The Battle of Khe Sanh
77 days of combat in Vietnam
The Battle of Khe Sanh was one of the longest and most controversial battles of the Vietnam War. Taking place in early 1968, the battle lasted 77 days and resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 soldiers, both Vietnamese and American. For years after the war, historians and veterans debated whether or not the battle was a turning point in the war.
The Battle of Khe Sanh began on January 21, 1968, when North Vietnamese forces launched a series of attacks on American-held strongholds in the region surrounding Khe Sanh. Americans didn’t expect the attacks. A retreat was ordered to the base at Khe Sanh. The North Vietnamese then laid siege to the base, cutting off all supply lines and subjecting the Americans to nearly constant bombardment.
For weeks, it looked like the North Vietnamese were going to succeed in overrunning Khe Sanh. However, in early March 1968, American forces began a series of counterattacks that eventually drove the North Vietnamese back. Eventually, American forces claimed Khe Sanh. However, it came at a high cost. More than 10,000 people were killed in the fighting.
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About the Founder
Ken Korkow was raised in a ranching and rodeo family and entered the Marine Corps when he was 18. He lived through the 77-day siege of Khe Sanh which was the longest and most deadly battle of the Vietnam War. When blown up, the two fellow Marines that pulled him out both thought he wouldn’t live. Later, a doctor said, “You may as well accept this, you’re never going to walk or use your hands again!” Ken married Liz while he was still in the military hospital and neither of them knew how much Ken had changed. After his medical discharge from the military the governor of his home state named a day in Ken’s honor as the state’s most highly decorated Vietnam Veteran.
