1968: THE PIVOTAL YEAR

The Tet Offensive Jan. 30, 1968 Vietcong and

N. Vietnamese launched surprise attack during Tet New Year. There was an agreed upon 2

day cease-fire for both sides so the Vietnamese could celebrate the Tet New Year

Vietminh and Vietcong launched attack on 1st day of Tet

Vietcong attacked major cities and towns and all American airbases in South Vietnam and major cities

The Tet Offensive More than 80,000

communists attacked towns and cities in S. Vietnam

In Saigon, South Vietnamese capital, the Viet Cong attacked the American embassy

Fierce fighting in Saigon continued for several weeks

Communist Brutality

Communists slaughtered anyone labeled an enemy, including minor officials, teachers, and doctors

Hue, South Vietnam—a massive grave of 3,000 to 5,000 civilian bodies found after Americans retook the city

American forces dislodged the Viet Cong from most positions they seized in South Vietnam

Turning point of the War? Americans were shocked that the N.

Vietnamese who were supposedly near defeat, could launch an attack

Gen. Westmoreland called for more troopssignal that we could not win the war

Tet Offensive shattered the credibility of the U.S. gov’t who claimed the enemy was virtually beaten

LBJ’s approval rating sunkannounced he would not run in 1968

Turning point of the war Military disaster for Vietcong/N. Vietnam Political success for Vietcong/N. Vietnam

Tet Offensive demonstrated that the Viet Cong was still strong

Anti-war protests increased Lasted from January to September

1968

My Lai Massacre

Due to the stress of the war, some American soldiers committed atrocities

My Lai, a small village in South Vietnam, was thought to be hiding 250 Viet Cong

U.S. infantry moved to clear out the village in March 1968 for a “search and destroy” mission

U.S. soldiers found women, children, and old men

Lieutenant William L. Calley Jr ordered for all civilians to be rounded up and then executed

“We huddled them up. We made them squat down…I poured about four clips [about 68 shots] into the group…Well, we kept right on firing…I still dream about it…Some nights, I can’t event sleep. I just lay there thinking about it.”

Private Paul Meadlo

My Lai (cont’d) About 400 Vietnamese

died An American helicopter

crew landed the helicopter between the soldiers and Vietnamese to stop the killing

Hugh Thompson, the pilot, evacuated the remaining Vietnamese

Effects of My Lai American people did not learn of My Lai

until Nov. 1969 (20 months later) News of the My Lai incident broke and

news of the Army cover-up enraged Americans

Lieutenant Calley was sentenced to life in prison, but had his term reduced to 20 years by President Nixon Released on good behavior after three years

The helicopter crew received the Soldier’s Medal for bravery in 1998

Johnson Decides Not to Run As a result of Tet, polls showed that 72% of

Americans were against the war LBJ rarely left the White House for fears of

being assaulted by angry protestors 1968 Democrat Eugene McCarthy’s anti-

war campaign gained momentum McCarthy was going to challenge LBJ for the

Democratic nomination for the Election of 1968 March 12—McCarthy almost beat LBJ in

the New Hampshire primary Robert Kennedy entered the race as an

anti-war candidate

On March 31, 1968, President Johnson declared in a nationally televised speech that he would not run for another term

Robert Kennedy’s campaign on anti-war and pro-civil rights made him the front runner to be the Democratic candidate in 1968

Two Leaders Fall Two Americans who spoke out

against the war were killed in 1968 MLK Jr., who spoke out against the

war on moral grounds and opposed blacks being drafted, was killed on April 4

Robert Kennedy was killed on June 5 after celebrating his victory in the California primary by a Jordanian immigrant, Sirhan Sirhan

The nation was shocked and mourned the death of MLK, Jr. and RFK

Violence at the Democratic Convention in Chicago Thousands of protestors gathered for a rally near the convention hotel

Protests erupt after Democratic delegates refuse to pass an anti-war plank for the party’s platform

Police moved in with nightsticks to club anyone on the street

Much of the violence took place in front of cameras

Election of 1968 Hubert Humphrey, LBJ’s VP,

was chosen as the Democratic candidate

Humphrey fully supported the Vietnam War and had publicly scorned peace activists as cowardly and un-American

Richard Nixon who promoted “peace with honor” in Vietnam defeated Humphrey by only about 500,000 votes