Nixon's Trident: Naval Power in Southeast Asia, 1968-1972

On 31 January 1968, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) guerrillas launched a spectacular offensive in South Vietnam.Five of the country’s six major cities, 36 of its 44provincial capitals, and 64 of its 245 district capitals were attacked that day. A sapper squad even penetrated the grounds of the U.S. Embassyin Saigon. The media broadcast images ofcombat at the embassy and in other key cities,causing tremendous psychological shock forthe American viewing public. Ultimately, U.S. and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops killed or captured most of the enemy combatantsin Saigon in the next few days. Allied troopsquelled most of the fighting in the rest ofthe country by March, killing over 58,000 NVAand VC troops in the process. The ARVNsuffered 4,954 dead, and the Americans, 3,895. It would take North Vietnam four years to rebuild a force capable of mounting a similar offensive, and the Viet Cong never recovered.