50 years after key Vietnam battles, Mattis seeks closer ties
A half-century after the Tet Offensive punctured American hopes of victory in Vietnam, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is visiting the former enemy in search of a different kind of win: incremental progress as partners in a part of the world the Pentagon has identified as vital for the United States to compete with China and Russia.
Mattis, a retired general who entered the Marine Corps during Vietnam but did not serve there, departed Washington on Sunday for an initial two-day stop in Indonesia, followed by a visit to Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday for talks with senior government and military leaders.
