ABSTRACT
At the beginning of 1968, the fortunes of war appeared to be aligning with the Allies. They had won every major encounter since the battle of Ia Drang in 1965 and had consistently inflicted heavy losses on enemy units while keeping their own casualties to a minimum. Based on American intelligence estimates, the Allies successfully forced the Viet Cong away from most of the population centers throughout the country and blocked the majority of North Vietnamese infiltrators crossing the Demilitarized Zone into South Vietnam. It seemed the war might soon be winding down. Then, in what became known as the Tet Offensive, the Communists launched an inconceivably massive surprise attack that not only stunned the military but also shattered any illusions about ending the war. Tet is the largest and most important holiday in Vietnam, marking the beginning of the lunar New Year. It officially lasts three days and falls sometime between the last ten days of January and the middle part of February. Derived from ancient religious beliefs involving the full moon and spring planting, it has evolved in modern times into a time to honor friends, family and ancestors, to reflect on the activities of the previous year and to plan for the future. Everyone in Vietnam, regardless of religion, celebrates Tet. During the war, both sides traditionally honored a general ceasefire during the holiday. In 1968, the Allies decided to observe the ceasefire from the evening of January 29 until the morning of January 31. The North Vietnamese declared they would observe a full seven-day truce beginning on January 27 and lasting through the early morning of February 3. Even during the war, Tet was a time for celebration and the festival in Hue was the most spectacular in all of Vietnam. Homes and shops were decorated, the markets were flooded with goods, and there were nightly fireworks.
