Battle of Khe Sanh

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During the 1960’s, the United States was strongly involved in the Vietnam War. In a war there are many battles. Each battle could decide the fate of the war as a whole. The Battle of Khe Sanh was one such battle (or so thought by General Westmoreland) in the Vietnam War. The Battle of Khe Sanh included the preparations, the battle, and the aftermath.
The Battle of Khe Sanh was a battle for the military base at Khe Sanh, which, for a time, was a much needed station that could benefit either side greatly. It was because of this knowledge that General Westmoreland put such of a great number of men and supplies at the position—for he knew there would be battle for this location. General Westmoreland stationed the 26th Marine Regiment at the base. By 1968, there were about 6,000 Marines stationed at the location. This meant that, in all, there were over 20,000 Americans defending this area. It was because of these preparations that the Americans were able to survive. The Battle of Khe Sanh was not suddenly sprung on the U.S. forces, it was anticipated and preparations were made.
During every battle and war, there are different divisions. These elements could be anything. One component could be on a ground assault, or air attack, or even a covert strike. The Battle of Khe Sanh is no different. Khe Sanh had many portions that made up the battle. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) attacked first on January 21, 1968 in a ground assault. Throughout the whole battle, however, the Americans had superior fire power. They were able to win any frontal assault that the NVA could perform. To accommodate for this, the NVA’s leader, General Giap, had the NVA use a guerilla style of combat. The NVA would patrol the surrounding area in small units. The g...

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...e Sanh — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts."History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. .
• "Battle of Khe Sanh: Recounting the Battle's Casualties." History Net Where History Comes Alive World US History Online Battle of Khe Sanh Recounting the Battles Casualties Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. .
• Buckley, Tim. "Tet Offensive & Khe Sahn Vietnam War Footage." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Nov. 2007. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
• Trueman, Chris. "Khe Sanh." History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
• "Vietnam War." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. .

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