become a major part of president johnson s legacy. a bloody battle rages in the center. vietnam north vietnamese were infinitely patient. it turns out now that we know more about their internal thinking by 1967, they had become very inpatient because things are going very badly for them. they are taking crippling losses from the americans. so they decide something has got to change. on january 31st hanoi put its plan into motion. just after midnight, the north vietnamese launched a surprise attack against nearly every provincial capital and major is i city in south vietnam. north vietnamese tanks, troop carriers and all the trappings of a regular army. by fighting a conventional type conflict, it actually worked to our strength because this is the kind of war that we are really good at. the united states can t always cope with counter insurgency but