The Vietnam War By WilleNater45 Aug 10, 1950 First shipload of U.S. arms aid to pro-French Vietnam arrives Jul 8, 1956 Two Americans are killed and one wounded during a Viet Minh attack 20 miles north of Saigon May 13, 1961 President Kennedy orders 100 troops to South Vietnam President Kennedy orders 100 "special forces" troops to S. Vietnam Dec 11, 1961 U.S. aircraft carrier "Core" arrives in Saigon with 33 helicopters and 400 air and ground crewmen assigned to operate them for S. Vietnam Mar 16, 1965 President Johnson announced major troop increases and the bombing of North Vietnam. May 16, 1965 More Than 200,000 US troops are sent to Vietnam Nov 14, 1965 Battle of Ia Drang Valley Jan 29, 1966 US begins bombing around Haiphong and Hanoi, N. Vietnam. This is considered a major escalation of the air war Apr 16, 1966 B-52s Bomb North Vietnam Mar 16, 1968 My Lai village Massacre by US troops Oct 1, 1968 US dropped over 600,000 tons of bombs on N. Vietnam total Sep 3, 1969 Ho Chi Minh dies Nov 3, 1969 President Nixon says he plans withdrawal of all US troops on a secret timetable Apr 15, 1972 Renewed US bombing of North Vietnam above the 20th parallel Jan 29, 1973 Official end of the Vietnam War.
