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The Tet Offensive was launched on January 30, 1968 by the North Vietnamese forces against the forces of South Vietnam, the United States and their allies. The purpose of the offensive was to utilize the element of surprise and strike military and civilian command and control centers throughout South Vietnam, during a period when no attacks were supposed to take place.
Six men assigned to AFVN were taken prisoner during the Vietnam war, five spending about five years in captivity before being released. The sixth, Steven Stroub, was executed shortly after capture. Three AFVN’ers were killed, others taken as prisoners, to spend the rest of the Vietnam war as captives. Today, only one of those men, SFC Harry Ettmuller (USA, Ret) remains alive to recall those days. Today is also a day to honor all those men and the memory of their sacrifice. -- following a fierce fire fight during the Tet holiday -- on Feb 5, 1968.
Two other men also died that day at AFVN. SGT Thomas Franklin Young, USMC was Killed in Action in that fight. Also killed that day was Courtney Niles, a civilian with NBC International, who died defending the station. One AFVN'er escaped.
Duke Miller made the following memo available. It had been posted on the bulletin board at AFVN.
SFC Harry Ettmueller (Ret.) describes the fighting at AFVN Detachment 5 [Hue] Tet 1968
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