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Period: to
Timespan of American Involvement in the Vietnam War
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Aid to the French
It was appearing as though the French would not be completely overrun, but they would require some aid. The United States sent $15 million to help aid the French military during their patrol in the Vietnamese outback. -
The Geneva Conference
The Geneva Conference was a conference in Geneva, Switzerland, which began on April 26th and ended on July 20th. Attendees of the conference were the United States, the Soviet Union, France, the United Kingdom, and China. The objective of the conference was to attempt to find a way to unify Korea and contemplate the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina. -
U.S. Begins to Train the South Vietnamese
The French were severely outnumbered/outgunned during their patrol of the Vietnamese outback, so they withdrew their troops in early 1956. The South Vietnamese military still needed training, so the U.S. Military Assistance Advisor Group, or MAAG, took over the training of the South Vietnamese after the French departure. -
First American Troops Die
Major Dale R. Buis and Master Sargeant Chester M. Ovnand died together with two South Vietnamese soldiers at their outpost in Bien Hoa when they were under a surprise Vietcong attack. They are noted as the first American military figures to die during the conflict in Vietnam. -
John F. Kennedy Assumes Presidency
John F. Kennedy narrowly beats then-vice president and Republican presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon. As the newly appointed president, he is hereby entitled to resume the operations in Vietnam. Being the youngest man to ever be elected president of the United States at the time of his election, he had little experience with persuing military operations. Nevertheless, he continued the effort. -
Johnson Improves Relations
In 1961, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson toured many Asian countries. He met with the president of South Vietnam, Ngo Dihm Diem, in Saigon. Johnson's goal with meeting with Diem was to further strengthen the already-improving relations between the United States and South Vietnam. Johnson stressed Diem's importance, calling him the "Churchill of Asia." -
Deployment of Agent Orange
The United States implimented a new defoliant in order to destroy Vietnamese crops and reduce jungle foliage that could shelter enemy soldiers. It received the nickname "Agent Orange" because the substance came in metal orange containers. Another use for Agent Orange was to expose roads and trails used by the Vietcong. However, Agent Orange has had long-lasting effects on the Vietnamese. To see some of the devastating effects, go to Google Images and type in "Agent Orange". -
Diem is Assassinated
South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, along with his brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, were overthrown and assassinated by a coup d'etat lead by General Duong Van Minh. The motive behind the assassination was the accumulation of nine years of discontent with the Diem regime, more specifically, Diem's Lack of fair treatment towards his Buddhist citizens. -
Kennedy is Assassinated
At 12:30 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. He was in the presidential limousine with his wife, Jacqueline, along with Texas governor Jack Connally and his wife, Nellie. While Kennedy was the only one who was killed, Governor Connally was severely wounded. Vice President Johnson then assumed the presidency of the United States. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was of vital importance to the United States because it allowed President Johnson to undergo military action to aid Southeast Asia without actually declaring war on North Vietnam. The resolution was passed as a response to the sea battle between the North Vietnamese Navy's Torpedo Squadron 10135 and the destroyer USS Maddox in the Tonkin Gulf. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was an air strike mission against North Vietnam which lasted from March 2nd, 1965 - November 1st, 1968. The four primary objectives of the strikes were:- Boost morale of the Saigon regime.
- Convince North Vietnam to end their support of the communist insurgency in South Vietnam.
- Destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses.
- Stop the flow of men and supplies into South Vietnam.
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Arrival at Da Nang
U.S. Marines set foot for the very first time in Vietnam to defend the U.S. airfield at Da Nang. There is a wild array of Vietcong gunfire. The firefight lasts almost an hour, but there were no reported injuries or casualties. This was considered detrimental because it led to considerably less ammunition with very few kills. -
The Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a three-phase surprise military offensive launched by the People's Army of Vietnam (North Vietnam) against the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), the United States, and their allies. This vicious attack used the element of surprise, as it was implimented during a time period in which there was supposed to be no attacks from either side. The primary objective was to take out command and control centers throughout South Vietnam. -
Woodstock Protests the War
Country Joe's Anti Vietnam War Song - Woodstock Many people in the United States opposed the effort in Vietnam. One of the most notable and effective forms of protest during this era was through music. Woodstock was a three-day music festival which ran from August 15-17, 1969. Country Joe gives one of the most iconic anti-war performances in history on Saturday, August 16, 1969, at 1:00 p.m. -
Vietnamization
President Nixon had a goal to shift Lyndon B. Johnson's idea of Americanization and completely switch the focus to South Vietnam. He called this policy "Vietnamization". The objective was to remove the burden of fighting Communism, and shift the focus to building and strengthening the South Vietnamese army. At the same time, the presence of American troops in Vietnam would gradually decrease. -
The Kent State Massacre
President Richard Nixon announced on national TV that the United States would invade Cambodia. Enraged, an estimated 2,000 students of Kent University (Ohio) met on the University's commons near Taylor Hall for a protest. Ohio national guardsmen were present to attempt to contain the protest. Suddenly, Sgt. Myron Pryor turned and began to fire his .45 pistol at the students. Other guardsmen fired immediately after (67 shots in 13 seconds). Reasons for the shooting are still unknown. -
The 26th Amendment
The 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution changed the minimum voting age to 18. This amendment was put in place as a response to student activism and protests, as well as an effort to partially overrule the Supreme Court's decision in Oregon v. Mitchell. -
America Leaves Vietnam
When Hanoi freed the remaining prisoners of war, the rest of the American troops evacuated Vietnam. However, 7,000 U.S. Department of Defense employees remained in South Vietnam to help aid in the continuous battle with North Vietnam. The evacuation took place two months after signing the Vietnam Peace Agreement. -
The War Powers Resolution
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 was put in place to examine the President's power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of Congress. The origin of this act comes from the fact that the United States continuously found itself involved in situations of intense conflict without a declaration of war. Congress felt the need to assert the authority to decide when the United States should be involved in armed conflict. -
South Vietnam Surrenders
President Duong Van Minh unconditionally surrenders to North Vietnam immediately after the fall of Saigon. "...Only the Americans have been beaten. If you are patriots, consider this a moment of joy."
-North Vietnamese Colonel Bui Tin
