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Dien Bien Phu
Battle between French Forces and The Viet Minh that lasted 55 days
French- 3000 dead; 8000 wounded
Viet Minh- 8000 dead; 12000 wounded Viet Minh won the battle -
Ho Chi Minh Trail
North Vietnamese start to build the trail in Cambodia with permission of Prince Sihanouk. -
US Becomes Activly Involved
President John F. Kennedy orders more help for the South Vietnamese government in its war against the Vietcong guerrillas. U.S. backing includes new equipment and more than 3,000 military advisors and support personnel. -
Operation Rangeland
The goal of Ranchhand is to clear vegetation alongside highways, making it more difficult for the Vietcong to conceal themselves for ambushes -
Gulf of Tonkin Attack
The captain of the U.S.S. Maddox reports that his vessel has been fired on and that an attack is imminent -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The U.S. congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Johnson the power to take whatever actions he sees necessary to defend southeast Asia. -
Rolling Thunder
President Johnson authorizes Operation Rolling Thunder, a limited but long lasting bombing offensive. Its aim is to force North Vietnam to stop supporting Vietcong guerrillas in the South. -
Peace for Economic Aid Proposal
The U.S. offers North Vietnam economic aid in exchange for peace, but the offer is summarily rejected -
President Johnson Commits over 60000 Troops
President Johnson raises America's combat strength in Vietnam to more than 60,000 troops -
First Major Battle of Vietnam War for American Units
General William Westmoreland launches the first purely offensive operation by American ground forces in Vietnam, sweeping into NLF territory just northwest of Saigon -
Troop Numbers reach 385000
By the end of 1966, American forces in Vietnam reach 385,000 men, plus an additional 60,000 sailors stationed offshore -
Operation Junction City
In one of the largest air-mobile assaults ever, 240 helicopters sweep over Tay Ninh province, beginning Operation Junction City. The goal of Junction City is to destroy Vietcong bases and the Vietcong military headquarters for South Vietnam, all of which are located in War Zone C, north of Saigon -
Tet Offensive Begins
On the Tet holiday, Vietcong units surge into action over the length and breadth of South Vietnam. In more than 100 cities and towns, shock attacks by Vietcong sapper-commandos are followed by wave after wave of supporting troops. By the end of the city battles, 37,000 Vietcong troops deployed for Tet have been killed. Many more had been wounded or captured, and the fighting had created more than a half million civilian refugees. Casualties included most of the Vietcong's best fighters, politica -
My Lai
U.S. Charlie Company kills about two hundred civilians -
Khe Sanh attacked by Vietcong
In mid-January 1968 in the remote northwest corner of South Vietnam, elements of three NVA divisions begin to mass near the Marine base at Khe Sanh -
Operation Rolling Thinder comes to an end
After three-and-a-half years, Operation Rolling Thunder comes to an end. In total, the campaign had cost more than 900 American aircraft. Eight hundred and eighteen pilots are dead or missing, and hundreds are in captivity. Nearly 120 Vietnamese planes have been destroyed in air combat or accidents, or by friendly fire. According to U.S. estimates, 182,000 North Vietnamese civilians have been killed. Twenty thousand Chinese support personnel also have been casualties of the bombing -
Nixon Takes Office
"Peace With Honor" -
Operation Menu
bombing of North Vietnamese and Vietcong bases within Cambodia -
Spraying of Agent Orange Ends
agent orange continues trough 1971 -
All but 133000 US troops have come home
Only 133,000 U.S. servicemen remain in South Vietnam. Two thirds of America's troops have gone in two years. The ground war is now almost exclusively the responsibility of South Vietnam, which has over 1,000,000 men enlisted in its armed forces -
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
North Vietnam and the United States resume peace talks in Paris -
Nixon Resigns
President Richard M. Nixon resigns, leaving South Vietnam without its strongest advocate -
Last Casualties for the US and Final Evacuation
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