968 U.S. soldiers found women, children, and old men Lieutenant William L. Calley Jr ordered for all civilians to be rounded up and then executed
“We huddled them up. We made them squat down…I poured about four clips [about 68 shots] into the group…Well, we kept right on firing…I still dream about it…Some nights, I can’t event sleep. I just lay there thinking about it.” Private Paul Meadlo
My Lai (cont’d) About 400 Vietnamese died An American helicopter crew landed the helicopter between the soldiers and Vietnamese to stop the killing Hugh Thompson, the pilot, evacuated the remaining Vietnamese
Effects of My Lai News of the My Lai incident broke in 1971 after a cover-up Lieutenant Calley was sentenced to life in prison, but had his term reduced to 20 years by President Nixon Released on good behavior after three years The helicopter crew received the Soldier’s Medal for bravery in 1998
Turning point of the war Military disaster for Vietcong/N. Vietnam Political success for Vietcong/N. Vietnam Tet Offensive demonstrated that the Viet Cong was still strong Anti-war protests increased Lasted from January to September 1968
Johnson Decides Not to Run As a result of Tet, polls showed that 72% of Americans were against the war LBJ rarely left the White House for fears of being assaulted by angry protestors 1968 Democrat Eugene McCarthy’s anti-war campaign gained momentum McCarthy was going to challenge LBJ for the Democratic nomination for the Election of 1968 March 12—McCarthy almost beat LBJ in the New Hampshire primary Robert Kennedy entered the race as an anti-war candidate
On March 31, 1968, President Johnson declared in a nationally televised speech that he would not run for another term Robert Kennedy’s campaign on anti-war and pro-civil rights made him the front runner to be the Democratic candidate in 1968
Two Leaders Fall Two Americans who spoke out against the war were killed in 1968 MLK Jr., who spoke out against the war on moral grounds, was killed on April 4 Robert Kennedy was killed on June 5 after celebrating his victory in the California primary by a Jordanian immigrant, Sirhan Sirhan The nation was shocked and mourned the death of MLK, Jr. and RFK
Violence at the Democratic Convention in Chicago Thousands of protestors gathered for a rally near the convention hotel Protests erupt after Democratic delegates refuse to pass an anti-war plank for the party’s platform Police moved in with nightsticks to club anyone on the street Much of the violence took place in front of cameras
Election of 1968 Hubert Humphrey, LBJ’s VP, was chosen as the Democratic candidate Humphrey fully supported the Vietnam War and had publicly scorned peace activists as cowardly and un- American Richard Nixon who promoted “peace with honor” in Vietnam defeated Humphrey by only about 500,000 votes