Memo from Walt W. Rostow to President Johnson
1/30/1968
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Special Assistant for National Security Affairs Walt Rostow notified President Lyndon B. Johnson of the breach of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. Nineteen Vietcong invaders gained access by blowing a hole in its wall. The resulting six-hour battle ended when all of the intruders were either killed or wounded. One Marine and four American military police were killed defending the embassy.
This was the beginning of the first phase of the Tet Offensive assault, when 70,000 Communist troops struck more than 100 towns and cities with swift and stunning ferocity. Most of the fighting was over in a few days, but a second wave came in late April and a third in August.
Although the North Vietnamese suffered devastating casualties and their attempt to spark a general uprising failed, many Americans concluded the U.S. and its allies had suffered a massive defeat. When a Defense Department report regarding the need for 205,000 more American troops was leaked to the New York Times, Americans concluded the war was stalemated and the Johnson administration had lied to them.
This was the beginning of the first phase of the Tet Offensive assault, when 70,000 Communist troops struck more than 100 towns and cities with swift and stunning ferocity. Most of the fighting was over in a few days, but a second wave came in late April and a third in August.
Although the North Vietnamese suffered devastating casualties and their attempt to spark a general uprising failed, many Americans concluded the U.S. and its allies had suffered a massive defeat. When a Defense Department report regarding the need for 205,000 more American troops was leaked to the New York Times, Americans concluded the war was stalemated and the Johnson administration had lied to them.
This primary source comes from the Collection LBJ-NSF: National Security Files.
Full Citation: Memo from Walt W. Rostow to President Johnson; 1/30/1968; Vietnam Country Files, 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969; Collection LBJ-NSF: National Security Files; Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, Austin, TX. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/memo-walt-rostow-president-johnson, January 16, 2025]Activities that use this document
- The Vietnam War Timeline: Understanding the nature of a controversial conflict
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