Siege of Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh, Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam
What happened
U.S. Marines under Colonel David Lownds, part of the forces of General William Westmoreland, defended the Khe Sanh Combat Base against North Vietnamese Army forces. Khe Sanh was an American base in the hills of northwest South Vietnam, near the border with Laos. In January 1968 North Vietnamese forces surrounded it and shelled it every day, and in February they overran a nearby Special Forces camp at Lang Vei using tanks. The Americans answered with massive bombing and supplied the base by air until a relief force reached it overland in April.
Why it matters
Result: Both sides claim victory: Siege partially relieved in April North Vietnamese Army gained control of the Khe Sanh region after the American withdrawal on 9 July. Leaders: William Westmoreland / Rathvon M. Tompkins against Võ Nguyên Giáp / Trần Quý Hai. Why it matters: Both sides claimed victory, and the battle became a symbol of the costly and confusing nature of the Vietnam War. Historians still debate whether North Vietnam really wanted to capture the base or was distracting attention from the Tết Offensive.
What came next
In June 1968 the Americans began to abandon the base, saying it was no longer needed.
Did you know?
At Lang Vei, near Khe Sanh, North Vietnamese tanks attacked the camp, and it came as a shock to the Special Forces soldiers there.
Timeline
- 21 January 1968North Vietnamese forces surround and begin attacking Khe Sanh.
- 7 February 1968The Lang Vei Special Forces camp is overrun.
- April 1968A relief force reaches Khe Sanh overland.
- 19 June 1968The Americans begin leaving the base.