The Vietnam War Era

By Keanbush
  • Period: to

    The Vietnam War

  • The Geneva Accords

    The goal of the 1954 Geneva Conference was to resolve issues in Indochina, including unifying Vietnam. The conference ended with a set of agreements called the Geneva Accords. The Geneva Accords temporarily separated Vietnam into two zones, North Vietnam, governed by the Viet Minh, and South Vietnam, governed by the State of Vietnam.

  • First Americans Killed From Vietnam Conflict

    Six northern Vietnamese attacked a U.S. compound in Bein Hoa. They killed two American soldiers, Master Sergeant Chester M. Ovnand and Major Dale R. Buis.

  • National Liberation Front For South Vietnam Founded

    The National Liberation Front for South Vietnam, also referred to as the Viet Cong, was a political organization and army located in South Vietnam and Cambodia. The National Liberation Front fought against the United States and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

  • Operation Ranch Hand Begins

    Operation Ranch Hand involved the widespread use of Agent Orange, a chemical compound developed by Dow Chemical to serve as a defoliant, meaning it would kill crops and other vegetation in the areas where sprayed, that would aid in rapidly clearing areas of the Vietnamese countryside that might provide cover to enemy troops and feed the people.

  • President Kennedy Assassinated

    While on a campaign in Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. His assassination brought public outcry, and citizens prepared themselves for an uncertain future.

  • Gulf of Tonkin Incident

    Five days after an alleged attack by the North Vietnamese on the USS Maddox in the international waters of the Tonkin Gulf, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized expanding the United States's involvement in Vietnam.

  • Marines Arrive in Da Nang

    In March of 1965, President Johnson authorized the arrival of Marine Corps forces to the Da Nang air base. This marked the beginning of a steady escalation of American involvement in Vietnam.

  • Operation Starlite Begins

    Considered the first major battle of the Vietnam War, Operation Starlite was led by over 5000 Marines against a stronghold of the National Liberation Front (NLF) in the Quang Ngai province of South Vietnam in August 1965. Two participants received Medals of Honor for their actions in the operation.

  • Battle of Ia Drang

    The Battle of Ia Drang is considered to be the first major battle between U.S. forces and North Vietnamese forces, taking place in the Ia Drang Valley. During the latter part of the battle, US forces were ambushed and this led to significant casualties. The tactics employed by the North Vietnamese during this battle set the course for the rest of the war.

  • North Vietnamese Launch Tet Offensive

    The Tet Offensive was an attack by North Vietnam against South Vietnam and U.S. armies. The campaign launched on the Tet new year holiday and consisted of surprise attacks against over 100 military and civilian control centers in South Vietnam.

  • President Johnson Does Not Seek Reelection

    President Lyndon B. Johnson played a critical role in escalating US involvement in Vietnam, with concerns of both personal and national credibility and steadfastness weighing heavily in policymaking in Vietnam. However, on May 31, 1968 President Johnson stated, "I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party as your President."

  • Battle of Hamburger Hill

    The Battle of Hamburger Hill took place between American and North Vietnamese forces (People's Army of Vietnam) in the A Shau Valley. Much of the fighting took place on Hill 937, referred to as "Hamburger Hill." With over 70 US soldiers killed, the battle sparked a public debate regarding the effectiveness of military strategy of the war, particularly as the hill was later abandoned by US forces.

  • My Lai Massacre Reaches US

    As “the most shocking episode of the Vietnam War,” the My Lai Massacre was the mass killing of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. Army soldiers. Despite the atrocities of the day, Hugh Thompson Jr., a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, tried to stop the killings and rescued Vietnamese civilians from his fellow GIs.

  • Draft Lottery Televised

    On November 26, 1969 President Nixon signed an amendment to the Military Selective Service Act of 1967 that established conscription based on random selection (lottery). Opposition to the draft during Vietnam was widespread, with some personally opposed to forced military service, some opposed to the war as a whole as illegitimate and immoral, and some opposed to the system of deferments which led to a disproportionately working class force in Vietnam.

  • Kent State Incident

    Students from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio participated in a protest on campus against the expansion of the Vietnam War. The Ohio National Guard took fire on the students. The shots killed four students and injured nine students. Following the shootings, President Nixon stated, "This should remind us all once again that when dissent turns to violence it invites tragedy."

  • Pentagon Papers Published

    The Pentagon Papers, or more officially named “Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force,” was a study on the U.S. involvement in Vietnam War. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara commissioned the report in 1967. In 1971, parts of the report were leaked to the press. The New York Times published many articles based on the leaked papers.

  • Kissinger says, "Peace is at Hand"

    In a televised briefing at the White House, President Richard Nixon’s National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger stated that “peace is at hand” in Vietnam. Despite Kissinger’s declaration, President Nixon was taped at the White House saying “See, the lead story that came out of his stuff, probably, is that ‘peace is at hand.’ Now that sets us up one hell of a hurdle. I wouldn’t have said that.”

  • American POWs Return Home

    In February 1973, American prisoners of war (POWs) held in Vietnam were released as a result of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, which led to the end of American military involvement in Vietnam.

  • Last American Troops Leave Vietnam

    In a televised address, President Nixon informs the world that the last American troops left Vietnam. As one of the longest wars in U.S. history, the Vietnam War came to a close.

  • Vietnam Memorial Dedicated in Washington, DC

    Led by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and Jan C. Scruggs, a veteran of the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC. The Memorial was created because Vietnam veterans needed a tangible symbol that the American people honored their service.