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The Battle of Hué Tet 1968   As the ancient imperial capital and cradle of Vietnamese history and culture, Hué stood as a tremendous psychological prize in the struggle for control of that beleaguered country.   In February 1966, at a strategy meeting in Honolulu, President Lyndon Johnson asked his commander in Vietnam, Gen. William Westmoreland, what his next step might be if he were the enemy commander. "Capture Hué," General Westmoreland answered without hesitation, explaining the city was the symbol of a unified Vietnam.   "Taking it would have profound psychological impact on the Vietnamese in both the North and the South, and in the process the North Vietnamese might seize the two northern provinces as bargaining points in any negotiations." Two years later -- almost to the day -- the enemy overwhelmed Hué and held much of it for nearly a month.   The only combat troops to resist the initial assault were a depleted South Vietnamese company.   The nearest U.S. troops were seven miles away. George W. Smith,   The Siege at Hue In the early morning hours of 31 January 1968, a division-sized force of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) soldiers launched a well coordinated multi-pronged attack on the city of Hué. Click on map for larger version. (Map courtesy of US Army Center for Military History) Their targets were the Tay Loc airfield and the 1st ARVN Division headquarters in the Citadel, and the MACV compound in the New City on the south side of the river.   Their strategic objective, however, was to "liberate" the entire city as part of a country-wide popular uprising to sweep the Communist insurgents into power.   That never happened.   The people of Hué turned their backs on the Communists as did people in other parts of Vietnam during the Tet offensive, and the ensuing 26-day effort by the U.S. Marines, U.S. Army and ARVN to recapture the Citadel produced a stunning military defeat for the invaders.   Yet the strategic victory ultimately went to the Communists.   The scenes of bloody fighting in Hué, Saigon and other cities in Vietnam during the Tet offensive so shocked the American people that the pressure to withdraw from the war became overwhelming.   The stage was set for the ultimate Communist victory in 1975. There are many excellent detailed accounts of the Battle of Hué available on-line.   Click on the following titles below for more information on the battle: US Marines in Vietnam, 1968: The Defining Year By Jack Shulimson, Lt Col Leonard A. Blasiol, USMC, and Charles R. Smith Chapter 9: The Struggle for Hue-The Battle Begins Chapter 10: The Struggle for Hue-The Second Phase Chapter 11: The Struggle for Hue-Stalemate in the Old City Chapter 12: The Struggle for Hue-The Taking of the Citadel and Aftermath The Battle for Hue, 1968 by James H. Wilbanks Block by Block: The Challenges of Urban Operations, Chapter 5 U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Press, 2003 War in the Northern Provincies by Lieutenant General Willard Pearson, USA (Ret) "Isolating the Urban Area: Hue, Vietnam - January to February 1968" Urban Operations, US Army FM 3-06, Chapter 6 (2003) "Tet Offensive: Battle for Hué" James M. Mueller, Vietnam Magazine, February 1997 (This first-person narrative describes the battle at and around the MACV compound) Trail FACs During the Battle of Hué After the initial attack in the early hours of 31 January 1968, the Trail FACs were trapped in the MACV compound and cut off from their airplanes at the Tay Loc (Hué Citadel) airfield across the river.   The airplanes (four 0-1s and four brand new O-2s) were destroyed with satchel charges during the attack.   Click below to learn more about how some of the Trail FACs made their way out of the compound and rejoined the fight for Hué. Trail FACs During Tet Hué            MACV Compound            LCU Ramp