The tet offensive- the biggest loss of the vietnam war
(Dialogue from a television interview between a soldier who was in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, Dean W., and a reporter in the United States, Sam S.)
Sam S.- "Tonight's feature broadcast will be a true report on the Tet Offensive, which has so many conflicting facts, from a soldier who was actually there...Dean Williams. He witnessed the Viet Cong and North Vietnam's takeover first hand and is going to give us his exclusive story and true facts behind this assault on the cities of South Vietnam."
Dean W.- "I was stationed in Vietnam for the Tet Offensive in 1968, and the attack back on the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army. Those two simultaneously attacked 100 cities in South Vietnam, including the capital. The attack totally surprised all of the South Vietnamese and American soldiers, including myself. I was stationed in the capital and was one of the Marines defending the United States Embassy during the attack. We fought until the last Viet Cong was finally defeated and the embassy was safe. For me to look back on that day I can remember all the dust from the hole that they blew in the wall, and the sound of gunfire and screams. I will never forget the events of that day and the chaos that it caused.
Sam S.- "Tell us about the fighting inside the Embassy. Some of the reports say that the Viet Cong broke through and bodies were strew all over the building, and others say that the Viet Cong never even attacked in the first place. No wonder this has caused many Americans to see this as a huge defeat overall in the war."
Dean W.- "No Viet Cong ever entered the embassy, and to think that the same reporters that searched the building and found no evidence would say that they found 'bodies strew everywhere' is a direct offense to me and my fellow Marines. No enemy ever entered the building or broke past us, we kept out every single attacker that day. Every man in the army served as best as they could that day and we managed to basically destroy the Viet Cong entirely and knock the North Vietnamese back."
Sam S.- "This is a 'dove' station, so you probably don't agree with the war overall, could you explain that? Did it have anything thing to do with the Tet Offensive and the defeat suffered that day?"
Dean W.- "Yeah, I don't agree with this war. I feel that men who were drafted, like me, are being sent over green to be slaughtered by the guerilla fighters. Nothing can prepare you for the hell that you will face in those jungles. The Tet Offensive is one of the main reasons I strongly oppose the war; I lost many friends that day to the confusion of the battles against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army and I realized that those men shouldn't have had to die that day, or any day for that matter. When I finally got back home I could see just how much the country opposed the war and wanted us back home. This gives me hope that there will be an end to this brutality in the future."
Sam S.- "You mentioned how the Tet Offensive threw back both the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese, why do you consider it a defeat then?"
Dean W.- "Because even though the enemy was thrown back the army was in so much confusion during and after that it was difficult to organize again. The dead were still laying in piles in the 100 cities, at least the ones that I got to see, because the soldiers who would normally have taken care of them were stuck in a hospital bed with wounds from the Offense. Too many men died, or were wounded, for me to consider it a victory."
Sam S.- "That all makes sense, if you look at it from a soldier's perspective you can really see how the Tet Offensive took it's toll on their health, both physical and mental. This attack on over 100 innocent cities, and the murder of their citizens, opened the eyes of many Americans on the homefront to the true horrors of this war. The war needs to end, and soon, before another Tet Offensive can happen?"
Dean W.- "The Tet Offensive marked a turning point for the war to me. With the help of the media, at least the accurate media, the public can now see just what it is like for a soldier in Vietnam. To a soldier everyday is a Tet Offensive and every single day presents a 100 new ways to die from the enemy. I was lucky to be brought back this soon, but what about your sons, husbands, and fathers? Will they be lucky enough to come back or will they die in another attack like the Tet Offensive."
Sam S.- "This is Dean Williams and Sam Smith saying 'have a safe night America, and tomorrow lets bring an end to this war so we can save the lives of our boys."
Sam S.- "Tonight's feature broadcast will be a true report on the Tet Offensive, which has so many conflicting facts, from a soldier who was actually there...Dean Williams. He witnessed the Viet Cong and North Vietnam's takeover first hand and is going to give us his exclusive story and true facts behind this assault on the cities of South Vietnam."
Dean W.- "I was stationed in Vietnam for the Tet Offensive in 1968, and the attack back on the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army. Those two simultaneously attacked 100 cities in South Vietnam, including the capital. The attack totally surprised all of the South Vietnamese and American soldiers, including myself. I was stationed in the capital and was one of the Marines defending the United States Embassy during the attack. We fought until the last Viet Cong was finally defeated and the embassy was safe. For me to look back on that day I can remember all the dust from the hole that they blew in the wall, and the sound of gunfire and screams. I will never forget the events of that day and the chaos that it caused.
Sam S.- "Tell us about the fighting inside the Embassy. Some of the reports say that the Viet Cong broke through and bodies were strew all over the building, and others say that the Viet Cong never even attacked in the first place. No wonder this has caused many Americans to see this as a huge defeat overall in the war."
Dean W.- "No Viet Cong ever entered the embassy, and to think that the same reporters that searched the building and found no evidence would say that they found 'bodies strew everywhere' is a direct offense to me and my fellow Marines. No enemy ever entered the building or broke past us, we kept out every single attacker that day. Every man in the army served as best as they could that day and we managed to basically destroy the Viet Cong entirely and knock the North Vietnamese back."
Sam S.- "This is a 'dove' station, so you probably don't agree with the war overall, could you explain that? Did it have anything thing to do with the Tet Offensive and the defeat suffered that day?"
Dean W.- "Yeah, I don't agree with this war. I feel that men who were drafted, like me, are being sent over green to be slaughtered by the guerilla fighters. Nothing can prepare you for the hell that you will face in those jungles. The Tet Offensive is one of the main reasons I strongly oppose the war; I lost many friends that day to the confusion of the battles against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army and I realized that those men shouldn't have had to die that day, or any day for that matter. When I finally got back home I could see just how much the country opposed the war and wanted us back home. This gives me hope that there will be an end to this brutality in the future."
Sam S.- "You mentioned how the Tet Offensive threw back both the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese, why do you consider it a defeat then?"
Dean W.- "Because even though the enemy was thrown back the army was in so much confusion during and after that it was difficult to organize again. The dead were still laying in piles in the 100 cities, at least the ones that I got to see, because the soldiers who would normally have taken care of them were stuck in a hospital bed with wounds from the Offense. Too many men died, or were wounded, for me to consider it a victory."
Sam S.- "That all makes sense, if you look at it from a soldier's perspective you can really see how the Tet Offensive took it's toll on their health, both physical and mental. This attack on over 100 innocent cities, and the murder of their citizens, opened the eyes of many Americans on the homefront to the true horrors of this war. The war needs to end, and soon, before another Tet Offensive can happen?"
Dean W.- "The Tet Offensive marked a turning point for the war to me. With the help of the media, at least the accurate media, the public can now see just what it is like for a soldier in Vietnam. To a soldier everyday is a Tet Offensive and every single day presents a 100 new ways to die from the enemy. I was lucky to be brought back this soon, but what about your sons, husbands, and fathers? Will they be lucky enough to come back or will they die in another attack like the Tet Offensive."
Sam S.- "This is Dean Williams and Sam Smith saying 'have a safe night America, and tomorrow lets bring an end to this war so we can save the lives of our boys."