The Vietnam War

By Brooklyn Strohman

  • Independent Vietnam

    Ho Chi Minh declares an independent Vietnam. Called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

  • Defeat of the French

    The French suffer a defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The U.S. take lead in fighting the communists.

  • Gulf of Tonkin Incident

    The Maddox was conducting a "DeSoto patrol." It's purpose was to collect intellegance on radar and coastal defenses of North Vietnam.

  • Operation Rolling Thunder

    Operation Rolling Thunder was an aerial bombardment against North Vietnam. This operation became the most intense air/ground battle in the Cold War period. Operation Rolling Thunder was unsuccessful. North Vietman had few good bombing targets. They also had an extensive air defense system. The bombing did little real damage to North Vietnamese effort. The 197 report said the U.S. bombing costs ten times as much as theproperty they destroyed.

  • Tet Offensive

    This was the Vietnam New Year. The Tet Offensive was a simultaneous attacks on numerous cities by Veit Cong and North Vietnamese Army. This attack stunned the American public.

  • U.S. troops in Vietnam.

    The first U.S. combat troops arrive in Vietnam.

  • Masacre at My Lai

    U.S. soldiers kill hundreds of Vietnamese in the village of My Lai.

  • U.S. troops invade Laos

    President Nixon announces that the troops are going to invade Laos. The U.S. sends ARVN troops into Laos. ARVN cannot fight for themselves. There were heavy casualities. Nixon says the battle went good and the South Vietnamese can fight for themselves. This was lies. He also says that the U.S. can continue to remove itself from Vietnam.

  • Troops go home.

    The last U.S. troops are withdrawn from Vietnam. POW's returned home from war.

  • Vietnam Veterns Memorial

    A memorial is dedicated to the Veterns from the Vietnam war. The memorial is in Washington, D.C.