10/14/1968: 24,000 Sent Back to Vietnam for 2nd Tours

The U.S. Department of Defense announces that 24,000 troops from the Army and the Marines will be sent back to Vietnam for involuntary second tours. This was due to the high troop turnover and the scarce supply of soldiers for what was proving to be a long war with very high personnel requirements: by January 31st 1969 there would be 539,800 (i.e. half a million) U.S. military men and women stationed in South Vietnam. This was a very unpopular decision, badly impacting morale.