Despite the reassurances by political and military United States leaders that the communist forces of North Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, were weak, disorganized and unable to fight an offensive war in Vietnam, exactly the opposite occurred on January 30, 1968. Upon the shocking launch of what is now called the Tet Offensive, named for the Vietnamese New Year, Robert M. Pope’s father, an officer in the United States Navy, was deployed to the Vietnam theater, leaving Robert M. Pope of New London, CT and his mother to worry and wonder daily if they would see him again.
The Tet Offensive, as it came to be called, was a series of surprise attacks carried out against military and civilian units in South Vietnam by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese People’s Army of Vietnam. It is recognized now as being one of the largest military campaigns of the War, and effectively changed the face of the conflict for politicians and military leaders in the United States. The first wave of attacks came in the late night of January 30, 1968, with the main offensive operation launching the next morning, coordinating more than 80,000 communist soldiers against more than 100 towns and cities, including provincial capitals and the southern capital of Vietnam. Although initially stunned and beaten back, South Vietnamese and U.S. troops inflicted heavy casualties in intense retaliatory fighting, in some cases destroying entire cities. Shocked by the fury and organization of the offensives, the American public, and Robert M. Pope’s family, watched in horror as the initial attacks which took place in January and February of 1968 were followed by smaller, organized offensives in May and August of that year.
The Tet Offensive, as it came to be called, was a series of surprise attacks carried out against military and civilian units in South Vietnam by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese People’s Army of Vietnam. It is recognized now as being one of the largest military campaigns of the War, and effectively changed the face of the conflict for politicians and military leaders in the United States. The first wave of attacks came in the late night of January 30, 1968, with the main offensive operation launching the next morning, coordinating more than 80,000 communist soldiers against more than 100 towns and cities, including provincial capitals and the southern capital of Vietnam. Although initially stunned and beaten back, South Vietnamese and U.S. troops inflicted heavy casualties in intense retaliatory fighting, in some cases destroying entire cities. Shocked by the fury and organization of the offensives, the American public, and Robert M. Pope’s family, watched in horror as the initial attacks which took place in January and February of 1968 were followed by smaller, organized offensives in May and August of that year.