 In April and May 1967 various " Hill <unk> " on Hills <unk> , 881 North and 881 South between the 2 / 9 Marines and <unk> occurred . In January 1968 , Khe Sanh Combat Base came under heavy attack in what is known as the Battle of Khe Sanh . The main objective of the Communists was to draw off American troops into the countryside in preparation for the <unk> Offensive . Despite being outnumbered , 2nd Battalion , 9th Marines held their ground and the North Vietnamese were driven off of the area around after experiencing heavy casualties by heavy aerial bombardments by B @-@ <unk> . 
