ABSTRACT
The most intense fighting of the war for the Americans unfolded in 1968. In living rooms across the country, Americans watched on television as US troops fought off assaults on Khe Sanh and then Saigon and Hue during the Tet Offensive. Many heroes fought in Vietnam, some recognized for their valor, others not; some died, others returned home. During the war, 244 Americans received their country’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor, with 153 dying during their act of courage. In addition to the racial problems transferred from home that heightened as the war continued, some recruits brought the drug culture from the States that became increasingly visible during the late 1960s. The pressures and frustrations for the grunt in Vietnam heightened as the war stalemated and popular protests against the conflict intensified. All the problems of the atrocities, fraggings, drugs, and racial problems reflected the challenges of the US military in Vietnam, especially after the withdrawal began in 1968.
