South Viet Nam: A Matter of Time?

As U.S. air strikes to the North mounted in fury last week, the Viet Cong were moving closer and closer to control of the whole top third of South Viet Nam. An atmosphere of siege prevailed in Hue, South Viet Nam's third largest city, where the population dared not leave the city limits. From Quinhon to the 17th parallel, the countryside swarmed with cocky Viet Cong units—some operating in battalion and regiment strength, many now openly wearing olive-drab uniforms and fatigue hats rather than the civilian-style black "pajamas" that once gave them military invisibility.

Within the past month, hard-core Viet...

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