more tonnage dropped in khe sahn. >> carpet bombing. laid a carpet of devastation a half mile wide to a mile loog and anything on the ground had to be destroyed. >> what was the effect on morale. >> you hear the marines cheering on top of their bunkers. get some. typically with their covers off looking skrag gily, beat up, worn, unshaven, unkempbt. >> you feel like robert duvall felt like victory. we talked about b-52 strikes. >> here in iraq, the enemy uses propaganda to entice people to kill americans. just like the north vieieieieie >>> late january of '68 the siege at khe sahn was big news back home in the newpapers and television every night. while the world was watching the battle at khe sahn, the north i vietnamese army and vietcong were slipping into position elsewhere. >> all of a sudden tet broke out. >> january 31st, they simultaneously attacked city after city across south vietnam. it was the tet offensive taking place in tet, vietnam's new year's holiday. traditionally a time of truce. the vietcong were beaten back and lost

the siege of khe sahn. that's next on "war stories." >>> here in northwest iraq, american troops are fighting the war on terror and helicopter gunships such as this armed uh-1-234 are essential for the troops fighting a fe moeshs adversary. 1968 half a world away, this aircraft's predecessors supported 6,000 marines and soldiers in the northwest corner of another country. vietnam. vastly outnumbered, the americans stood firm for 77 days enduring unrelentless attacks, heavy casualties and dwindling suppliee. it's a story i know well because i was a rifle platoon commander on a ridge overlooking khe sahn not long after the siege. tonight, those who lived throug% the hell of the siege at khe sa sahn. u.s. military action in vietnam was near the peak in early 1968. american troops strength passed the half million mark and the hum ber of americans killed in action soared to nearly 20,000. at home, protests against the war were bigger and louder. >> american helicopters are used to transport the south vietnam tro