Battle of Bến Tre
Battle during the Vietnam war / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Battle of Bến Tre?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
SHOW ALL QUESTIONS
The Battle of Bến Tre took place during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War when Vietcong (VC) forces attacked Bến Tre, the capital of Kien Hoa Province, on 31 January 1968. The battle lasted until 5 February when U.S. and South Vietnamese forces ejected the VC who suffered 328 killed.
Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Battle of Bến Tre | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United States South Vietnam | Viet Cong | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Anthony P. DeLuca | |||||||
Units involved | |||||||
MACV Advisory Team 93 U.S. Navy River Section 534 39th Infantry Regiment 60th Infantry Regiment |
518th Main Force Battalion 516th Local Force Battalion | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
150 killed [1] | US body count: 328 killed | ||||||
528 civilians killed and over 5,000 homes destroyed | |||||||
Close
In the United States, the battle is best remembered for a quote from an unnamed American Major, reported by journalist Peter Arnett, that "It became necessary to destroy the town to save it." This quote has often been paraphrased as "We had to destroy the village in order to save it." The veracity of the original quote has often been questioned.