They hated the US-backed South Vietnamese regime with all their might, and therefore engaged in the communist guerrilla warfare. Their contribution to the organization of the January 1968 attack proved invaluable. Could it be that the offensive was due to the initial successes of eleven girls?
The "Huong River" branch was established in the fall of 1967. 11 girls were selected for it, previously associated with the communist partisans operating in South Vietnam. Pham Thi Lien, trained in the North, is twenty-two-year-old in command.
The rest of the group were equally young. Eighteen-year-old Che Thi Mung "was an image of innocence:slim, with a round face, big eyes and high cheekbones," writes Mark Bowden in his book "Huế 1968. Vietnam in Blood" “But Che wasn't as innocent or as friendly as she appeared to be. She didn't see anything about the global conflict that brought the Americans to Vietnam, but war became her life " .
"Flirting was especially useful"
The militants soon found out that would be participating in the preparation of the Tong-Tan-cong-Noi (great offensive, great uprising) scheduled for Tết 1968 . Their area of operation was the city of Huế, the main target of the communist attack. Bowden says:
They have been assigned four missions:Spy nguy [soldiers of the South Vietnamese army - editor's note A. W.] and Americans in the City; recruitment of civilians for the purposes of the uprising and organization of support; training new recruits in combat and tactics; preparation of a dedicated sub-unit, which, after the beginning of the battle, will transport the wounded to the field lazarets in the rear and will help in the organization of food. Weapons, ammunition, food and medications had to be smuggled, stored and prepared.
The Battle of Huế was one of the most important clashes of the Tết offensive. The photo shows refugees from the city.
Why were young, attractive girls entrusted with these key tasks for the success of the offensive? The American journalist explains that the beautiful Vietnamese women were not perceived as a threat by the military in the city. They could move through the streets without any problems, sketch plans of positions and outposts, learn about the routes of enemy troops and their numbers. Officially, they only sold hats or went to the fountains for water…
The effects of their actions turned out to be spectacular. "By working for months, they built a complete picture of the military and police stations in Huế" - reports Bowden. Of course, everything happened in complete secrecy - neither the Americans, nor the South Vietnamese soldiers completely expected aggression. The author emphasizes that the girls were simply irresistible:
The line of girls in colorful silk blouses by the fountain acted like bait on nguy , which were abundant around. There was a military academy and a brothel across the street. The girls talked and flirted with the soldiers on their way to both places - it was a way to learn a lot.
Flirting was especially useful. As soon as nguy had a crush on him, Che had to politely ask when his watch ran out. Over time, she got pretty good insight into the schedules worth of all the outposts she watched.
Gun in hand
The role of the "Huang River" branch did not end there. On the day of the start of the Tết offensive, January 31, 1968, it was the young fighters who brought North Vietnamese soldiers to the city. They sneaked out of Huế and became leaders of the communist troops. Thanks to them, the surprise of the units stationed in the city was complete.
Though all the girls could wield weapons, they did not fight alone for the first week of the assault. “They carried the wounded to the infirmary and provided food and supplies. However, as the counterattack intensified and the losses grew, they had to join the fight, ”reports the author of Huế 1968. Vietnam in Blood. Che Thi Mung was sent to a football stadium where she was first presented with the American M1 semi-automatic rifle and later with the AK-47.
As many as six of the eleven members of the squad died in the month-long battles for Huế, which ultimately ended in victory for the South and the Americans. Che herself was injured. As Bowden writes, "she went into battle with great hopes, but now the more experienced soldiers told her that she did better than anyone expected ". Indeed - did anyone suspect that so much would depend on a small group of women?
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Trivia is the essence of our website. Short materials devoted to interesting anecdotes, surprising details from the past, strange news from the old press. Reading that will take you no more than 3 minutes, based on single sources. This particular material is based on the book:
- Mark Bowden, Huế 1968. Vietnam in blood, 2019 Poznań Publishing House.