On today’s special edition of Ozarks at Large, we mark the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive. Tet is a Vietnamese holiday celebrating the lunar new year. During this period in 1968, North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated attack against several targets in South Vietnam. The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries sustained heavy losses before repelling the assault.
The first phase of the attack occurred on Jan. 30 and 31. The Tet Offensive, which played an important role in weakening U.S. public support for the Vietnam War, will be the subject of a public discussion Feb. 6 at John Brown University. The event, which will feature Vietnam veterans Kenneth Buchanan, Derl Horn and Jerry Toler, is being organized by JBU history professor Preston Jones.