Page 342 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

1,800 enerny planes and choppers; destroyed 1,800 arrnored vehicles
and paralyzed rnost of the Vietnarnese and allied forces stationed in
the zone, It also clairned that the planned Tet offensive would be
supported by sirnultaneous popular uprisings in Quang Ngai and other
Zone cities and that there had been a secret agreernent with the Arne -
rican forces that these would not rnove a finger when the Cornrnunists
launched the Tet offensive. These enerny docurnents told Cornrnunist
field cornrnanders and political cornrnissars that the offensive would
certainly be a cornplete success if they followed the offensive blue
prints.

The Quang Ngai city de{ense force and other arrny units,
learning frorn past experiences with the 1967 Christrnas and I958 New
Year truces which the enerny blatantly and seriously violated, were
vigilant enough to anticipate enerny troop movernents toward the city.
Precautionary rrreasures against possible enerny violations of the Tet
truce were taken by the ZZnd Tactical Zone Cornrnand.

The situation in Quang Ngai city and neighboring areas
was generally norrnal on Tetrs Eve, Jan 29. On Tet day, Jan 30, the
cityts key defense and adrninistration agencies v/ere alerted against
a possible of{ensive on Quang Ngai as part of the enernyrs general
offensive on rnost cities and towns throughout the country.
Second Division Cornrnander Co1 Nguyen Van Toan called
all the troopers on Tet horne leave back to their battle stations, Divi-
sion Staff Chief Lt Col Pharn Cao Dong personally went to each arrny
unit to check on how rnany rnen reported to their battle stations. He
carne to tlne Z/4 battaLion by rnid-rnorning and saw only 50 rnen. The
Battalion's strength rose to 250 rnen during the afternoon' The sarne
held true of other units whose rnernbers had been granted horne leave
in or around town. He assigned the 3f 4 Battalion to guard the Division
Cornrnand as a reserve force.
Col Dong also ordered the people to stop firing firecrac-
kers. Many people sirnply ignored this order which was actually an
ernergency counter order revoking the central governrnentrs authoriza-
tion to set off firecrackers in celebrating the yearrs greatest festival.
The def ense f orc e approached its normal pers onnel strength
by dark. Each and every unit rernained in carnp waiting, waiting and
waiting. Patience wore thin by rnidnight. Sorne cursed others for the
unjustified trouble. It was absolutely quiet outside the carnps and
barracks - or apparently so. The populace celebrate<i the new year

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