1. 1968 Tet Offensive and the My Lai Massacre

2. The Road to War http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/my-lai-massacre/videos/the-road- to-war?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/my-lai-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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Tet Offensive

6. Lead up to the Tet Offensive 1965-1967:  US dramatically increased the number of military advisers  Lead to increased anti-war protests in America  US government claimed progress was being made

7. 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

9. 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

10. 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 1968 Presidential Election in America

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

18. 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

19. 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

21. 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

22. Walter Cronkite – February 27, 1968 “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

23. 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

24. Tet Offensive Video http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam- war/tet-offensive http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam- war/tet-offensive 5 minutes – overview of Tet

25. My Lai Massacre

26. 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

27. What Happened? Soldiers rounded up hundreds of civilians  Many were raped, beaten, and/or tortured  Many were then killed  Between 347 and 504 civilians were killed

28. 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

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

30. 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

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

32. After 40 years, an Apology for My Lai Massacre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWchy6ykNnQ