page_title: 1968 in the Vietnam War
section_title: April
hierarchical_section_title: 1968 in the Vietnam War / April
caption_attribution_description: English: Operation Pegasus U.S. Marines stand by the road leading through Khe Sanh as members of Company "B", 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 3rd Brigade, pass on their way to Hill 680.
context_page_description: The year 1968 saw major developments in the Vietnam War. The military operations started with an attack on a US base by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong on January 1, ending a truce declared by the Pope and agreed upon by all sides. At the end of January, the PAVN and VC launched the Tet Offensive.
  Hanoi erred monumentally in its certainty that the offensive would trigger a supportive uprising of the population. PAVN/VC troops throughout the South, from Hue to the Mekong Delta, attacked in force for the first time in the war, but to devastating cost as the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and American troops killed close to 37,000 of the ill-supported enemy in less than a month for losses of 3,700 and 7,600 respectively. These reversals on the battlefield failed to register on the American home front, however and fueled what would ultimately prove to be a propaganda victory for Hanoi.
  U.S. troop numbers peaked in 1968 with President Johnson approving an increased maximum number of U.S. troops in Vietnam at 549,500. The year was the most expensive in the Vietnam War with the American spending US$77.4 billion on the war.
context_section_description: 1 April
  U.S. aircraft ceased attacking North Vietnam north of the 20th parallel, an area which included Hanoi and Haiphong. Missions would continue for the remainder of the country, between the 17th parallel and 20th parallel.
  1-14 April
  In Operation Pegasus the 1st Cavalry Division relieved the Marines at Khe Sanh.
  2 April
  North Vietnam's official government radio station broadcast that "The North Vietnamese government declares its readiness to send its representatives to make contact with U.S. representatives to decide with the U.S. side the unconditional cessation of bombing and all other war acts... so that talks could begin."
  8 April – 31 May
  Operation Toan Thang I was a US and ARVN operation conducted between 8 April 1968 and 31 May 1968. Toan Thang, or "Complete Victory", was part of a reaction to the Tet Offensive designed to put pressure on the PAVN/VC. The PAVN/VC lost 7,645 killed and 1,708 captured for the loss of 762 ARVN and 564 U.S. killed.
  8 April - 11 November
  Operation Burlington Trail was a security operation conducted by the U.S. 198th Infantry Brigade in Quảng Nam Province. The operation resulted in 1,931 VC and 129 U.S. killed.
  10 April
  A 250-man PAVN force attempted to block Route 19 west of Landing Zone Schueller. A reaction force from the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment at Schueller was called forward and quickly overwhelmed the PAVN ambushers some of whom retreated to a nearby hill where they were assaulted by the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment. The engagement resulted in 1 U.S. and 40 PAVN killed.
  The Anderson Platoon won the 1967 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film by Pierre Schoendoerffer followed a platoon of the 1st Cavalry Division in September and October 1966. 
  15 April - 28 February 1969
  Following the relief of Khe Sanh the 3rd Marine Division began Operation Scotland II in the area round Khe Sanh. The operation continued until February 28 1969 and results in 3,304 PAVN killed and 435 Marines killed.
  19-26 April
  Operation Baxter Garden was a harvest security operation on the Phu Thu peninsula by the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines supported by two ARVN battalions. The operation resulted in 55 PAVN/VC and 13 Marines killed.
  19 April – 17 May
  Operation Delaware was a military operation in the A Shau Valley, an important PAVN logistics corridor and base area. American and South Vietnamese had not been present in the area since the Battle of A Shau, when a Special Forces camp located there was overrun. The PAVN lost 869 killed while the U.S. lost 142 killed and 47 missing and the ARVN lost 26 killed.
  24 April
  The positions of the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines at Wunder Beach were mistakenly hit by 11-15 rounds of 5" naval gunfire from USS Mullany killing two Marines.
  27 April
  U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey formally announced that he would seek the Democratic Party nomination to run for President of the United States.
  30 April – 3 May
  Battle of Dai Do the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines and the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, fight a pitched, hand-to-hand battle with two full-strength battalions of the PAVN 320th Division. The Marines suffer 50% casualties with 81 killed, while the PAVN lose more than 600 men killed. "E" Co & "F" Co Commanders are each awarded the Medal of Honor, while 2/4th Marines Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Weise is awarded the Navy Cross.
caption: Marines watch as Cavalry deploy during Operation Pegasus
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