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Vietnam is a collection of memories that, at times, seem strange and distant for those Marines who served there. Memories of Vietnam are kept buried deep, where they stay a safe distance from the day-to-day reality of the present. But there are those moments when reality becomes another time, another place and another existence-a certain shade of light in the late afternoon, a smell or a sound, and suddenly, the memories come crashing back with full tone, tint and color. Of all the battles and struggles in Vietnam, the mention of one place can bring those memories back in a sudden flash-the city of Hue.
Time spent in Hue during the Tet Offensive of 1968 meant enduring the neverending rain. Day after day, it kept you wet, cold and miserable. The weather often kept the city covered in a mist. Adding to the misery was the smell of smoke from the hundreds of fires, mortars, artillery shells, tear gas and the dead.
The Battle of Hue City was vicious combat in a built-up area, a deadly fight within a major city. Marines who came to fight in Hue were experts in the triple-tiered jungles and rice paddies. Those Marines were experienced, combat hardened and as good as any who had worn the uniform. Hue City, however, was something very new and very different. Marines had not fought in a major city since 1950, when they took Seoul after the famous Inchon landings.
Hue was a heartbreaker. It was a deadly experience that you learned to deal with quickly or suffered for your mistakes. It was a fight that went from house to house, room to room, floor to floor and street to street. You often had to be trigger-quick or perish. Spotting an enemy soldier moments before he saw you through a door or window kept you alive. At times, it was a battle fought for movement in inches. It was as savage a fight as can be imagined. It was also the Marines' longest battle during the Tet Offensive. If you served there, the name Hue can bring back flashes of pain, sadness, loss and the soul-deep pride that combat Marines always feel for each other.
The Beginning
Hue always has been the cultural...