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Of the four Military Regions (MR) in South Vietnam, MR1, better known as I Corps (I Corps, II Corps, III Corps, and IV Corps are also known as MR1, MR2, etc.) was the hottest. It contained regiments of NVA. III Corps and IV Corps were primarily VC territory. Obviously fighting the NVA was tougher and far more dangerous.
Khe Sahn was in I Corps. Khe Sanh also happened to be in a dangerous portion of I Corps; close to the Laos border (where NVA could stage attacks and withdraw back into...plus they had tons of equipment available to them there). In these AOs (Areas of Operations) the NVA seemingly conducted "search and destroy" missions...hunting for GIs. In the slang of the times, "here, the NVA hunted for you!"
This set the stage for the siege. Next NVA General Giap wanted to make an example out of the Marine base at Khe Sanh. He was the right man for the job, for it was he that did in the French at Dien Bien Phu 14 years earlier. Giap was going to repeat the process against the Americans. But then President Johnson (LBJ) found out about Giap and his plans and launched an all out campaign to prevent Giap from repeating his past victory against the French. As LBJ stated, "I'll not have no da-- Den Ben Foos!" LBJ sent US Army reinforcements, but more importantly he ordered B52s to saturate the surrounding zones around Khe Sanh.
No matter what you read, no matter what you hear, it was the B52s that saved Khe Sanh. Giap defeated the French, but he couldn't defeat the B52s.
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Who won the battle of siege at khe sahn?
The US Marines at Khe Sanh won because Khe Sanh did not fall to the NVA. At Khe Sanh, General Giap intended to repeat his success against the French Army at Dien Bien Phu fourteen years earlier, but the siege failed because the US managed to supply Khe Sanh by air and provide tactical air support for the defenders, whereas the French air link to Dien Bien Phu was tenuous at best after that siege began.
What was the Marine base that was trapped for 77 days?
Khe Sanh, during the Vietnam War.
Why did the North Vietnamese attack the Marine base at Khe Sanh?
General Giap wanted to distract American forces as he prepared to launch the Tet offensive.
Where did the American forces surrender?
Bunker Hill, War of Independence. Bladensburg, War of 1812. Bataan, World War 2. Khe Sanh, Vietnam War. Saigon, Vietnam War. Somalia, Somalian Insurgency. There are more but they are the most famous ones.
Significance of than khe area of Chu Lai during the war?
Than Khe was an area that had mazes of tunnel systems and the town itself was rumored to be a supply lane for the Viet-Cong. Apart from I think Than Khe was also a general or something.
