The 45th anniversary of the TET Offensive during the Vietnam War was recognized in Brownwood City Council on Tuesday morning.

Patrick Reilly, US Marine Corps Retired and 1st Sgt. Fred Hudgeons received the proclamation read by Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes at Tuesday’s meeting of the council. Pictured above left to right are Reilly, Hudgeons and Mayor Haynes.

The proclamation recognized that January 30, 2013 marked the 45th anniversary of the launching of the TET Offensive, and that “it is only fitting to remember the 7500 American military personnel made the ultimate sacrifice during those harrowing weeks and months.”

It further gives the account of the offensive as follows:

In the early morning hours of January 30, 1968, in violation of the lunar New Year truce, 84,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops launched the massive TET Offensive, attacking 105 cities and towns throughout South Vietnam.

On January 31st, the bloodiest day of America’s longest war, 246 Americans were killed and over 2,000 wounded in a twenty-four hour period.

The attacks were eventually repelled and the Viet Cong were effectively destroyed as a fighting force, the TET Offensive cost more than 50,000 lives, including over 14,000 civilians and 3,895 American soldiers with 543 casualties suffered during a week in mid-February alone.

Nearly half a century later, the courage commanded by American troops during the TET Offensive continues to exemplify the highest standards of bravery, which is worthy of the remembrance and honor by the country they served.

The City of Brownwood urges all citizens to pay tribute to the veterans of the TET Offensive and to recognize their extraordinary contributions to our nation’s history.