Undoubtedly one of the most tumultuous years throughout the whole of the Vietnam War was 1968. Unrest set in, not only among American troops in the South Seas, but at home as well.
The year opened with fierce battles, including the Battle for Hue and the Battle for Saigon. Operation Rolling Thunder was in full force at the time and American soldiers still weren’t comfortable fighting in Vietnamese terrain. This resulted in severe trauma and heavy casualties among troops.
At home, the country was in a tough situation as well. The hippie and drug countercultures that popularly characterize the ’60s were in full swing. Uproar about the war and racial issues also provided for problems. In 1968, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated, on the basis of racial and political issues. Presidential elections were in full swing, and the issue of the war was a prominent theme. Protests were commonplace among college campuses and cases such as Tinker v. Des Moines rocked the nation, paving the way for further guaranteed rights for students.
However, 1968 also began to show a light at the end of the tunnel; on May 10, the peace talks in Paris began, but were stalled until October 31. Then finally, President Johnson announced a complete halt of U.S. bombing of North Vietnam in hopes of restarting negotiation.
The year opened with fierce battles, including the Battle for Hue and the Battle for Saigon. Operation Rolling Thunder was in full force at the time and American soldiers still weren’t comfortable fighting in Vietnamese terrain. This resulted in severe trauma and heavy casualties among troops.
At home, the country was in a tough situation as well. The hippie and drug countercultures that popularly characterize the ’60s were in full swing. Uproar about the war and racial issues also provided for problems. In 1968, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated, on the basis of racial and political issues. Presidential elections were in full swing, and the issue of the war was a prominent theme. Protests were commonplace among college campuses and cases such as Tinker v. Des Moines rocked the nation, paving the way for further guaranteed rights for students.
However, 1968 also began to show a light at the end of the tunnel; on May 10, the peace talks in Paris began, but were stalled until October 31. Then finally, President Johnson announced a complete halt of U.S. bombing of North Vietnam in hopes of restarting negotiation.
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