Intense Battles in "The Nam"?

Question

I would like to know what you all think the most intense battles of the Vietnam war were. I know Tet was an intense time but there were several individual battles during that time that all had unique characteristics. Please give a good argument and supporting details. If you have more than one then number them in order of most hard fought and so on please.
I would have to contend that the most intense in my point of view would have to be the hill battles around Khe Sanh, Khe sanh itself, Hue, Ia Drang, and Dak To or hill 875.

I sympathize with you judge P. I thank you for shaking us Afghan/Iraq vets hands when we come home.
I thank you for your service and can only imagine how the fighting must have been. Actually I'm sure that just living day to day minus the combat must have been a nightmare by itself, any former line doggie knows that it's not just the combat that is misery, it's the heat/cold, it's the bugs, it's the lack of sleep, it's the lifers, it's the fatigue, it's the dysentary, it's the being away from home, it's the frustration of just being there.....that's the hard part....

Answer 1

Parrot's Peak. I was with the 11th ACR, and yes, we invaded Cambodia in May of '70, and yes that was as intensive , for me , that it could be. We were in another country, and that was intense. You have to understand that Vietnam was intense. Today, folks are out-ranged about the less than 3000 deaths in Iraq. We lost 200 men a week for five years in Vietnam. Do the math. All of us Vietnam vets are proud of what we did there, but we came back, and in general, folks treated us like ****. That's intense. When folks won't hire you cause you were in Vietnam. People shun you cause you were in Vietnam. That's intense. We came home and employers wouldn't have anything to do with us cause we were Vietnam vets.

When I see an Iraq or Afgan vet, I approach them and offer my hand and say I'm proud od them. Us Vietnam vets never got that, and that may be why, as one guy told, me" I've never seen a Vietnam vet that didn't have problems".. The biggest battle for many of us has been here, in the US of A.

Answer 2

I am going to say Hue city during the battle of the Tet offensive.
This was a whole differant war for the USA. They were not prepared for a "city war." It was unlike any of their training that they had prepared for. Snipers in buildings and being shot at from every which direction.
The real battle was taking building by building. It seems simple in theory, but to charge 20-50 yards with fire coming from anywhere, it was very much a troubled journey.
Taking the Citadel was the key mission on that day. The Citadel of course raised the Red flag with the yellow star in the middle, ala the communist flag.
Seeing the Citadel myself in person, as well as my father who fought there on that day it was more like a fortress. It was so well fortified that each movement was attacked.
There was little to no air support because again, they were in a city. Civilian life was protected and the USA and ARVAN soldiers were too much a risk for any air strike.
Inch by inch the Citadel was taken and AGAINST the rules of ENGAGEMENT the american flag was raised and we took Hue.

That was the battle of battles on that Tet offensive on January 27th

Answer 3

All battles are intense and most destructive in Hue.

I like Judge P answer, thank you and the other vets who fought in Vietnam, who held the communists here in South East Asia. You didnt fight for nothing.

Answer 4

you might want to check out Dien Bien phu, the battle in which french foreign legionnaires fought like hero's against overwhelming odds. I no that strictly speaking its not Nam it was french indo china when the french fought there, but it was the battle that broke the french will to fight and lead the country to be partitioned into north and south Vietnam