Battle for Hue

[KB]

City was secured on February 29, 1968, a little over 45 years ago.

CBS correspondent John Laurence, with 2/5



ITN footage

[KB]

Most of 1st episode is on Tet fighting in Saigon. Remainder focus on Hue.

[KB]

[Gerry301]

I had this c onversation with the NVA Major via E-mail perhaps a year and a haf ago. Though you might find it interesting.

I saw you've mentioned of Vietnam War casualties many time.When I read your comments about Massacre at Hue as a bloody crime of NVA/VC forces .My grandfather wanted me to tell you something of his memories as a man who fought in this battle.His memories were incoherent so he wrote a letter and wanted me to translate it. I hope that we don't bother u. So here it is:
" I was a major of 6th regiment 816th battalion of NVA. 400 soilders of my battalion attacked the old city of Hue that day. My battalion was trained 6 months ago before that time. This battle must be kept secret, so no civilians even my boys knew anything. In those day,USA army used heavy weapons as maximum destruction as they could so this battle was so brutal. I guess you've read about it.
I cant remember the details of time, but it was 5 or 6 days after when we attacked and controlled 70% of city of Hue, a scout told me that he found something bad. There were about 18 mass graves that were scattered every where inside and outside of the city. There were about 15 to 20 deadbody in each hole. I cant remember all the details. These bodies were not only civilians but also VC soldiers of Hue Company. Civilians were buried alive and soldiers were beheaded. They were executed before we came. They were hundreds in number.
We just coul hold this city for about 1 month. There were 3 internal purifications in this time. The first one was people,students avenged themselves on Polices, people who closed to USA... for having tortured them cruelly. The other one was between buddhists and catholics. According to our calculations, more than 1000 people were killed in these vengeances.These vengeances were so crazy. It was out of control. The last one was when we established a new provisional revolutionary government in city of Hue. We had to killed about 200 crazy men to quell this rebellion. My first- son noted everything. If we didn't do that, the consequence wouldn't be image.

After about month, we couldn't hold this city anymore because many diffirent US/SVN battalions reinforced in this battle and our food, ammunition were dwindling. We had retreated back to the jungle quickly. But so many people who supported the communist movement were stucked in the city. They hadn't enough time to retreat. Afterward, our secret agents told me that they were all dead. They were killed in battle or executed. When US/SVN forces retook the city of Hue, a other purification was happened in a blind furious .US/SVN army thought that all the people had known about our attack before it happened and managed to keep silent about that plan.So many civilians were summarily executed. It was not hundreds in number.It was many, many...They would never know the true.

I still can remember that we had 5 Americans as prisoners when we run into the jungle. Many Jet fighters flew right front of us, dropped mk80 and napalm boms on the jungle. Four of them were died immediately. The last one was serious injured, and gone away just several hours later. They were killed by their boms, their comrades.

We hid in the jungle for months, one day I read a news on South government's newspaper that "The VC massacred ten thousand of civilians in Hue battle..."I just could remember those words. You could never feel our hurt! Somebody killed my people, buried all kinds of deadbody in same holes, multiplied the bodies by themselves 2,3 times, named them"civilians" then blamed those heinous crime on NVA/VC. This event has been become one of the most crazy psychological warfare.

But this war was over a long time ago. Everything must be left behind. This war was one of the most painful parts of VN history. In the end, I just hope that US and VN's younger generations will be learned a lesson that never old: There are no winners and loser in war.War is just blood and tear.
I have many stories to confide to you about this war, Hcm's life, his mistake, his love about my country...but may be its enough for us, old man
See you someday. "

This letter will be the last email. My grandfather don't want me to bother you.
But anyway, nice to meet you.
Sent to:gerry301

[skyeye]

I had this c onversation with the NVA Major via E-mail perhaps a year and a haf ago. Though you might find it interesting.

I saw you've mentioned of Vietnam War casualties many time.When I read your comments about Massacre at Hue as a bloody crime of NVA/VC forces .My grandfather wanted me to tell you something of his memories as a man who fought in this battle.His memories were incoherent so he wrote a letter and wanted me to translate it. I hope that we don't bother u. So here it is:
" I was a major of 6th regiment 816th battalion of NVA. 400 soilders of my battalion attacked the old city of Hue that day. My battalion was trained 6 months ago before that time. This battle must be kept secret, so no civilians even my boys knew anything. In those day,USA army used heavy weapons as maximum destruction as they could so this battle was so brutal. I guess you've read about it.
I cant remember the details of time, but it was 5 or 6 days after when we attacked and controlled 70% of city of Hue, a scout told me that he found something bad. There were about 18 mass graves that were scattered every where inside and outside of the city. There were about 15 to 20 deadbody in each hole. I cant remember all the details. These bodies were not only civilians but also VC soldiers of Hue Company. Civilians were buried alive and soldiers were beheaded. They were executed before we came. They were hundreds in number.
We just coul hold this city for about 1 month. There were 3 internal purifications in this time. The first one was people,students avenged themselves on Polices, people who closed to USA... for having tortured them cruelly. The other one was between buddhists and catholics. According to our calculations, more than 1000 people were killed in these vengeances.These vengeances were so crazy. It was out of control. The last one was when we established a new provisional revolutionary government in city of Hue. We had to killed about 200 crazy men to quell this rebellion. My first- son noted everything. If we didn't do that, the consequence wouldn't be image.

After about month, we couldn't hold this city anymore because many diffirent US/SVN battalions reinforced in this battle and our food, ammunition were dwindling. We had retreated back to the jungle quickly. But so many people who supported the communist movement were stucked in the city. They hadn't enough time to retreat. Afterward, our secret agents told me that they were all dead. They were killed in battle or executed. When US/SVN forces retook the city of Hue, a other purification was happened in a blind furious .US/SVN army thought that all the people had known about our attack before it happened and managed to keep silent about that plan.So many civilians were summarily executed. It was not hundreds in number.It was many, many...They would never know the true.

I still can remember that we had 5 Americans as prisoners when we run into the jungle. Many Jet fighters flew right front of us, dropped mk80 and napalm boms on the jungle. Four of them were died immediately. The last one was serious injured, and gone away just several hours later. They were killed by their boms, their comrades.

We hid in the jungle for months, one day I read a news on South government's newspaper that "The VC massacred ten thousand of civilians in Hue battle..."I just could remember those words. You could never feel our hurt! Somebody killed my people, buried all kinds of deadbody in same holes, multiplied the bodies by themselves 2,3 times, named them"civilians" then blamed those heinous crime on NVA/VC. This event has been become one of the most crazy psychological warfare.

But this war was over a long time ago. Everything must be left behind. This war was one of the most painful parts of VN history. In the end, I just hope that US and VN's younger generations will be learned a lesson that never old: There are no winners and loser in war.War is just blood and tear.
I have many stories to confide to you about this war, Hcm's life, his mistake, his love about my country...but may be its enough for us, old man
See you someday. "

This letter will be the last email. My grandfather don't want me to bother you.
But anyway, nice to meet you.
Sent to:gerry301

Thanks for the post. It’s always interesting to get the other sides view.

[PKSPO]

The battle of Hue is one of the prime examples of bloody communist praxis and doctrine, meaning having an intelligence apparatus who keeps tags of persons and having planned mass executions of these persons who were anti NVA .



The known KGB defector Bezmenov speaks about the massacre at Hue

[It’s the] same way as in the small town of Huế in South Vietnam, several thousands of Vietnamese were executed in one night when the city was captured by [the] Vietcong for only two days. And [the] American CIA could never figure out how [the Communists could possibly] know [of] each individual, where he lives, where to get him; and [how would they] be arrested in one night basically in some four hours before dawn, put in a van, taken out of the city limits and shot?


The answer is very simple: Long before [the] Communists occupied the city, there was [an] extensive network of informers, local Vietnamese citizens who knew absolutely everything about people who were instrumental in public opinion, including barbers and taxi drivers. Everyone who was sympathetic to [the] United States was executed.

[PKSPO]

It’s always interesting to get the other sides view.

This does not apply for communists, it's like asking to know of Jeffrey Dahmer's side.