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21 January in military history: Siege of Khe Sanh begins, 1968

Military history · 21 January · Vietnam WarFull calendar

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Sandbagged, camouflage-netted bunkers at Khe Sanh, a Marine by the wire, shattered trees and an F-4 Phantom II jet low in the hazy sky, March 1968, in color
Besieged US Marines at Khe Sanh watch a US Air Force F-4 Phantom II make a close air support strike, March 1968. Public domain. Sgt. Robert F. Witowski, US Air Force, 1968, National Museum of the US Air Force.
Quick answer

On 21 January 1968, during the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese troops attacked Hill 861 and shelled the US Marine combat base at Khe Sanh in northwestern South Vietnam, blowing up its main ammunition dump. The siege that followed lasted until a relief force reached the base in early April 1968.

The Battle of Khe Sanh, 1968: the siege that haunted a war

21 January to 9 July 1968 · 58 years ago

US Marines held Khe Sanh for 77 days in 1968 against two North Vietnamese divisions, backed by 98,721 tons of bombs. Why the base was then abandoned.

Read the full story of The Battle of Khe Sanh, 1968: the siege that haunted a war ›

Frequently asked questions

When did the siege of Khe Sanh begin?

It began in the early hours of 21 January 1968 with an attack on Hill 861, followed at dawn by a bombardment of the combat base that blew up its main ammunition dump.

When did the siege end?

Operation Pegasus set out on 1 April 1968. South Vietnamese airborne troops reached the base by helicopter on 6 April, and on 8 April the 1st Cavalry Division linked up with the Marines and took over the base, which is usually counted as the official relief.

How many people died at Khe Sanh?

No exact figure exists. The Marine history counts 205 Marines killed from November 1967 to the end of March 1968 and estimates 10,000 to 15,000 North Vietnamese dead; the Air Force history gives 199 Americans killed and about 10,000 enemy killed and gravely wounded.

Why did the Americans defend Khe Sanh?

General Westmoreland believed that the North Vietnamese wanted a second Dien Bien Phu there, and that a massed enemy around an isolated base would give American air power a chance to destroy it. Whether Hanoi really meant to take the base or only to draw American forces away from the cities before Tet is still debated.

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