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Dien Bien Phu
Vietemese occupy French command post. The French call for a cease fire after a 55 day battle. French troop casualties were 3,000 along with 8,000 injured. Viet Minh casulaties were 8,000 dead along with 12,000 wounded. -
Creation of the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Group 559, is created strictly to build a trail from North Vietnam to Vietcong forces in South Vietnam. -
United States becomes actively involved
J.F.K. orders more troops to South Vietnam to help with the war against the Vietcong -
Operation Rangehand
Agent Orange is sprayed over vast areas of vegetation to make it hard for the Vietcong to hide for an ambush. Guerrilla trails and base areas are exposed, and crops that might feed Vietcong units are destroyed -
Gulf of Tonkin Attack
South Vietamese attack two small North Vietamese islands in the Gulf of Tonkin. The U.S. Destroyer Maddox is miles away and signals an air attack on the North Vietamese boats. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution granting President Johnson the power to use whatever means necessary to protect Southeast Asia -
Rolling Thunder
President Johnson authorizes Rolling Thunder. A short term bomb offensive to force North Vietnam to stop supporting the Vietcong -
U.S. offers peace for economical aid proposal
U.S. offered North Vietnam peace for economical aid. This proposal was rejected and within two weeks President Johnson deployed 60,000 troops to Vietnam and forces from Korea and Australia arrived as a sign of international support -
First Major Battle for U.S. Troops
Deserter from first Vietcong reveals that there is an attack coming. The U.S. marines launch Operation Starlite and have an overwhelming victory against the Vietcong -
American Forces Total 385,000
American forces in Vietnam reach 385,000 men. 60,000 sailors are also stationed offshore. More than 6,000 Americans have been killed this year, and 30,000 have been wounded. An estimated 61,000 Vietcong have been killed. Their troops now numbered over 280,000. -
Operation Junction City
240 helicopter deploy over Tay Ninh province, beginning Operation Junction City. A mission whos goal was to accomplish destroying Vietcong bases and headquaters in South Vietnam -
Khe Sanh Attacked by Vietcong
At 5:30 a.m., an attack is launched on the Marine base at Khe Sanh. Eighteen Marines are killed, 40 are wounded. The initial attack continues for two days -
Tet Offensive begins
In more than 100 cities and towns, shock attacks by Vietcong are followed by waves of supporting troops. By the end of the city battles, 37,000 Vietcong troops have been killed. Many more had been wounded or captured. There were more than a half million civilian refugees. U.S. losses public support. -
My Lai Massacre
U.S. Charlie Charlie kill 200 civilians. Only on person is tried and found guilty of war crimes. The raised many questions about the conduct of war. -
Rolling Thunder Ends
After 3 and 1/2 years Rolling Thunder ends. The campaign had cost more than 900 American aircraft. 818 pilots are dead or missing, and hundreds are in captivity. 120 Vietnamese planes have been destroyed in air combat, accidents, or friendly fire. Estimates, 182,000 North Vietnamese civilians have been killed. 20,000 Chinese support personnel have become casualties of the bombing. -
Nixon Takes Office
Nixon is sworn in as the new President of the U.S.. He promoises to achieve peace with honor -
Operation Menu
President Nixon authorizes Operation Menu.The bombing of North Vietnamese and Vietcong bases within Cambodia. In four years, U.S. forces dropped more than a half million tons of bombs on Cambodia. -
Spraying of Agent Orange Ends
Dioxin were banned for use by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1968. More than 1/7 of the country's total area has been laid waste. -
Only 133,000 Troops remain in Vietnam
2/3 of America's troops have gone home in two years. The ground war is now the responsibility of South Vietnam, which has over 1,000,000 men enlisted in its armed forces -
Peace Talk Breaks Out
In Paris, peace talks between the North Vietnamese and the Americans breakdown. -
Cease Fire Signed
All countries involved in the war sign a cease fire. -
Nixon Resigns
President Richard M. Nixon resigns, leaving South Vietnam without its strongest advocate -
Last Casualties for the U.S.
At 4:03 a.m., two U.S. Marines are killed in a rocket attack at Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airport. They are the last Americans to die in the Vietnam War. The last Marines of the force guarding the U.S. embassy lift off at noon.
