Vietnam’s Tet Offensive: 50 Years Later
The year 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, one of the largest military campaigns and a turning point of the Vietnam War.
In late January 1968, during the lunar new year (or “Tet”) holiday, North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated attack against targets in South Vietnam. The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries sustained heavy losses before finally repelling the communist assault. The Tet Offensive played an important role in weakening U.S. public support for the war in Vietnam.
The National Archives is proud to serve veterans and their families, especially through our work at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. In addition to veterans’ records, our holdings include photos, video footage, and military records that chronicle the military’s history and battles. Within the National Archives Catalog, explore documents and related records chronicling this campaign.
Young widow with photo of her missing husband, at mass funeral service for Tet victims in Hue. View in the Catalog.
Black smoke in Saigon from fires caused by attack by Viet Cong during Tet Offensive. View in the Catalog.
President Johnson Listens to Tape from Captain Robb during Tet 7/31/1968. View in the Catalog.
Saigon, Vietnam....Rubble and the remains of barbed wire line the streets of Cholon, a suburb of Saigon that was burned by South Vietnamese army troops in an effort to flush out any Viet Cong that remained after the Tet offensive in late January. View in the Catalog.
Youthful hard-core Viet Cong, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on the capital city during the festive Tet holiday period. View in the Catalog.
The old and the young flee Tet offensive fighting in Hue, managing to reach the south shore of the Perfume River despite this blown bridge. View in the Catalog.
M-113 armored personnel carriers during Vietnamese evacuation of My Tho village during the Tet Offensive. View in the Catalog.
President Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara at a Cabinet Meeting during discussion of Tet, 2/7/1968. See full details in DOSCTeach.
U.S. Psych Ops Poster for Tet (lunar New Year) holiday to promote U.S.-South Vietnamese Relations. View in the Catalog.
Graph of Comparative Actual Casualties showing dramatic increase during Tet. This chart plots casualties for U.S., GVN (Government of South Vietnam), VC ("Viet-Cong"), and NVA (North Vietnamese Army) forces in 1968, during the Tet Offensive.
Map of Saigon Defense of the U.S. Embassy, 1/31/1968, the day after the Viet Cong bombed the Embassy during Tet. January 30, 1968, a team of Vietcong blew a hole in the wall of the U.S. Embassy compound in Saigon. Part of the larger Tet Offensive, this battle lasted longer than six hours and ended with all 19 intruders killed or wounded. The attack shook American confidence in war. This map shows new defense plans for the Embassy after the attack.