Page 63 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Editor's note

As described in the previous pages, the Viet Cong !s1t
attacks were a two -prohged offensive ca-rnpaign with the rnilitary prong
trying to secure the occupation of as rnany population centers as
possible and the political one seeking the over-throw of the legal
adrninistration through a series of uprisings. This pattern was to be
found in rnost Cornrnunist efforts against the cities and townships of
South Vietnarn.

Each attack was to be a little different frorn the other, In
this second chapter we shal1 descri.be in a detailed manner how the
Cornrnunist offensive looked in each and every province of the Republic
so that the readerst curiosity rnay be satisfied and a proper assessrnent
of the Viet Cong carnpaign rnay be derived, Such an atternpt, in our
hurnble opinion, would not be totally pointless.

In this venture the wery first endeavor was to collect data
and frorn these write irnpartial accounts of what happened. We relied
rnainly on findings of survey tearns sent to various parts of the country
and reports of journalists and correspondents who had witnessed
what they vr'rote about.
Beyond rnilitary events we have also paid attention to
political, econornic and social developrnents that contributed to rnaking
South Vietnarn what it was during the difficult days of 1968. The words
and deeds of quite a few individuals and groups were also rnentioned
inso{ar as they were part of a historic process rnarking life in this
ernbattled nation in the first half of 1958.
This chapter has not been written with the purpose of
beautifying the conduct of the Vietnarnese soldier or the Vietnarnese
Arrny. It sirnply was the intention of its authors to record all deeds-
individual or collective - that contributed so rnagnificently to keeping
South Vietnarn a free and independent nation.

This book is not big enough to include all the events and
actions of the Viet Cong Winter-Spring Carnpaign. Major actions, on
the whole, are described as fully as possible while srnall operations
are only given sketchy treatrnent. Described to any extent are only
slightly over one half of the 28 attacks against the cities and townships
of South Vietnarn,

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