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The harrowing Medal of Honor stories of 5 men who helped turn the tide of Vietnam's brutal Battle of Hue City
The harrowing Medal of Honor stories of 5 men who helped turn the tide of Vietnam's brutal Battle of Hue City
Caitlin FosterJan 31, 2019, 03:54 IST
Marines drag casualty from street fighting for control of southern bridge, head across street to an ambulance in Hue, Vietnam, Feb. 4, 1968.Associated Press.
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At the end of January 1968, the North Vietnamese Army coordinated with Viet Cong forces to launch an unprecedented offensive that would turn the tide of the war.
The Tet Offensive began with the invasion and occupation of Hue City.
US Marines spent nearly a month engaged in a brutal battle to retake the city.
The chaotic urban battle saw unprecedented heroism - and resulted in five Medals of Honor.
At the end of January in 1968, the Viet Cong launched an offensive that turned the tide of the Vietnam War.
The Tet Offensive began on January 30 as the North Vietnamese occupied the city of Hue. US Marines spent nearly a month fighting a brutal urban battle to retake the city - which was 80% destroyed by the battle's end, according to H.D.S. Greenway, a photographer embedded with the Marines during the war.
An estimated 1,800 Americans lost their lives during the battle.
But in the midst of the chaos, five men who faced harrowing circumstances risked their lives to save those of their comrades - and earned the nation's highest award for courage in combat, the Medal of Honor.
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During one of the ceremonies honoring these heroes, President Richard Nixon remarked on the incredible risks they took.
"They are men who faced death, and instead of losing courage they gave courage to the men around them," he said.
Sergeant Joe Hooper is described as the most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War.
Sgt. Hooper earned the Medal of Honor on the same day as company mate Staff Sgt. Sims.
Hooper suffered extraordinary wounds as he fought during the Battle of Hue City, during which he destroyed numerous enemy bunkers and raced across open fields under intense fire to save a wounded comrade.
