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Communists In HueEnd Of Line'SAIGON (UPl)—U.S. Merinos fighting toot by bloodsoaked foot today captured a Viet Cong watch tower on the southeastern corner of. Hue's old Imperial Ciiy and ran up the Ainerlean flag in a signal that the end was near for the diehard Communist defenders.The Leathernecks—reinforce* ments who arrived by iKdieopter Wednesday—charged tills final 150 yards through the suicidal Viet Cong defenders on Hid heels of bombing runs that bathed their last enemy holdout area in flaming napalm and the smoke of 500 pound bombs.• “The echo of the bombs was still ringing in this place when they radioed back that they had the tower/’ a Marine spokesman reported.Costly AdvanceThe advance in this bloodiest bat lie of the Vietnam war was costly. The fighting at Hue also added to last week’s recordfigure of 543 Americans killed fn action—'18,239 since the United States entered Vietnam, Communist losses for the week were estimated at 36,000.A Marine spokesman estimated today that no. more than 260 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops remained alive in Ihp walled Tnmnrinl flitv thatNorth Vietnamese broadcasting station Wednesday,At Hue, 400 miles north of Saigonf Oliver, reported the North Vietnamese ' fought desperately to hold the Marines behind the wall in which the guerrillas had dug sniper holes and macluncgim nests.lie said streams of firo cut into the charging Marines. The Communists also downed a light two-mnu observation plane spotting for ihe U.S. Jets that bombed the Communists and sploshed napalm over their positions..Oliver reported Marines scrambled atop the battered watch tower on the southeastern wall of the Citadel and hoisted the U.S. flag.Through the orange napalm flames, the tattered Viet Cong flag which the North Vlelna-nie'so have been flying over lino since Jan. 30 still could be seon Happing hi the breeze.“Dammit, i’d like to get that thing down/* said Brig. Gen. Foster C. Lahue, commander of Ihe Lenlherneck task force in Hue.Lab no’s Marines and South Vietnamese troops spun from the main battle sceno and chased snipers. The snipers, nested along the Perfume JUvcrloaded with 10,600 gallons of fuel Wednesday night.There was no immediate word on the number of persons aboard the tanker.In Saigon's suburbs, U.S. Army 25ih Infantry Division troops reported killing at least 15 Communists in a daylong fight Wednesday just to the northwest. A senior American official said there was. little doubt the Communists would try to reieat their Jan.’ 30' invasion of tho capital and there wore signs the guerrillas were coming aimed with a new and powerful rocket. - *The senior official said the main body of Communists in'* the capital area in the past 10 days has moved closer against Saigon. U.S. estimates of ,Uio approaching foreo run up to 15,000 men.“I feel they obviously ore up to soniclliing, otherwise the $ would have withdrawn to their base areas by now/1 the official said.Much of tho Iwo-squarc-mJto Citadel in lino has long been in allied hands, recaptured sinco tho Jan, 31 invasion. But tho-Communis Is had nestled into. the rubble of the southern end, in Hie old palaco area near tho south wall. Today the Marines
Newspaper Details
Canandaigua Daily Messenger
Canandaigua, New York, US
Thu, Feb 22, 1968
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Paul M.
NY, USA 15 Oct 2020
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