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Battle of Khe Sanh: Recounting the Battle’s CasualtiesBy Peter Brush | Vietnam | 9 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post On July 11, the Marines finally left Khe Sanh. This is the battle’s end date from the North Vietnamese perspective. The NVA 304th Division’s history notes that on “9 July 1968, the liberation flag was waving from the flag pole at Ta Con [Khe Sanh] airfield.” On July 13, 1968, Ho Chi Minh sent a message to the soldiers of the Route 9–Khe Sanh Front affirming “our victory at Khe Sanh.” Subscribe Today
The Khe Sanh battlefield was considerably more extensive from the North Vietnamese perspective than from that of the U.S. Marine Corps, both geographically and chronologically. The NVA’s main command post was located in Laos, at Sar Lit. Battlefield boundaries extended from eastern Laos eastward along both sides of Route 9 in Quang Tri province, Vietnam, to the coast. Taking a larger but more realistic view, the Khe Sanh campaign resulted in a death toll of American military personnel that approached 1,000. The official, public estimate of 10,000 to 15,000 North Vietnamese KIA stands in contrast to another estimate made by the American military. On April 5, 1968, MACV prepared an “Analysis of the Khe Sanh Battle” for General Westmoreland. The report, originally classified as secret, noted that intelligence from many sources indicated conclusively that the North Vietnamese had planned a massive ground attack against the base. The attack was to have been supported by armor and artillery. Due to severe losses, however, the NVA abandoned its plan for a massive ground attack. The losses—indicating that the enemy suffered a major defeat—were estimated at 3,550 KIA inflicted by delivered fires (i.e., aerial and artillery bombardment) and 2,000 KIA from ground action, for a total of 5,550 estimated North Vietnamese killed in action as of March 31. Ray Stubbe has published a translation of the North Vietnamese history of the siege at Khe Sanh. According to this history, originally classified as secret, the battle deaths for all major NVA units participating in the entire Highway 9– Khe Sanh Front from January 20 until July 20, 1968, totaled 2,469. Ho Chi Minh’s oft-quoted admonition to the French applied equally to the Americans: “You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, but even at those odds, you will lose and I will win.” The calculation by Stubbe that approximately 1,000 Americans died on the Khe Sanh battlefield is especially compelling, given that Stubbe’s numbers are accompanied by names and dates of death. Since the official duration of the battle ends even earlier than the termination of the siege itself, a wider definition of the Khe Sanh battlefield to include Operations Scotland, Pegasus and Scotland II also seems reasonable. The official statistics yield a KIA ratio of between 50:1 and 75:1 of North Vietnamese to U.S. military deaths. The figures of 5,500 NVA dead and 1,000 U.S. dead yield a ratio of 5.5:1. It is difficult to support the claim of an overwhelming American victory at Khe Sanh based solely on the ratios derived from the official casualty count. In fact, neither side won a resounding victory. The NVA surrounded Khe Sanh in an attempt to force the Marines to break out of their fighting positions, which would make it easier to engage and destroy them. If that failed, and it did, they hoped to attack American reinforcements along Route 9 between Khe Sanh and Laos. Operation Pegasus forces, however, were highly mobile and did not attack en masse down Route 9 far enough west of Khe Sanh for the NVA, by then dispersed, to implement their plan. The Marines knew that their withdrawal from Khe Sanh would present a propaganda victory for Hanoi. On June 28, a Communist spokesman claimed the Americans had been forced to retreat and that Khe Sanh was the “gravest tactical and strategic defeat” for the U.S. in the war. It was the only time Americans abandoned a major combat base because of enemy pressure. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: Historical Conflicts, Vietnam War
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9 Comments to “Battle of Khe Sanh: Recounting the Battle’s Casualties”
I believe my brother LCPL James A. Acosta was at Scotland II and Khe Sanh. He was would May 10, 1968 by mortar round in his thigh. He later was transferrd to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine 27th divsion lima company. On July 15, 1968, he was killed while on patrol.
By Isabel Berrigan on Aug 9, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I have been looking for a hooch friend of mine at Khe Sanh since I was wounded for the second time after I left Khe Sanh and left country. His name is Henry L. Davenport. I was a radio operator (2531) and he was a (2511), wireman. A great guy from New York. If anyone knows anything about him or where he went please contact me.
By darrell hill on Feb 28, 2009 at 10:11 pm
My youngest brother, Marine Sgt. James H. Masters, was at Khe Sanh and at one time went out on patrol and was the only one to return. I don’t think anyone really knows how many valiant American troops we lost, but I know that thanks to brave men like my baby brother, who, incidentally, returned home after two tours and was tragically killed in an auto accident after surviving all of that could never get Khe Sanh out of his mind up till the day he died. He took all his friends KIA to heaven with him.
By Jerry Masters on Apr 11, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I was looking to find a pic that i remember of Marines burying scorched ammo from the first explosion of the ammo dump, i was only yards from it and in the pic and thought it was in TIME mag but can;t find it. I spent July67-Mar68 at Khe Sanh and wounded by mortar fire on Mar 8th and medevaced. It was Hell for weeks and lost a great(home town) friend there with me and fellow great Marine Rich Healey.
B. Co. 3rd. Recon 3rd. Marine Div.
By Larry Price on Apr 24, 2009 at 10:21 pm
It has been 41 years since I was pulled out of Khe Sanh. Early Feburary 1968. I wanted to say thank you to all the men and women who served. To this day I don’t remember what unit I
served with all I can remember is that I was a marine in a rock quarry outside of the fire base. No names only hard times and
one lingering thought we stood our ground. A special thank you
to the US Army I saw only one small army unit in 6months.
Thank you to that special group of men who fired the 106 recoiless that help
save our bacon during an early morning fire fight in early February
God Bless you all
Marine Sgt Don Severson
By Donald Severson on May 12, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I too spent my youth at Khe Sanh, and in 4 long forever months I became an old man. I was an 8541 mos a scout/marines know the other part of the mos. I was an enlisted Marine, became a Mustang after returning stateside. One of my thoughts about
Khe Sanh, as a scout in late Nov/Dec ‘67 we reported a large NVA build up with numbers and units over 10k. From personel experience it is a Hell of alot easier to bring support before you are engaged and under fire. I’ve long held that the powers from Gen. Westmoreland to LBJ administration in order to ralley the American People to support the War knew what was in the wind for Us. Marine Larry Price observed Time, Mag in his comments. They could get the press in, why not more Marines and supplies?
There is one memory that I believe speaks for all of Us that where at Kha Sanh and all the wars we have fought. It was written on a K-ration box up near the HQ
“There is a Love of Freedom for whose who fight and die, that the sheltered will Never know.” When the demons come I try to remember those words.
Semper Fi My Brothers
By Col_BradleyUSMC ret. on May 14, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Although I am viewing this on the on-line edition I do have the issue with this article. I am the radio operator pictured in the article. Arriving in-country during the first week of the Tet Offensive, this was my first major operation with the 2nd Bn 7th Cav. From our Bn LZ we could see Khe Sanh and the continuing supply drops, also we could hear and monitored the constant firefights as the Bn attempted a break through. My boss S-3 Don Monson pictured also, and my Bn CO LtCol Roscoe Robinson, were under daily stress from the amount of casualities we were taking as we progressed toward Khe Sanh. During this period LtCol Robinson was awarded the Silver Star for ordering his C&C helo into a very hot LZ to extract wounded, when the medavac refused. Trust me I was listening on the radio and then when his helo landed in our LZ I counted 28 different bullet holes in the bird
By Richard S. Churchill on Jun 11, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I was on Gun #4 in the 155 battery at the north end of the base. I had a friend , Steve Hellwig that was killed in the first week of the battle. I never really knew what happened to him. We went to the same high school in Seattle, WA. I think often of the ones I served with in my gun battery. I hope they are all doing fine. It was a lif time ago. And I’m still sad because it was all so useless. The damn politicans would’nt let us win. And that asshole Westmoreland was a Liar
By Tim Caiola on Jul 8, 2009 at 7:35 pm
khe sanh tet hill ,,,,,,,,,,,,,……………
HILL 861 MICHAEL BEAUGUARD OUR CAVE
By mike leibold on Sep 29, 2009 at 8:41 pm