Vietnam War Facts:
Many U.S. leaders labored under the delusion that Vietnam was a small country and could be easily controlled. In fact, Vietnam is nearly the size of Germany and has a huge population.
Television broadcasts of battles and general conditions in Vietnam played a large role in souring U.S. public opinion on the conflict.
The number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War is 58,220. The number of MIA/POW at the war's end was 2,646, and as of January 2018, 1,601 soldiers remain unaccounted for.
The Tet Offensive, which began January 30, 1968, was the largest offensive of the Vietnam War. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces began a coordinated series of attacks against key South Vietnamese targets on the Vietnamese new year.
