First Battle of Saigon
Encyclopedia
The First Battle of Saigon, fought during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War
, was the coordinated attack by communist forces, including both the North Vietnam
ese Army and the Viet Cong, against Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam
.
Vietcong guerrillas.
Saigon was the main focal point of this offensive, but a total takeover of the capital, by military units, was not intended or feasible. They rather had six main targets in the city which 35 battalions of Vietcong were to attack and capture: the headquarters of the ARVN, the Independence Palace, the US Embassy, Saigon, the Tan Son Nhut air base, the Long Binh Naval Headquarters, and the National Radio Station. Several reports, after the conflict, indicate that the leader of the Vietcong lived next door to the US Embassy, Saigon.
, the National Radio Station, the US Embassy, and other principal targets.
The 5th Vietcong Division launched an attack on the military bases at Long Binh
and Bien Hoa
. The North Vietnamese 7th Division launched an attack on the U.S. 1st Infantry Division and the ARVN 5th Division
at Lai Khe
. The VC 9th Division attacked the U.S. 25th Infantry Division base at Cu Chi.
' Pulitzer Prize
-winning image of the summary execution
of a Viet Cong prisoner on February 1, 1968.
Nguyen Van Lem
was captured by South Vietnamese national police, who identified him as the captain of a Viet Cong assassination and revenge platoon, and accused him of murdering the families of police officers. He was brought before Brigadier General Nguyen Ngoc Loan
, the chief of the national police, who briefly questioned him. General Nguyen then drew his sidearm and shot the prisoner. Nguyen's motives may have been personal; he had been told by a subordinate that the suspect had killed a police major who was one of Nguyen's closest friends, and the major's family as well.
Present at the shooting were Adams and an NBC television news crew. The photograph appeared on front pages around the world and won eight other awards in addition to the Pulitzer. The NBC film was played on the Huntley-Brinkley Report
and elsewhere, in some cases the silent film embellished with the sound effect of a gunshot. General Westmoreland later wrote, "The photograph and film shocked the world, an isolated incident of cruelty in a broadly cruel war, but a psychological blow against the South Vietnamese nonetheless."
As cited in the Spector book on page xvi, "From January to July 1968 the overall rate of men killed in action in Vietnam would reach an all time high and would exceed the rate for the Korean War and the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters during World War II. This was truly the bloodiest phase of the Vietnam War as well as the most neglected one." One center of discussion in the Spector book is the attack on Saigon in May 1968. Called "Little Tet" or as many call the attack mini-Tet, Saigon was faced with another series of Communist attacks. May attacks were also conducted on American bases such as Bien Hoa, Long Binh, and Tan Son Nhut. The main weapon of choice for attack by the communist forces was the Soviet-made 122mm rockets which had a range of about 11,000 meters.
Brunger states that Communist forces over ran a portion of the Tan Son Nhut airfield and closed the air strip for a period of time in early May of 1968. Brunger also states, in a primary source, that his plane loaded with troops for the Republic of Vietnam was delayed in landing for at least 2 days. The plane with troops was held in Oakland, Hawaii, Wake Island, and Guam.
Brunger's account states that attacks were made on the Bien Hoa military troop holding compound in May of 1968. The compound was used as a transfer facility within country for the transfer of men coming and going in-country. The compound was mainly attacked with rockets. A number of military men going home were killed. Many military men entering the country for the first time were wounded. A few of the buildings suffered direct hits from the rockets. The compound was constructed of buildings with tin roofs with wood sides about half way up-then screens, used for ventilation, to the roof. The buildings had concrete floors. The buildings had bunks within that were 3 tiers high. Each bed had a military style matress with no sheets. All the matresses were red in color and thus covered in red dirt. Outside of most buildings were bunkers. These bunkers were dug into the ground on a shallow level and covered with military style sandbags. Brunger's other account tells of being blown from a military bunk at Bien Hoa and his knee was bleeding. Another army trooper received wounds in his face just as he was walking out the door of the same building.
, as its last level.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, was the coordinated attack by communist forces, including both the North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese Army and the Viet Cong, against Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
.
Background
In 1968 the communists launched the Tet Offensive. They attacked South Vietnam from all sides, largely by undercoverUndercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
Vietcong guerrillas.
Saigon was the main focal point of this offensive, but a total takeover of the capital, by military units, was not intended or feasible. They rather had six main targets in the city which 35 battalions of Vietcong were to attack and capture: the headquarters of the ARVN, the Independence Palace, the US Embassy, Saigon, the Tan Son Nhut air base, the Long Binh Naval Headquarters, and the National Radio Station. Several reports, after the conflict, indicate that the leader of the Vietcong lived next door to the US Embassy, Saigon.
Battle
Attacking from all sides of the capital Saigon, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), and VC launched 35 battalions at Saigon. Sapper Bns and the local forces attacked the Presidential PalacePresidential Palace
A Presidential Palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. However, some countries do not call the official residence of a head of state a presidential palace...
, the National Radio Station, the US Embassy, and other principal targets.
The 5th Vietcong Division launched an attack on the military bases at Long Binh
Long Binh
Long Binh is a ward, in District 9 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.-Long Binh Post:During the Vietnam War, Long Binh Post was located near Bien Hoa, Dong Nai province. Vietnam, 33km from Saigon . The base functioned as a U.S. Army base, logistics center, and major command headquarters for United...
and Bien Hoa
Bien Hoa
Biên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...
. The North Vietnamese 7th Division launched an attack on the U.S. 1st Infantry Division and the ARVN 5th Division
5th Division (South Vietnam)
The Fifth Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam —the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975—was part of the III Corps that oversaw the region of the country surrounding the capital, Saigon....
at Lai Khe
Lai Khe
Lai Khê is a small settlement in Vietnam, to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City and about 20 km north of Thủ Dầu Một. During the Vietnam War it was a garrison town as the 5th Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam was based there for most of the 1960s and 1970s.Tucker, pp. 526–533...
. The VC 9th Division attacked the U.S. 25th Infantry Division base at Cu Chi.
Adams photograph
The fighting in Saigon produced one of the Vietnam War's most famous images, photographer Eddie AdamsEddie Adams (photographer)
Eddie Adams was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American photographer and photojournalist noted for portraits of celebrities and politicians and his coverage of 13 wars.-Combat photographer:...
' Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning image of the summary execution
Summary execution
A summary execution is a variety of execution in which a person is killed on the spot without trial or after a show trial. Summary executions have been practiced by the police, military, and paramilitary organizations and are associated with guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency, terrorism, and...
of a Viet Cong prisoner on February 1, 1968.
Nguyen Van Lem
Nguyen Van Lem
Nguyễn Văn Lém was a member of the Viet Cong who was summarily executed in Saigon during the Tet Offensive. The execution was captured on film by photojournalist Eddie Adams, and the momentous image became a symbol of the inhumanity of war...
was captured by South Vietnamese national police, who identified him as the captain of a Viet Cong assassination and revenge platoon, and accused him of murdering the families of police officers. He was brought before Brigadier General Nguyen Ngoc Loan
Nguyen Ngoc Loan
General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan was the Republic of Vietnam's Chief of National Police. Nguyễn gained international attention when he executed handcuffed prisoner Nguyễn Văn Lém, a Viet Cong soldier, on February 1, 1968 in front of Vo Suu, an NBC cameraman, and Eddie Adams, an Associated Press photographer...
, the chief of the national police, who briefly questioned him. General Nguyen then drew his sidearm and shot the prisoner. Nguyen's motives may have been personal; he had been told by a subordinate that the suspect had killed a police major who was one of Nguyen's closest friends, and the major's family as well.
Present at the shooting were Adams and an NBC television news crew. The photograph appeared on front pages around the world and won eight other awards in addition to the Pulitzer. The NBC film was played on the Huntley-Brinkley Report
Huntley-Brinkley Report
The Huntley-Brinkley Report was the NBC television network's flagship evening news program from October 29, 1956 until July 31, 1970. It was anchored by Chet Huntley in New York City, and David Brinkley in Washington, D.C...
and elsewhere, in some cases the silent film embellished with the sound effect of a gunshot. General Westmoreland later wrote, "The photograph and film shocked the world, an isolated incident of cruelty in a broadly cruel war, but a psychological blow against the South Vietnamese nonetheless."
Aftermath
By early February, the Communist high command realized that none of their military objectives were being met, and they halted any further attacks on fortified positions. Sporadic fighting continued in Saigon until March 8. Some sections of the city were left badly damaged by the combat and U.S. retaliatory air and artillery strikes in particular. The Chinese district of Cholon suffered especially, with perhaps hundreds of civilians killed in the American counter attacks.As cited in the Spector book on page xvi, "From January to July 1968 the overall rate of men killed in action in Vietnam would reach an all time high and would exceed the rate for the Korean War and the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters during World War II. This was truly the bloodiest phase of the Vietnam War as well as the most neglected one." One center of discussion in the Spector book is the attack on Saigon in May 1968. Called "Little Tet" or as many call the attack mini-Tet, Saigon was faced with another series of Communist attacks. May attacks were also conducted on American bases such as Bien Hoa, Long Binh, and Tan Son Nhut. The main weapon of choice for attack by the communist forces was the Soviet-made 122mm rockets which had a range of about 11,000 meters.
Brunger states that Communist forces over ran a portion of the Tan Son Nhut airfield and closed the air strip for a period of time in early May of 1968. Brunger also states, in a primary source, that his plane loaded with troops for the Republic of Vietnam was delayed in landing for at least 2 days. The plane with troops was held in Oakland, Hawaii, Wake Island, and Guam.
Brunger's account states that attacks were made on the Bien Hoa military troop holding compound in May of 1968. The compound was used as a transfer facility within country for the transfer of men coming and going in-country. The compound was mainly attacked with rockets. A number of military men going home were killed. Many military men entering the country for the first time were wounded. A few of the buildings suffered direct hits from the rockets. The compound was constructed of buildings with tin roofs with wood sides about half way up-then screens, used for ventilation, to the roof. The buildings had concrete floors. The buildings had bunks within that were 3 tiers high. Each bed had a military style matress with no sheets. All the matresses were red in color and thus covered in red dirt. Outside of most buildings were bunkers. These bunkers were dug into the ground on a shallow level and covered with military style sandbags. Brunger's other account tells of being blown from a military bunk at Bien Hoa and his knee was bleeding. Another army trooper received wounds in his face just as he was walking out the door of the same building.
In popular culture
The battle is depicted in the first-person shooter, NAMNAM (video game)
NAM is a commercial Build engine game designed by the TNT Team , the makers of the Platoon TC for Duke Nukem 3D. Infogrames picked them up and put them to work remaking Platoon with more professional art and some custom source code modifications by Matt Saettler, who is the progenitor of the EDuke...
, as its last level.