Khe Sanh Battle Scene  (Khe Sanh, Vietnam)

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This "photo of a photo" was taken in Khe Sanh, site of one of the bloodiest and most controversial battles of the Vietnam War. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) attack on the US military base in Khe Sanh, just seven kilometers from the country's border with Laos, began in January 1968 and lasted for 75 days. While most would agree that the attack was a tactical failure for the NVA, some consider Khe Sanh a strategic victory for the North. At issue is whether the attack was intentionally diversionary in nature. Just a week after the siege of Khe Sanh began, the Tet Offensive - often considered the turning point in the war (though it too was ultimately a tactical defeat for North Vietnam) - was launched. By focusing US forces and commanders on Khe Sanh, the NVA diverted attention away from population centers in South Vietnam.

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