Last Stand at Khe Sanh: The U.S. Marines' Finest Hour in Vietnam
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2019
- Gregg chronicles the story of the agonizing and deadly 77-day siege of a Marine combat base at Khe Sanh, South Vietnam, in 1968. No battle during the Viet Nam conflict received more attention on the home front. American forces fought bravely against numerically superior enemy forces, but their heroic efforts are largely forgotten.
Last Stand at Khe Sanh received the 2015 General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. Award for distinguished nonfiction from the Marine Corps Foundation. Major Robert T. Jordan, USMC (Ret.) wrote: "The result of Jones’ efforts is a classic that echoes the passion of Erich Maria Remarque’s World War I novel, All Quiet on the Western Front , Leon Uris’ Battle Cry, a World War II classic; and the intensity of the 1992 book about the Vietnam War-We Were Soldiers Once … and Young. "
I noticed a comment that they didn’t feel Gregg was a very accomplished speaker. However, Gregg is the author of this book and he gave a true and accurate presentation of the facts. He very well knew what he was talking about and not some rehearsed individual.
I personally felt that he presented the truth about the siege and was very factual with the information. I actually wish I could have been there during his talk.
How do I know his information was true and factual? Well I was there!! I was with Delta Company 1/9 Marines The Walking Dead. We were positioned at the Rock Quarry. I saw the first mortar round hit the top center portion of Hill 64 and all HELL break loose. Yes I watched our brother Marines die and nothing we could do at the time to help.
I was wounded in Khe Sanh in March of 68 and flown stateside to a hospital. By the way, I’m mentioned in this book as well. Yes Gregg called me one night and talked for several hours. He definitely was making sure any information was true and correct.
Thank you for your service and for sharing your story!
I HELPED CLEAR FIELDS OF FIRE FOR YOU GUYS WHEN YOU TOOK OVER THE ROCK QUARRY ! SEMPER FI " CAN DO " GLAD YOU MADE IT HOME ...
I am sorry if the veterans were not appreciated upon their return. It wasn't the soldier's fault but a political failing of epic proportion. Although intentions were noble, somehow the implementation and the pictures broadcast on American TVs were not so good. Anti-war protestors we're vilified, targeted, and hurt. Their intention was to stop the war and to bring our boys home, but instead war was also declared on them. It was never your fault, but try to understand what was happening at home.
Welcome home! ❤🙏✌️☮️ Your service and strength will not be forgotten and is still needed today. We can change the past, depending on what we do today for a brighter future. Respect. ✊
"I guess we all died a little in that damn war."
It has-been a very long time. I served with 1/9 my position was called the rock quary. Gentlemen the nonsense that we had massive bunkers 6 or 7 ft trenches didn't happen. Maybe 24inches. We dug down with e tools then surrounded yourself with sand bags. My last night hill 64 was overrun. There location was across a ravine in front of my position. About 4:30am all hell broke lose. It was raining heavily at day break you could see nothing. Heavy fog, very heavy. Incoming and outgoing fire was very intense. Word came down every one was dead on that small hill. Word spread that there was over a 150 dead infront of are position and hill 64. I was pulled out of that position and sent to Danang that morning. Many dead in ravine visible when fog finally lifted. I will just say it was a very intense place. God bless every unit the stood their ground. Hill positions rock quary or main air strip awesome young men. I was an e-5 with 1/9 Marines
Got this book on audible, fantastic book about this battle! One of my fav nam books
I need to do the same. Thank you
This was a really good documentary. I have learned a lot more about this siege than i did before. Thank you and thanks for your service Shaun
Loved the opening and most fascinatiing presentation!!
Super gaggle to supply the hills. A4s would come in drop napalm a second wave drop tear gas a third wave smoke the choppers came in with gunships unloaded in. 5 minutes
It was NOT the last stand for US Army! I left from there in March of 1971!
Whole divisions of nva evaporated like the never existed
The massive Battle of Hue was unique in that it was urban fighting house to house for which NO US military had been trained since WWII (about 500 Marines vs. 12,000 NVA) Khe Sanh was a defensive trench, bunker and seige bombardment. (About 6,500 Marines/ARVN vs. 20,000 and then about 40,000) Totally different. In NO case were their heroics forgotten except by those that chose to forget, and certainly not those that were there. You also failed to mention the ARVN Ranger battalion (about 400) at the West of the runway. A Vietnam Veteran Phu Bai/Hue/Khe Sanh 1967-1969
Welcome Home, ALL OF YOU... THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS ALWAYS...
Served with 1/9 Bravo company we were in the Hill Fights in April 67 at Khe Sanh. Then to Conthien lost so many brothers it all was a meat grinder.
I wish to proceed
It's a open debate on if the battle was a ruse however more people lean toward it being a ruse for multiple reasons, mainly to be a sideshow for Tet and you heard the speaker himself say the all out attack never materialize.
That said even if it was a ruse it was a failure on the NVAs part as the Viet cong were massacred during Tet so if it was a diversion, it didn't hinder US forces.
For people to keep saying the whole battle was a ruse is just stupid as the attack on the base went on a lot longer than the Tet attacks. Also Westmoreland wanted to use the base as a launch pad into Laos something he was stopped from doing. Which was then done later under Nixon with Op Lam son 719 when Khe Sanh was used again. Same with the base at Lang Vei was used to go over the border into Laos that's why the NVA attacked that base with tanks which was the first time they used tanks in the Vietnam war against US forces. The Khe Sanh base was a GOOD idea and should have never been closed because of where it was it was a lot better than the French base that had been wiped out in the 50's. One problem with the whole war is where Vietnam is next to Laos and other so the DMZ never really worked like it does in Korea.
Thank you.
Videos
as long as the B-52 were dropping their bombs, I never lost a marine. the minute they stopped the bombing, I lost men every day.
I don't understand how LZ combat tactics and the battle of Khe sanh could be considered anything but a strategic failure. If the strategy depends on the enemy forces doing only one thing and if your position is boxed in while the enemy is allowed the initiative and free movement, only enemy stupidity could result in a strategic victory. The strategy certainly makes no sense against mobile guerrilla warfare, but only makes sense if military attrition is the ultimate strategy for both sides, and it wasn't. General Westmoreland lost sight of the forest for the trees and viewed the war and the North only through his own limited understanding.
Khe Sanh was never the failing of the combatants; but by depending on an enemy to do only what is expected, Khe Sanh became ultimately of little strategic value. History supports this conclusion, and I am sorry to say, this most important lessons is undeniable.
I mean no disrespect, but historic facts need to be recognized first and not necessarily reevaluated.
The presentation was a good presentation of the facts. The facts, however, speak louder than the implicit evaluation.
US-intelligence (...) 'completely' missed/ignored the TET-buildup (which was actually a flagrant violation of the cease-fire - a fact Western media prefer to ignore as well). So when it erupted, Khe Sanh all of a sudden got a lot of attention, as Westmoreland feared another Dien Bien Phu (I think even Johnson interfered (as usual) and told him to keep the base 'at all cost'). It has never been disclosed what the North actually intended: trapping/devouring another enemy in some outpost, or having the US devote an excessive number of resources (and attention!) that couldn't be deployed against the VC-attacks all over South Vietnam. Plus, it generated a lot of publicity on TV back in the US, adding to the growing worry and unrest about the war effort.
The smarter thing for the US would have been marching out of the base and then bombing all NVA occupying it - nobody really wanted or needed that base to begin with. But, admittedly, the US killed many enemy troops - albeit with a massive (and frankly, excessive) effort.
So it became an PR-failure as well: dying for some hills, only to abandon them within weeks - not a great morale booster for the troops or support-rally back home. In that sense, the North won again (even though their offensive was a total disaster).
Umm...probably, uh, very informative but, uh, um, I think uh, maybe, um, I’ll pass.
Not a particularly accomplished public speaker
does anyone know if the 7th Marines were at Khe Sahn? i had less then 30 days left, so i got to stay in the "rear with the gear" when the orders came for the 7th Marines to go to the DMZ in Oct or Nov'66, i stayed in ChuLai, that's all i remember.
3rd Batt. 7th Marines ChuLai,RVN 10/6511/66
I recall 1/7 & 2/7 were located southwest of Da Nang after Tet68
@@garytobin3580 as i remember, the 7th Marines moved up north somewhere ???????? in early Nov'66 i stayed in the rear with the gear cause i had less than 30days left...