The Truth, the Whole Truth.

A few nights ago while surfing through endless channels of boredom I happened upon a documentary of the 1968 Tet offensive of the Viet Nam war. Normally I pass these up, but something about this one caught my attention and I soon came to regret my decision.

It was evident the documentary presented the producers views, some true, others packed with untruths. It tried to show how our officers, unprepared and caught by surprise were forced to pull men from the rear, cooks, supply clerks and anyone else available, tossed them a rifle, pointed them in the general direction of the advancing enemy and hoped for the best.

Let me take a few moments of your time and tell you the truth, apparently something the entertainment industry are incapable of doing.

The Viet Cong attacked multiple positions simultaneously including Saigon, the American and British Embassies. A division of NVA had overrun the Imperial city of Hue and was now occupying it. Since the inception of America’s involvement in the Viet Nam war the Viet Cong were not willing to stand and fight without running back to their underground holes.

Word rapidly spread among our troops the Viet Cong were attacking and they actually come out to fight us in the open.

Word of the enemy standing and fighting had everyone grabbing their weapons, even those normally confined to mess halls and supply rooms. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and not one soldier wanted to allow it to take place without their direct involvement in it.

The soldiers ran into their supply rooms, weapons storage, they grabbed weapons, ammunition and anything that would shoot or explode. Supply Sergeants dug into their personal storage facilities accumulated for special events such as this. Some Sergeants left their supply rooms looking like a one-man army with weapons and ammunition hanging from every portion of their body.

Intelligence believed some activity would occur of a limited nature. The offensive that occurred was larger and fiercer than anticipated and only decimated the Viet Cong.

US figures showed 4,959 Vietcong killed and 1,862 captured. The total of 232 American and 300 South Vietnamese troops had been killed with 929 and 747, respectively, wounded.

The Tet Offensive initiated additional protesting at home which only increased, the NVA had lost the battle but in the end had won the war.