OK, is there any way that the US public's willingness to continue the war in vietnam could've NOT been damaged by the Tet Offensive fin 1968 ? is there any way that the US public could've been told the real truth that US & ARVN forces has DESTROYED the VC as a fightinf force, instead of the pictures of the besieged US embassy in Saigon & Police Chief Loan's execution of the VC family-murderer creating in ppl's minds that the war was unwinnable ? How bout if there'd been substantial footage of VC atrocities, such as the massacres of civilians & ARVN-associated civic leaders & govt personnel conducted in parts of Hue & other cities which had briefly fallen to Communist forces ?
AH challenge- US public opinion not destroyed by Tet Offensive
- Thread starter Melvin Loh
- Start date
I think the problem with Tet was that it came after the American leadership kept saying it was almost over.
Of course, the Tet Offensive failed badly and the Cong were destroyed as a fighting force, but given how the American government ended up with egg on its face, them pointing this out would not be believed.
Of course, the Tet Offensive failed badly and the Cong were destroyed as a fighting force, but given how the American government ended up with egg on its face, them pointing this out would not be believed.
The problem came from LBJ and McNamara's credibility gap. LBJ acted that way because in the Senate, he can tell Russell and Douglas different things without being called on it. The press did, and their relations went south from there.