USS Hue City Memorial Set

The guest speaker at this year's ceremony, marking the 40th anniversary of what has been called by many the fiercest battle of the Vietnam War, is Mr. Nicholas Warr, who served as a second lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division as a Platoon Commander, and awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Combat Action Ribbon and Presidential Unit Citation for his participation in Operation "Hue City" during the Tet Offensive in 1968. Additionally, Warr wrote a book about his experience as a Platoon Commander during the fighting inside the Citadel Fortress of Hue, Phase Line Green, the Battle for Hue, 1968.

The Battle of Hue began Jan. 31, 1968, during the Vietnamese holiday of Tet when the North Vietnamese Army launched an all-out offensive against the United States and Republic of Vietnam forces throughout South Vietnam. One target of the attack was the ancient Vietnamese imperial city of Hue. U.S. Marines immediately launched a counter-offensive called Operation Hue City. The ensuing struggle for Hue resulted in a significant American victory.

USS Hue City, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, is the only ship named after a battle of the Vietnam War. Each year, near the anniversary of the Battle of Hue, Hue City holds a memorial service to honor the Marines who fought at Hue and to remember those who gave their lives there. Veterans of the battle from across the country have been invited to attend the memorial service.