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Posted on Jan 24, 2008 in Front Page Features, History News, War College

1968 Tet Offensive Remembered

By Armchair General

In recognition of the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Tet Offensive, publisher ABC-CLIO is featuring essays on this watershed event during the Vietnam War in its History and the Headlines website. The Tet overview essay is written by Dr. James Willbanks (see "The Vietnam War in Retrospect," November 2007 ACG magazine). ACG Editor in Chief and Vietnam vet, Col. ret. Jerry Morelock, wrote one of the website’s ‘Dilemma’ essays on "The Tet Offensive and the Media." To read all the essays, follow this link. Images of the Tet Offensive are presented below, click on the thumbnails for larger images.

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tet001.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES January 31, 1968. U.S. troops fire on Viet Cong sappers attacking bachelor officers quarters in Saigon during the Tet Offensive..

 

tet002.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 1968. Marines scale a mound of rubble as they fight their way into the NVA stronghold in the Citadel – the ancient Imperial capital’s fortress – during the battle for Hue.

 

tet003.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 2, 1968. An M-60 machine-gunner fires in support of advancing members of the 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during street fighting in Hue City.

 

tet004.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 5, 1968. Marines scramble for cover as their truck convoy comes under heavy fire near Hue City.

 

tet005.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES Walter Cronkite and a CBS news crew use a jeep for a camera dolly during an interview with the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in the Battle for Hue City.

 

tet006.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 14, 1968. A Marine artillery crew fires a 105 mm howitzer at enemy targets in the hills surrounding their base at Khe Sanh.

 

tet007.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 24, 1968. Members of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment move through a secured part of Hue as the battle for the city winds down.

 

tet008.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 6, 1968. Gas mask-clad members of the 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment rush a series of buildings during the battle for Hue. The Marines used tear gas to flush the enemy out of fortified positions, a tactic that proved very effective throughout the fight.

 

tet009.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 18, 1968. Members of the 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment fire at the strongpoint of NVA resistance in the citadel during the struggle for Hue.

 

tet010.jpg Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES February 6, 1968. A Navy corpsman treats a member of the 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during the battle for Hue. The Marines suffered nearly 1,000 casualties (killed and wounded) in the encounter.

15 Comments

  1. FYI:
    the Marine pictured in the foreground on the rubble is my brother Joseph Scoccola. As his story goes, he was turning his head because he heard some rumbling noises behind him, but it was the camerman scaling behind him to take the picture!

    Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
    February 1968. Marines scale a mound of rubble as they fight their way into the NVA stronghold in the Citadel – the ancient Imperial capital’s fortress – during the battle for Hue.

  2. Image Credit: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
    Walter Cronkite and a CBS news crew use a jeep for a camera dolly during an interview with the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in the Battle for Hue City.

    The image has been reversed —–

  3. Thanks for calling that to our attention. The placement has been corrected.

  4. does anyone know who the marines in the rubble are. very important i find out

    • Tom,
      I know who they are. I was the Plt Leader of this group of Marines. Why is it important for you to know who the Marines are who took The Dong Ba Tower in Hue’ 2-15-1968
      Cajun Bob

  5. The Corpsman pictured is Dennis Howe, Hotel 2/5. I was a Corpsman with Golf 2/5. He and I arrived in county together and we left together, if anybody know’s where he is now I’d like to hear.

    • John, I’m wondering if you knew my dad, a corpsman at Hue; Michael A. Rooney. I don’t know much about who he was assigned to other than he said he was a “replacement” and ran Marines back and forth to a “MASH” style facility. He passed away a few years back and don’t know much about his time in Vietnam. Thanks for your service.

      -Mike

    • I have post-Tet photos of the Citadel taken sometime from spring, 1968 and late spring, 1969 (I got there from Phu Bai that March). Unfortunately, they are mostly blurry/fuzzy, partly because I was riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by our civilian radio tech. I seldom had the time to stop and focus. I have no idea which gate is which except for the main one. I have a couple of the wall with nearly destroyed buildings behind it, but I don’t know on which part of the wall they are. Two are pretty clear.

  6. The last picture of a wounded Marine being cared for by a corpsman is a picture of me. I was with H Co., 2nd Bn, 5th Marines.

    • Respect Bro !!!
      Thanks for your service

    • David

      David, I knew when I looked at that image it was you. I know you were wounded three times at Hue, that must have been the first one. It has been a while, hope all is well with you and the family. Semper Fi, Jeff.

  7. I am reaching out to anyone who may have served with my Dad. His name is Larry Wilson from Council Bluffs, IA. He was a Navy corpsman who fought with Fox 2/5 in Hue. He never spoke about his service in Vietnam and I am just now, at 42 years old, learning of his experience. I asked him to write instead of speak so his legacy of bravery will be able to be handed down through the family forever. He lost everything in Hurricane Katrina so I am reaching out to anyone who may have pictures, memories, thoughts, etc. In his memoirs, he speaks highly of the Marines he fought with. Thank you to everyone he served with and to all other servicemen out there!

  8. The second photo with the Marines in the rubble: top right is Selwyn “Swan” Taitt. He made it back and is living in NC. Top left is Cajun Bob. From Selwyn’s FB page: “The Marine, whose side profile you can see is my dad, Tom Zwetow. Thank you to all that were there with him and those that came back to dig him out of the rubble!! God bless you all!!”~Amy Hess.

    Selwyn Taitt is a wonderful man. Semper Fi to all.

  9. I first met Lcpl Roy F Swed 1/5 D company as a boy, and the rest of my life honoring him in our home town.After so many years new pictures and information has come together about the battle he fought in. He was killed on 15 February 68 in the assault on Dong Ba Tower and was a machine gunner.Would appreciate any info on the circumstances of his fate. All we have found is that six had fallen on the initial assault of the tower. Was he one of them? Was Cpl Maurice Whitmer the squad leader? Have spoke to Richard Prince, he had no recolection. Thanks in advance. John B
    former USAF

  10. John B … affirm on Maury Whitmer as squad leader in Co D, 1/5. I knew and worked with Maury in the Sheriff’s Dept in Ventura County , Calif. in the late 70’s. He left the Dept. and worked for the Postal Service. Maury received the Silver Star on that assault on Dong B tower. I believe he is still alive and living in the Redding, Calif area