shock of the Tet offensive,” he wrote. “In the months ahead . . . it promises to become the real pivot factor.”15 To counteract this psychological blow, Lansdale wanted the South Vietnamese government to stage a public relations “campaign built around the battle-cry of ‘Remember Hue!’ ” modeled on American slogans such as “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember the Maine.” President Thieu admitted that Lansdale’s idea “had merit,” given popular outrage over Vietcong massacres of civilians in Hue, but did not implement it.16 It would be Hanoi, not Saigon, that would reap the psychological benefits
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