us history - Vietnam war, "tet offensive"

tet

Vietnamese new year

general Westmoreland

commander (head) of all US forces in Vietnam

credibility gap

the difference between what LBJ said and the truth

US embassy

US headquarters in south Vietnam (saigon) - taken over during tet

attrition

to slowly wear down the enemy's ability and will to fight

khe sanh

massive airbase in the northern part of south Vietnam that was under siege before and during tet

hue

site of the longest and bloodiest battle of the Vietnam war - old capital of unified Vietnam

re-education

converting the people that the NVA took away to communism

president theiu

new leader of south vietnam (1967-1975)

ellsworth bunker

new US ambassador to south Vietnam

walt rostow

chief national security advisor - replaced bundy

clark clifford

new secretary of defense / replaces McNamara who resigned in February / against the Vietnam war

de-escalation

slowly reducing our involvement in Vietnam

senators morse and Mansfield

leaders in the senate in opposition to the Vietnam war

dean rusk

secretary of state in charge of foreign policy

Eugene McCarthy

senator from Minnesota - challenged LBJ, anti-war candidate

George Wallace

governor of Alabama - challenged LBJ for democratic nomination in favor of expanding war

Robert kennedy

anti-war candidate - challenged LBJ for democratic nomination

"wise men"

retired foreign policy experts that advised LBJ on the war