February 2018 is the 50th anniversary of the nationwide attack by North Vietnamese and VietCong forces on US and South Vietnamese forces which began on Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, in 1968.
According to Wikipedia, more than 80,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops struck more than 100 towns and cities. It was the largest military operation conducted by either side up to that point in the war. The initial attacks stunned both the US and South Vietnamese armies, causing them to temporarily lose control of several cities. During the battle of Hue, intense fighting lasted for a month, resulting in the destruction of the city. During their occupation, the North Vietnamese executed thousands of people in the Massacre of Hue. Around the US combat base at Khe Sanh, fighting continued for two more months. Although the offensive was a military defeat for North Vietnam, it had a profound effect on the US government and shocked the US public, which had been led to believe by its political and military leaders that the North Vietnamese were being defeated and incapable of launching such an ambitious military operation; American public support for the war soon declined and the U.S. sought negotiations to end the war.
Everyone is welcome at this Mondays in Manassas event. Be sure to bring your appetite, your geocaching stories, and trackables to share.
Location: Firehouse Subs, 8097 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA 20109
Date: Monday, February 12, 2018 (note that this event is on the customary second Monday of the month)
Time: 5:30pm to 8-ish.
If you think you will not arrive until after 7:00pm, please post this with your "Will Attend" log. Sometimes the group breaks up early. If we know you are coming late, we'll wait for you. Thanks.