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Nations met to determine how the French would peacefully withdraw from Vietnam. While the French pulled out of Vietnam the United States stepped in.
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Group 559, a specialized North Vietnamese Army Unit is create to form a supple route from North Vietnam to the Vietcong troups in South Vietnam. This trail served as a primary source for moving troops, vehicles, and supplies.
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Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh. Johnson encouraged Dinh to see himself as an important part to the war and especially to the United States involvement. Johnson promised to help Dinh and his forces against the communists.
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President JFK orders more help for the South Vietnamese government against the Vietcong. The U.S. gained new equipment and more military advisors and personnel.
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U.S. Air Force launches Operation Rach Hand in order to expose the roads and trails used by the Vietcong through spraying a herbicide known as Agent Orange. This operation proved to kill vegitation, but did not stop the Vietcong.
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Helicopters flown by members of the U.S. Army lead an assault on the Vietcong near Saigon. Marks America's first combat mission against the Vietcong.
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Vietcong and local guerilla forces ambush South Vietnamese forces. Raised morale and encouraged recruitment for the Vietcong since they stood their ground against American machines and South Vietnamese toops.
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North Vietnamese fired directly upon two U.S. ships in international waters. The United States congress responded with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave President Johnson the authority to involve the U.S. in the war more and send the U.S. toops.
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U.S. launches Rolling Thunder, in which 100 U.S. Air Force planes and 60 South Vietnamese planes bomb North Vietnam. This was the first air raid against North Vietnam that was not a retaliation for communist attack.
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Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnamese leaders ordered a change in the way the war in the south was to be fought. This is when the use of guerilla tactics began and changed the way the war was fought. They used tunnels and the element of suprise when fighting.
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North Vietnamese suprised U.S. troops and South Vietnamese by planning an assault with the Vietcong to attack. This made Americans realize that the war was far from over.
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After Richard Nixon became president he proposed his plan to remove U.S. troops from Vietnam. His plan was called Vietnamization and was aimed to end U.S. involvement in the war.
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National guardsmen open fire on a group of students protesting the war at Ohio's Kent State University resulting in four deaths. This incident showed how the American people felt about the U.S. involvement in the war. Also, it emphasized how much protesting and disapproval was taking place in the states at this time.
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North Vietnam crossed over the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the 17th parallel and invaded South Vietnam while the U.S. had withdrawn most of their troops. North Vietnam was proving to be powerful.
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Peace talks in Paris finally came up with a cease-fire agreement and they were signed. The last U.S. troops left Vietnam in March of the same year. The U.S. soldiers left knowing that they were leaving South Vietnam defensless against the powerful communists of North Vietnam.
