The Siege of Khe Sanh, Vietnam: 77 Days of Hell

Khe Sanh Combat Base, also known as Ta Con, was a US Marine Corps outpost situated just south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Perched on a plateau near the Laotian border and surrounded by dense jungle and rugged hills, it served as a defensive outpost to prevent North Vietnamese Army (NVA) incursions into South Vietnam. During the Vietnam War (1954–1975; a major proxy war of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States (US)), it was the site of one of the fiercest battles.

Marines crouching in a trench at Khe Sanh, anticipating the next enemy assault

Trapped and Outnumbered

As early as mid-1967, US intelligence detected growing NVA activity near Khe Sanh, and by December reports confirmed a major buildup. On 20 January 1968, nearly 20,000 NVA soldiers emerged from the jungle and encircled the Khe Sanh base, cutting off all land supply routes, thus laying siege to the base.

NVA gunners pounded Khe Sanh with relentless artillery fire, destroying bunkers, trenches, and supply depots. Americans, outnumbered but determined, held their ground, calling in airstrikes and returning fire with mortars and small arms. NVA snipers and bombardments made every movement above the ground risky—the terrain turned into a battlefield of fire and shrapnel.

Photos reveal US Marines pinned down, running for cover, diving into trenches, and pressing against the earth as artillery, rockets and mortars rained down relentlessly.

Despite the siege, the US Marines and their South Vietnamese allies resisted wave after wave of attacks. As reinforcements were unable to reach them by land, air support became their only lifeline.

Fire from Above

In response, the US military launched Operation Niagara, an intense bombing campaign to weaken the NVA’s assault. B-52 bombers dropped thousands of tons of explosives, turning the surrounding jungle into scorched wasteland. Fighter jets strafed enemy positions, giving temporary relief to the besieged troops.

The NVA dug tunnels, moved under the cover of darkness, and launched surprise attacks. The battle raged in the trenches, within ruined bunkers, and through thick mud—unrelenting on both sides.

Surviving the Siege

The siege tested the endurance of the US Marines. Supplies dwindled. Ammunition was rationed. Food grew scarce. Helicopters attempting resupply missions were shot down—seven were lost in flames before reaching their targets.

For 9 days, many troops went without food. Some resorted to eating leaves so they could stretch their rations. Dehydration set in, further weakening the exhausted soldiers. Survival became a matter of ingenuity and willpower.

On foggy nights they gathered water drop by drop from condensation by spreading plastic sheets—water just enough to fill a couple of small cans per night. It did not quench their thirst, but it kept them alive.

Lips cracked, muscles ached, exhaustion weighed heavily—yet they endured.

Birth of Super Gaggle

As traditional resupply missions proved too dangerous, the Americans devised a new strategy: the Super Gaggle —a coordinated aerial and artillery strike to suppress enemy fire just long enough for their helicopters to land. Jets hit first, dropping bombs and napalm on NVA positions, followed by artillery. Under the cover of smoke and chaos, the helicopters swooped in like a flock of geese—hence the name ‘Super Gaggle’.

They had just 20 seconds to land.

CH-46 helicopters, each carrying 4000-pound external loads, flew in tight convoy formations towards Khe Sanh to deliver critical supplies to besieged marines

A C-130 plane braving enemy fire to air-drop vital supplies to the embattled marines

In those precious moments, the Americans rushed to unloaded ammunition, food, and medical supplies and evacuated the wounded. Every second counted. The moment the helicopters lifted off, enemy mortars pounded again.

The Longest 77 Days

For 77 days, Khe Sanh was a crucible of fire and fury. Sleep was a luxury; every hour brought new dangers. Both sides suffered heavy casualties.

But as the siege dragged on, the tide shifted. The relentless US airstrikes and mounting losses took a huge toll on the NVA, and from 8 April 1968, they began to withdraw, retreating into the jungle, leaving behind wreckage and abandoned trenches. The siege was over.

The Cost of Holding Nothing

The battle came at a staggering cost to both sides. Although the Americans still held the Khe Sanh base, it soon became a point of contention. In a controversial move, the US forces abandoned the base in July 1968, leaving behind a battlefield steeped in sacrifice.

The siege of Khe Sanh was one of the most harrowing battles of the Vietnam War. Although the jungle has now reclaimed much of the land, for those who fought here, the memories of fire, hunger, and survival endure.

My Visit to Vietnam’s Former DMZ

In March 2025, I visited Vietnam’s former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a narrow strip of land that once divided the country into two separate countries: North and South Vietnam.

Partition after the 1955 Geneva Agreement

The DMZ was created 70 years ago after the 1954 Geneva Agreement, which ended the French colonial rule and split Vietnam into two parts temporarily, with plans for elections in 1956 to reunite the country. However, the South, supported by the US, feared the North’s communist leader, Ho Chi Minh, would win, and hence refused to participate. As Cold War tensions grew, both sides were pushed into battle instead of peace; thus, what was meant to be a short break became a long, brutal war.

Standing on the bridge over the Ben Hai River, where history's fault line divided a nation into two

By 1975, when the war ended, only 11 of 3500 villages in Quang Tri Province remained standing. Today, the landscape has transformed—museums, monuments, rubber plantations, and coffee farms cover the land scarred by battle.

Before the war, dense forests and wildlife thrived here, including tigers. Ethnic minorities built their homes on stilts to protect themselves from the big cats. But war changed everything. Bombs and defoliants like Agent Orange destroyed the forests and wiped out the tigers.

The Khe Sanh Combat Base has now been preserved as a museum. Walking through the remains, I saw trenches, where soldiers once took cover rusted tanks left to decay, and artefacts—old photographs, weapons, personal belongings—from both American and Vietnamese troops.

Walking through the trenches, where fierce battles once raged

Outside, the old airstrip stretched before me, a stark reminder of the chaos that once unfolded here. I imagined the roar of helicopters, the frantic medics tending to the wounded, and the fear of attacks. Not long ago, unexploded ordnance still littered this area. Over time, most were dug up and either scrapped or sold as souvenirs. Even now, war relics continue to surface from the red soil—a local guide offered to sell me some soldier badges.

A reconstructed bunker offering visitors a glimpse into the harsh conditions of Khe Sanh during war

Inside a trench, where marines took cover, enduring relentless artillery fire in a desperate fight for survival

Inside an empty bunker, with its damp walls and worn sandbags—a haunting reminder of the war

To help visitors understand the past, new bunkers have been built; however, they are not entirely accurate—some even sit on the old runway. A few original concrete revetments still overlook the valley. Over the years, the government has added tanks, armoured vehicles, and planes, making it one of the country’s most well-equipped war museums.

A CH-46 helicopter that once flew high-risk Super Gaggle missions

A weathered C-130 Hercules, a reminder of the dangerous resupply missions

A once-mighty tank, now a lifeless relic

Reflections at Khe Sanh

Standing at the Khe Sanh Combat Base, I took in the vast, quiet landscape, once a battlefield teeming with chaos and destruction. The hills, once scarred by craters and trenches, are now softened with green. The silence was almost unsettling, knowing what had happened here almost 60 years ago.

The haunting lyrics of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” echoed in my mind—a song of disillusionment, loss, and the lasting wounds of war.

Got in a little hometown jam

So they put a rifle in my hand

Sent me off to a foreign land

To go and kill the yellow man.

Springsteen’s words have captured the painful reality of many young American soldiers then—teenagers barely out of high school, pulled from small towns and drafted into a war they did not fully understand. For them, Vietnam was not about political ideologies or Cold War strategies; it was about survival. They were sent to places like Khe Sanh, where life or death often came down to luck—where a single step outside the trenches could mean instant death from artillery fire, snipers, or booby traps.

War not only devastates those who fight in it; it shatters entire ways of life. Homes were burned, families torn apart, villages caught in the crossfire. The North fought for reunification, the South, for survival, and millions of civilians were caught in between with no choice but to endure the destruction.

A victim of Agent Orange (a chemical herbicide and defoliant)

Today, Khe Sanh is quiet. The forests have reclaimed much of the land. The people have rebuilt. But just as Springsteen’s lyrics remind us, the past never fades; the memories remain—in the soil, in the stories of those who lived through it, and in the lessons left behind. The war may be over, but its echoes still linger.

Tips for Visitors

• Best time to visit: February–August, during dry season

• It takes about 2.5 hours by car from Hue.

• Book a guided tour or private taxi from Hue.

• Carry a water bottle to stay hydrated.

• Wear light clothing and sturdy shoes.

• The visit will take 1–2 hours, depending on your interest.

• Visit the museum to learn about the battle and the role of Khe Sanh Combat Base.

• Take a walk through the various bunkers and trenches used by the US Marines.

• Open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.