In this Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, photo, veteran spy Hoang Thi No holds up a photo of all-female "Perfume River squad" in Hue, Vietnam. Vietnam on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, a tactical setback for the northern troops but a strategic turning point of the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
The Associated Press
HUE, Vietnam (AP) - Communist veterans of Vietnam's 1968 Tet Offensive are marking the anniversary of the audacious attacks that turned the tide of the war.
They include women from an 11-member Perfume River Squad whose work was crucial to paving the way for an attack on the city of Hue, where the fighting against the South Vietnamese and their U.S. allies raged for a month.
Hoang Thi No says, "Once we had a strong ideology, we could do anything." She and her comrades were part of a mobilization of as many as 80,000 fighters who launched simultaneous attacks on more than 100 cities, towns and U.S. military bases.
Militarily it was a failure, but the offensive marked a turning point in the war because it punctured American hopes of certain and swift victory.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, photo, veteran spy Hoang Thi No places incenses at the memorial of all-female "Perfume River squad" in Hue, Vietnam. Vietnam on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, a tactical setback for the northern troops but a strategic turning point of the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, photo, veteran spy Hoang Thi No pays respects in front of the memorial of all-female "Perfume River squad" in Hue, Vietnam. Vietnam on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, a tactical setback for the northern troops but a strategic turning point of the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, photo, veteran spy Hoang Thi No stands in front of the memorial of all-female "Perfume River squad" in Hue, Vietnam. Vietnam on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, a tactical setback for the northern troops but a strategic turning point of the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
The Associated Press
Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Cong Thanh adjusts his medals on the chest in Hue, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. Vietnam on Wednesday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, a tactical setback for the northern troops but a strategic turning point of the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
The Associated Press
Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Cong Thanh stands in front of a commemorative poster in Hue, Vietnam, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. Vietnam on Wednesday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, a tactical setback for the northern troops but a strategic turning point of the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
The Associated Press