tet offensive

In this second of three episodes, General Matz recalls being a part of the Riverine Forces in the Saigon Delta in 1967 and 1968,  where he would disguising himself by earning the Silver Star for gallantry and our nation's second highest award for valor: The Distinguished Service Cross. He talks about his role in the Tet Offensive and it' aftermath.

https://meditationforwarriorwellness.org/

In April 1968 large elements of the North Vietnamese Army’s 320th Division crossed the Demilitarized Zone into South Vietnam.  They were advancing towards the 3rd Marine Division’s command post and major logistics hub at Dong Ha when they were engaged by the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines.  Fighting raged in and around the village of Dai Do from April 30th until May 3rd.  This was some of the Vietnam War’s most intense combat.  The United States suffered 233 dead and 821 wounded.  Keith Nolan’s “Magnificent Bastards” tells the story. 

Tet: a word which has two very different meanings depending on who you ask. To the Vietnamese, it means the festival celebrating the Lunar New Year. To the American GI, it means hell and the turning point for America in the Vietnam War. On January 31, 1968, over 100 cities and villages in south Vietnam were attacked by the communist Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese People’s Army of Vietnam. By the end of 1968, over 14,000 American soldiers were dead as well as hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese. The Tet Offensive was considered a devastating military failure for the communists, however, today Vietnam is a communist country, ruled by The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. So, who really won?

Episode Edits:

1.  This is our 18th episode, not our 19th as was erroneously put forward in this episode. We are, however, taking ideas for our upcoming 20th episode (after we do the 19th, of course,) so, please reach out either through our website, historicallyspeakingpodcast.com or at historicallyspeakinghosts@gmail.com
2.  For clarity, 5,000 American soldiers died in the first phase of the Tet Offensive. The number of 14,000+ includes the entire year of 1968 and all three phases of the Tet. 

Books: 

• America’s Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 by George Herring
• The Best and The Brightest by David Halberstam
• The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Vietnam War by Phillip Jennings
• Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow
• The Oxford Companion to American Military History edited by John Whiteclay Chambers II

 Film:

• Battlefield – Vietnam TET (2010) – Narration by Gavin McFayden, with war footage. 
• The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (2017) 10 Episodes.

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We are so used to the narrative of the Vietnam War being told through a masculine lens; male politicians, sending male soldiers to Vietnam, movies about male soldiers and male historians writing all the textbooks. But there is a group whose perspective we don’t hear from very often, and that is the Vietnamese women who fought for the Viet Cong. Hanoi Hannah and the Perfume River Squad, it is time to hear to hear your stories.

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This episode is designed to go with a Senior Modern History unit on the Vietnam War.

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Reflection Questions

1. Research the context of the 1960, what rights did women in your country not have at this time?
2. Why do you think that women have not been allowed in combat roles in the armed forces for such a long time? What is the thinking behind these kinds of restrictions?
3. Can you think of a reason why western textbooks do not generally include the role that women played in the Vietnam War?
4. 50 years later, the former Perfume Rive Squad member explains “I wanted to liberate myself, liberate my homeland, and liberate other women.”  Explain her perspective on the Vietnam War and her motive for making the statement.
5. What is the implicit and explicit meaning behind Hanoi Hannah’s announcement, “Do you miss your families and homes? They are questioning why you are here. In America there is no unity, there is violence, there are protests against you.”

Transcript

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The History Detective Season 1 & 2 Album is  now available on Spotify and all of your music streaming services.

Contact: Twitter @HistoryDetect, Instagram @HistoryDetective9, email  historydetective9@gmail.com

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All  music written and performed by Kelly Chase.

2 POWs, and 1 Marine … they went through hell in Korea & Vietnam.  But their inspiring stories will make you feel the love and honor that is part of every Memorial Day.