January, 1968: Keh Sanh, The Tet Offensive, and the Unraveling of an A

When professorship Johnson delivered his State of the heart and soul Address to Congress on January 17, 1968 he spoke of the war in Vietnam with optimism. He listed the many military accomplishments to date, mentioned the password progress five times, discussed a fruitful visit with the pope, and spoke with a tone and tenor that suggested an imminent, peaceful resolution (Johnsons Annual core). non three months later in a similarly substantial speech to the Ameri mountain people Johnson stoically announced that he would non be seeking reelection (Johnsons Address to the republic). What had seemed like an imminent certainty dissolved into a distant dream. Public support for the war, and of Johnson, had deteriorated so swiftly in the pass of 1968 that he had no choice just now to disband his efforts to seek a second term. What happened in the months between Johnsons confident State of the Union and his more sullen speech in March of 1968 is no mystery. The Battle of K he Sanh, combined with the more lastingly impactful Tet nervous in late January, were devastating blows to American efforts in Vietnam. In hindsight, these events whitethorn have been militarily ineffective, yet the cultural ricochets they created throughout America can be seen as nothing short of a major conquest for the North Vietnamese. These events were instrumental in turning the tides of the war. General Westmorelands hope, that prize American firepower would end the war with the North Vietnamese in the winter of 1968 was quickly foiled when U.S. Marines were bombarded with a rocket and mortar attack at their isolated base in Khe Sanh. The 76-day battle at Khe Sanh ended with some(prenominal) sides claiming victory, raising the question of why anyone found it strategic to engag... ...ent Lyndon B. Johnsons Address to the Nation Announcing Steps To Limit the War in Vietnam and Reporting His Decision Not To Seek Reelection March 31, 1968. LBJ Library and Musuem Nationa l Archives and Records Aministration. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. .President Lyndon B. Johnsons Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union January 17, 1968, LBJ Library and Museum National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 6 Apr. 2012 .Shock and Awe of the Tet anxious Shattered U.S. Illusions. James H. Willbanks. U.S News. 29 Jan. 2009. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. The Battle of Khe Sanh, 1968, The Tet Offensive, Marc J. Gilbert and William Head, eds., Westport, CT Praeger, 1996, ch. 12, pp. 191-213.Willibanks, James H. The Tet Offensive. New York Columbia U P, 2007.