4fultonvietnam

By lfulton

  • Dien Bien Phu

    Mountain battle site in Vietnam where Nationalists attacked allied French troops, convincing them they could not maintain their Indochinese colonies. French commander orders his troops to cease fire. Battle lasted 55 days. Many troops on both sides were killed or wounded, the Viet Minh suffering worse, but coming out in victory

  • Creation of the Ho Chi Minh trail

    The route along the Vietnamese/Cambodian border that the specialized North Vietnamese Army unit, Group 559, formed to create a supply route to forces in South Vietnam.

  • United States becomes actively involved

    JFK ordered more help for South Vietnam, which meant new equiptment and more that 3,000 military advisors and support personnel. Sent American helicopters and 400 U.S personnel who will fly and maintain the aircraft

  • Operation Rangeland

    Operation Ranchhand's goal is to clear vegitation alongside highways, making it more difficult for the Vietcong to conceal themselves for ambushes. "Agent Orange," a deadly herbicide, is introduced. Enemy areas are exposed, and crops that might feed Vietcong units are destroyed.

  • Gulf of Tonkin Attack

    South Vietnamese commandos attack two North Vietnamese islands in the Gulf of Tonkin. On August 4, 1964, American jets bomb two naval bases and destro a major oil facility under orders of President Johnson

  • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

    The U.S. congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Johnson power to defend southeast Asia by anything he sees necessary.

  • Rolling Thunder Begins

    A limited but long lasting bombing offensive. It was to get North Vietnam to stop supporting Vietcong guerrillas in the South. First bombing raids on March 2, 1965. Lasted 3 and a half years until November 1, 1968

  • U.S offers peace for evonomic aid proposal

    North Vietnam rejects the offer from the U.S of peace for econmic aid. Johnson sends in more troops in response

  • President Johnson commits over 60,000 troops to Vietnam

    In response to North Vietnam's rejection to his proposal for economic aid in return for peace, Johnson rsends 60,000 American troops to South Vietnam and allied forces from Korea and Australia are added as a sign of international support.

  • First major battle of Vietnam War for American Units

    General William Westmoreland leads the first offensive operation by American ground forces in Vietnam, partially in NLF territory

  • Operation Junction City

    240 helicopters sweep over Tay Ninh province to destroy Vietcong bases and the military headquarters. Only lasts 72 days

  • Khe Sanh attacked by Vietcong

    elements of three NVA divisions bomb the Marine base at Khe Sanh. intiial attack lasts another 2 days

  • Tet Offensive Begins

    Vietchongs invade over 100 cities and towns. Left many killed, wounded, or homeless and created more than half a million civilian refugees.

  • Mt Lai massacre

    U.S Charlie Company kills about two hundred civilians. Repercussions are felt throughout the Army. Such acts undid the benefit of countless hours of civic action by Army units and individual soldiers and raised unsettling questions about the conduct of the war.

  • Niixon takes office

    Nixon is the new President of the United States. He promises to achieve "Peace With Honor" in Vietnam. He wants to negotiate a settlement to get the half million U.S. troops in Vietnam withdrawn, while still allowing South Vietnam to survive.

  • Operation Menu

    Bombing North Vietnamese and Vietcong bases in Cambodia. Ended with over half a million tons of bombs on Cambodia over a course of 4 years

  • All but 133,000 US troops have come home

    Since taking office, President Nixon has been trying to withdraw the US troops from Vietnam. He has gotten many of them out of there so far, just 133,000 left

  • Peace talks break down

    In Paris, peace talks between the North Vietnamese and the Americans breakdown.

  • Peace talks resume

    North Vietnam and the United States resume peace talks in Paris.

  • Cease Fire Signed

    Everyone involved in the Vietnam War sign a cease fire

  • Nixon resigns

    Nixon resigns, leaving South Vietnam without its strongest advocate.

  • Last Casualties for the US and final evacuation

    Two U.S. Marines are killed in a rocket attack at Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airport, the last Americans to die in the Vietnam War. The last Marines of the force guarding the U.S. embassy lift off at dawn and only hours later, the same embassy is ransacked. In 15 years, nearly a million NVA and Vietcong troops and a quarter of a million South Vietnamese soldiers have died. Hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed.