Khe Sanh 1967–68: Marines battle for Vietnam’s vital hilltop base

Osprey Campaign #150

by Gordon L. Rottman, Peter Dennis (Illustrator)

Khe Sanh was a small village in northwest South Vietnam that sat astride key North Vietnamese infiltration routes. In September 1966 of the Vietnam War (1955-1975), a Marine battalion deployed into the area. Action gradually increased as the NVA attempted to destroy Free World Forces bases, and the siege of Khe Sanh proper began in October 1967. The bitter fight lasted into July 1968 when, with the changing strategic and tactical situation, the base was finally closed. This book details the siege and explains how, although the NVA successfully overran a Special Forces camp nearby, it was unable to drive US forces from Khe Sanh.

Genres: History, Military History, American History, War, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2005

About the author

Gordon L. Rottman served for 26 years in the US Army in Special Forces, airborne infantry, long-range reconnaissance patrol, and military intelligence assignments in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve. He has worked as a Special Operations Forces scenario writer for 14 years at the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana where he developed training exercises for Special Forces.
Gordon began writing military history books in 1984 and is currently a full-time author. He has written 50 books for Osprey. He is married with four children and lives in Cypress, Texas.

Reviews

[Al Lock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry but comprehensive coverage of what happened at Khe Sanh and Lang Vei from the Hill Battles in 1967 through the loss of Lang Vei and the siege on Khe Sanh to its relief. Good maps on the area, the layout of the base, etc. as well as a good order of battle. Do not expect any information on the individuals involved. It gives a good overview.

[Samuel Steffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect account of the battle and the Marines heroic defense.

[Bruinrefugee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent (short) introduction to the fighting at Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War. As a siege, the book relates very little of the day-to-day combat, but does a good job putting the whole siege into context.

[Teufel Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting reading, never knew that LBJ considered using nukes in the battle.