Tet Offensive of 1968    
Michael A. Rovedo    
January 31, 1968 - Low clouds cover the sky, early on Wednesday morning,      when the Tet Offense begins in Saigon. Five enemy battalions of between 2000      and 2500 had infiltrated into the Saigon area. Attacks are spearheaded by      the C-10 Sapper Battalion. The plan calls for 35 battalions of 4000 locals      to attack the following six major targets:
The Vietnamese Joint General Staff Headquarters       
The Independence Palace (President Thieu's office)       
The American Embassy       
Tan Son Nhut Airport       
The Vietnamese Navy Headquarters       
The National Broadcasting Station
The 716th MP Battalion, with approximately 1000 men, was responsible for      the security of the 130 American installations in the greater Saigon area.      Only one third were on duty, even though they were warned of trouble. Flak      vests had been issued and they were doubled up on shift.
Only 25 of the 300 Vietnamese MP's in Saigon were available.
The following chronological account is partially taken from the Staff      Duty Log of the 716th MP Battalion:
1:30 a.m. Three vehicles, including one truck loaded        with explosives, drive up to the National Palace staff entrance on Tu Do        Street. They commence their attack with 34 sappers.
A B-40 rocket is fired against the staff entrance gate. An MP patrol        responds to the palace, and the two MP's are killed. Their M-60 machinegun        is stolen by the VC. The VC are forced across the street to a half        completed hotel complex. The VC hold out for 15 hours, and 32 are killed.        Two are finally captured.
2:00 a.m. Sappers begin an attack against Gate Number        Five, at the Vietnamese General Staff Headquarters, just east of Tan Son        Nhut Airport. They attack from the Long Hoa Pagoda across the street from        Gate #5.
An American MP jeep appears on the scene and the MP's engage the enemy.        The security force now has time to close the gate. Additional MP's respond        and defend the compound.
The assault collapses and the enemy retreats back to the Long Hoa        Pagoda.
2:40 a.m. Nguyen Van Muoi drives a black Citroen        sedan past the six story American Embassy on Thong Nhut Blvd. He carried a        samuri sword in the back seat for luck.
2:45 a.m. Mortar fire drops into city. Muoi drives by        again. This time he shouts, "Tien" (forward)! A Peugeot truck and a        taxicab drive west on Thong Nhut Boulevard along the south wall of the        four acre compound and stop. The sappers begin unloading weapons and        equipment as others step out from the shadows.
Two military police, Specialist 4 Charles L. Daniel, 23, of Durham,        NC., and Private First Class William E. Sebast, 20, of Albany, NY., both        from Company C, 716th MP Battalion, are at the east side entrance on Mac        Dinh Chi.
2:46 a.m. At the Embassy rear fence Commandos appear        in civies and black pajamas, with red armbands. Carrying new AK-47s, three        B-40 rockets and explosives, they climb into the compound.
2:47 a.m. Part of the commando team attacks the side        gate. SPC Daniel and PFC Sebast close and secure the gate and radio        "Signal 300" (enemy attack). The VC then blast a hole in the ten-foot        wall, at the front of the Embassy, with a 3.5 inch rocket (B-40).
Daniel radios, "They're coming in! They're coming in! Help me! Help        me!" They manage to kill two Viet Cong leaders before they are gunned down        on the Embassy grounds.
Nguyen Thai Ba, a night chauffeur, attempts to stop the VC and is shot        down. The lead element of VC blows the lock off the side gate and the        telephone lines are cut.
MP Sergeant Jonnie B. Thomas, 24, of Detroit, MI., and Specialist Owen        E. Mebust, 20, of Lynwood, CA., of the 716th MP Battalion respond to        Daniel's call for assistance and drive east on Thong Nhut Boulevard. As        they reach the main entrance they are ambushed and killed, by automatic        rifle fire. Other military police and US Marines are now also responding.
On the Embassy roof, Marine SGT Rudy A. Soto Jr., 25, of Selma, CA.,        fires six .38 rounds at the commandos. Once he is out of ammo and with his        shotgun jammed, he watches and radios situation reports.
Marine SGT Ronald W. Harper, 20, of Cambridge, MN and CPL George B.        Zahuranic, 20, of Uniontown, PA., secure the main doors. A B-40 round hits        the door and window wounding Zahuranic. A second B-40 round soon follows.
2:55 a.m. The National Broadcasting Station is        attacked. A jeep and two Toyotas stop in front of the station and a group        dressed as Vietnam Riot Police attack. At the front gate they kill a        police guard. A machinegun on the roof across the street kills a platoon        of ARVN paratroopers sleeping on the roof of the station. The attackers        hold the station for six hours.
At the Vietnamese Naval Headquarters, at Bach Dang Quay, 12 sappers        attack by blowing a hole in wall. Within five minutes 10 are killed, and        the other two are captured.
3:00 a.m. BOQ #3, near Tan Son Nhut Airport, reports        enemy action. The MP's here are engaged with the enemy force which is        retreating to the Long Hoa Pagoda after being driven from the Vietnamese        General Staff Headquarters.
Rockets and mortars begin falling on the Long Binh complex, fifteen        miles north of Saigon. A local VC battalion launches a diversionary attack        against the eastern bunker line, while the 275th VC Regiment attacks the        northern perimeter.
Sappers begin infiltrating into the ammunition depot just north of Long        Binh.
The VC 274th Regiment also attacks the Bien Hoa Airbase just north of        Long Binh.
3:15 a.m. The American Embassy is under attack.
3:16 a.m. Explosion at the Phoenix City BOQ.
3:17 a.m. Explosion at the Townhouse BOQ.
3:18 a.m. BOQ #1 under attack.
3:19 a.m. MacArthur BOQ under attack.
3:20 a.m. Marine CPT Robert J. O'Brien, 36, of        Marshfield, MA., arrives with a six Marine "reaction force," at the east        side Embassy wall. They get pinned down by fire and retreat across the        street from the side gate.
3:21 a.m. Rex BOQ under attack.
Three battalions of VC attack the western side of Tan San Nhut Airport,        which houses MACV and Seventh Air Force headquarters. They attack from        positions they have occupied since midnight at the Vinatexco mill, just        across Highway #1 from Gate #51.
The consolidated VC attack takes place by the 269th VC Battalion        attacking from the northwest, the 267th VC Battalion attacking from the        southwest and one battalion attacking from the east. They manage to        overwhelm the ARVN defensive force and enter the airfield.
MACV headquarters guards and members of the US Air Force 377th Security        Police Squadron stall their advance until reinforcements arrive from the        25th Infantry Division in Cu Chi, at 6:00 a.m. The final enemy soldiers        are not driven out until approximately noon.
3:25 a.m. Explosion at BOQ #2.
3:40 a.m. Automatic weapons fire and attack at BOQ        #3.
3:41 a.m. MPs at the Embassy want an urgent resupply        of ammunition.
3:42 a.m. Sniper fire at Metropole BEQ.
3:50 a.m. Incoming mortar rounds into the Montana        BOQ.
3:58 a.m. The Saigon port area reports automatic        weapons fire.
3:59 a.m. Mortars and rockets are fired at the        Embassy, and reinforcements requested.
4:00 a.m. US Marines and MP's are dispatched to the        Vietnamese National Police station to escort them to the US Embassy to        assist. They refuse to leave their station.
4:07 a.m. MP Unit C9A reports that a 716th MP        Battalion alert force in two escort jeeps and a 2 1/2 ton truck loaded        with 25 military police, have been ambushed by a B-40 rocket and        machinegun fire in a narrow alley. They were responding to the reported        attack at BOQ #3. Heavy casualties are reported.
4:08 a.m. Unit C9A is hit. Both MP's are killed.
For the next sixteen hours the VC will battle these MP's and the two        additional MP rescue teams sent to assist the initial alert force. In this        one battle alone 16 MP's die in the alley and 21 are        wounded.
The following are some excerpts from the radio traffic:
UNKNOWN UNIT 1: "Waco 6-0, that alert force is laying down there in          the alleyway. They're pitched up against the wall if any of them is          still alive..."         
WACO 60: What are the chances of getting an ambulance in there or          near there and taking out injured by foot?"         
UNKNOWN UNIT 1: "We can try it..."         
MPDO TWO: "Number One, I've got an ambulance here, could you use him          up there?"         
MPDO ONE: "We need him bad. I don't know how you're going to get in          here. We need him at the main gate of BOQ 3, but I don't know how you're          going him in here without being hit."         
MPDO TWO: "OK, I'm taking him up...We'll see how far we can get          without being fired upon. He's willing to go. Over."         
MPDO ONE: "Be extremely careful..."         
MPDO ONE: "Duty Officer Number Two, this is Number One...We need          that ambulance bad."         
MPDO TWO: "This is Number Two (sighs)...We'll try to get her into          you."         
MPDO ONE: "10-24, Tango Yankee."         
MPDO TWO: "Have that ambulance still, we'll cover it."         
MPDO ONE: "10-24, baby..."         
MPDO TWO: "I'll start 'em moving out. Make sure you cover this man          now..."
[A little later]:
MPDO TWO: "Number One, this is Number Two (puffing). "We tried to go          down the alley (catching his breath). They blew up a claymore on us.          We're going to hold tight right here. It's about the best we can do.          Over"         
MPDO ONE: "10-24 (near tears). I know you can't help it. Just keep          trying. Do the best you can..."
4:19 a.m. BOQ #3 requests more ammo.
4:20 a.m. At MACV Headquarters General William        Westmoreland orders the 716th MP Bn to clear the Embassy compound as the        "first priority."
4:30 a.m. Request for armored vehicles and        helicopters for an Embassy assault. A reaction team is appointed.
4:45 a.m. At the Phu Tho Racetrack an MP unit radios,        "The driver caught a slug in the gut, and I'm under heavy automatic        weapons fire. Can you give me some help?" Before help arrives, both MP's        are killed by the attacking force, the 6th Binh Tan VC Battalion.
4:49 a.m. Cleveland and Columbia BOQ's request ammo        and assistance.
5:00 a.m. At the Saigon Motor Pool, three claymore        mines are detonated. Booby traps are discovered.
5:16 a.m. Explosions and small arms fire at the Royal        Oaks BOQ.
5:30 a.m. Two platoons of 101st Airborne Division        infantry, led by MAJ Hillel Schwartz, 33, of Tacoma, WA., attempt twice to        land on the Embassy roof from helicopters. Each time they are driven off        by VC fire.
5:35 a.m. Automatic weapons fire at the Butte BEQ.
5:42 a.m. MP shot in an attack at the Denbigh BOQ.
5:46 a.m. Claymore detonated at the Flint BOQ.
6:00 a.m. Camp Red Ball under attack.
6:02 a.m. MP machinegun jeep captured by VC.
6:13 a.m. Claymore mines detonated at several BOQ's.
6:15 a.m. The area near Ambassador Bunker's home is        hit by mortars and automatic weapons fires.
At the US Embassy a Medivac helicopter lands and deposits three cases        of .223 ammo, none of which is usable by the Marines. It departs with        Zahuranic, Soto and Army PFC Charles M. Fisher.
6:18 a.m. Tent City B at Ton Son Nhut under attack.
6:45 a.m. Mission Coordinator George Jacobson, on the        second floor of his villa, at the northeast corner of the US Embassy        compound, spots blood on his first floor. He calls for assistance.
7:00 a.m. Marine LT Case shots the lock off the front        gate at the Embassy. It takes six rounds. MP's crash through the gate with        a jeep.
At the Joint General Staff Headquarters, a second unit, the 2nd Go Mon        Battalion, attacks Gate Number Four. They enter the compound, attack and        seize one building before they are routed.
7:05 a.m. At the Embassy front gate, MP PFC Paul V.        Healy, 20, of Holbrook, MA, leads a counterattack with a small group of        MP's. Healy kills five VC with grenades and an M16. For approximately one        hour they clear the compound grounds of the remaining enemy.
8:00 a.m. Troops of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade        attempt to take the Phu Tho Racetrack. They will fight all day until they        finally capture it at 4:30 p.m.
8:35 a.m. MAJ Schwartz, in seven helicopters with his        platoon of paratroops from C CO, 502nd Infantry, lands on the Embassy        roof.
9:00 a.m. The lone remaining VC is wounded and        trapped in the villa by MP. PFC Healy, crosses the lawn and throws up a        gas mask and .45 caliber pistol to Jacobson. MP's fire at the lower        windows and toss tear gas. The tear gas drives the VC upstairs. He shoots        three times at Jacobson and misses. Jacobson shoots the VC with the .45        caliber pistol thrown up to him.
9:15 a.m. The US Embassy is declared secure. From        this one action four Vietnamese and five American MP's are        killed. Seventeen VC are killed and two VC, Nguyen Van Sau and        Ngo Van Giang are captured.
Throughout the rest of the day the Viet Cong attack several targets in      the Saigon area. Eventually military police of the 716th MP Battalion,      including their attached units; the 527th MP Company; Company C, 52nd      Infantry; and the 90th MP Detachment, respond to many more of these attacks,      along with back up forces from the 92nd MP Battalion.
On this first day, after an estimated nine separate attacks are over,      20 military police have been killed and 21 are wounded from      the 716th Military Police Battalion.
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