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Whether the PAVN actually planned to capture Khe Sanh or the battle was an attempt to replicate the Việt Minh triumph against the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu has long been a point of contention. Westmoreland believed that the latter was the case, and his belief was the basis for his desire to stage "Dien Bien Phu in reverse."
It was the site of the Battle of Khe Sanh in early-1968, one of the bloodiest engagements of the Vietnam War. Khe Sanh was the location of a US Marine base, so it was often attacked by Viet Cong guerrillas as well as North Vietnamese regulars The district is mountainous and rugged, and is around 20 km to the east of the border with Laos.
On 20 April operational control of the Khe Sanh area passed to the 3rd Marine Regiment. [1]: 35 On 22 April 1967 SLF Bravo comprising 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines supported by HMM-164 had commenced Operation Beacon Star on the southern part of the Street Without Joy straddling Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Provinces against the Vietcong (VC) 6th Regiment and 810th and 812th Battalions.
Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, [1] located 63 km west of Đông Hà. During the Vietnam War, the Khe Sanh Combat Base was located to the north of the city. The Battle of Khe Sanh took place there. The Khe Sanh Combat Base is a museum where relics of the war are exhibited.
The Division played a supporting role in the Battle of Khe Sanh, largely tasked with keeping Route 9 from Ca Lu to the Khe Sanh Combat Base closed. [3]: 64 On 24 January 1968 elements of the 320th ambushed a Marine convoy between Dong Ha and Camp Carroll and then ambushed the relief force from the 2nd Battalion 9th Marines killing nine Marines.
There is a small museum on the site of the old Khe Sanh Combat Base. Items on display include a Bell UH-1H Huey, Boeing CH-47 Chinook, M41 Walker Bulldog tank and artillery pieces. On display in the museum are various small arms together with photos from the battles around Khe Sanh and also Operation Lam Son 719.
Operation Crockett was an operation during the Vietnam War conducted by the United States Marine Corps against People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces around Khe Sanh Combat Base in northwest Quảng Trị Province that took place from 13 May to 16 July 1967.
In 1971, Khe Sanh was reactivated by the U.S. Army (Operation Dewey Canyon II) to support Operation Lam Son 719, the South Vietnamese invasion of Laos. On the night of 23 March a PAVN sapper attack on Khe Sanh resulted in 3 Americans killed and several aircraft and 2 ammunition dumps destroyed, PAVN losses were 14 killed and 1 captured. [4]