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The French leave and the Americans enter Vietnam. The US Military Assistance Advisor Group (MAAG) assumes responsibility, from French, for training South Vietnamese forces.
The US Military Assistance Advisor Group (MAAG) assumes responsibility, from French, for training South Vietnamese forces.The French can no longer stay in Vietnam. Now the US Military Assistance Advisor Group (MAAG) are in charge of training the Southern troops in military combat in order to defeat the North. -
J.F.K is warned of the increasing violence in IndoChina. Background on U.S. Involvement in War
He forms a secret plan for special forces to enter Northern Vietnam and Laos. This is Kennedy's first big move in the Vietnam war. He increases the number of military advisors. -
John F. Kennedy signs the National Security Memorandum No. 263. J.F.K Assassination
This Memorandum relinquishes the troops from their stay in Vietnam. It planned to be fully completed by the year 1965. Unfortunately, J.F.K. was assassinated later that year making Lyndon B. Johnson president. Johnson removes the memorandum starting initiatives to “full-scale war”. -
A turn of events occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Northern Vietnamese naval troops purposefully attack U.S. war ships in international waters. This sparks much heated debate over the resolution. -
The first battle of the Vietnam War takes place at Ia Drang Valley. First Battle
The U.S. starts off the Vietnam War by implementing their new fighting technique called aerial reconnaissance. This is an important event because it is the first battle of the war, and the U.S. successfully won. -
The first ground troops were dispatched to embark in Vietnam. First U.S. Ground Troops Sent to Vietnam
As Lyndon B. Johnson is newly elected to office, he faces a tough decision. Johnson sends the first U.S. troops on foot to Vietnam. -
The military command is taken over by General Westmoreland. General Westmoreland
The U.S. has increased their number of military men in Vietnam significantly. More and more men are being sent, around 1,400,000, and the American’s involvement is being questioned. -
Americans are unhappy with their involvement in the war. Veterans Stage Anti-War Rally
Multiple protests are taking place all over the country. U.S. citizens, including veterans from WWI and WWII, no longer want to fund the war efforts or send their men out to fight a “meaningless” fight. -
The Tet Offensive takes Americans by surprise. Veterans Stage Anti-War Rally' >The Tet Offensive
Northern Vietnam and the Viet Cong decide to break the truce that lead to the Lunar New Year. They swept through multiple cities killing thousands of people. The Americans and South Vietnam were not expecting this believing that the end of the war was near. This was a turning point in the war because now troops lacked domestic support. -
The American troops conduct the notorious and infamous My Lai Massacre. My Lai Massacre
On March 16, men of the 11th Brigade entered and destroyed the village of My Lai. They killed the innocent lives of unarmed villagers making this one of the most shameful tirades of U.S. troops. Military men are losing their humanity and civility due to the increasing pressures of the war. -
Richard Nixon is elected President. Richard Nixon Elected President
This election gives hope to Americans that things will change. Nixon has promised to change multiple efforts on the war during his campaign. -
Secretary of Defense, Melvin Laird, announces “Vietnamization” policy. Policy of "Vietnamization" Announced
Vietnamization is the process of removing U.S. troops and placing responsibility of the fighting on the Southern Vietnamese Army. This is the first announcement by the presidential cabinet to stop the war. -
The number of U.S. troops decreases to 280,000. Number of US Troops Falls to 280K
This is the significant decrease. It allows U.S. citizens to see the process of “Vietnamization” and acknowledge that something is being done. -
Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho in Paris, France sign the Paris Peace Accords.1972 election and Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accords is an agreement to cease-fire. It “officially ended direct U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War”. It took around sixty days to fully withdraw all U.S. forces. This is end of U.S. involvement and the thought to believe the end of the war.
