Lieutenant General Ron Christmas (Ret.) presented a first-hand account of the Battle of Hue City. In 1968 the North Vietnamese and their Viet Cong allies staged attacks across South Vietnam during the Tet holiday, including an assault on Hué, the old imperial capital. The offensive ended in crippling military defeat for the attackers, and yet the strength of their assault led to a political setback for the United States, as critics at home gained traction and public support for the war eroded. Lieutenant General Christmas was a company commander during the battle, in which he was seriously wounded. He illustrated his lecture with slides. Topics included the challenges of urban warfare and civilians in the conflict zone. He responded to questions from members of the audience.

This event of the Banner Lecture series was held at noon on August 20, 2009, as part of the Virginia Historical Society commemoration of the Vietnam War era.