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Eisenhower Rejects Troop Committment
"I cannot conceive of a greater tragedy for America than to get heavily involved now in an all-out war in any of those regions." -
Nixon Supports Troop Committment
"if to avoid further Communist expansion in Asia and Indochina we must take the risk now of putting our boys in, I think the Executive has to take the politically unpopular decision and do it." -
Bao Dai Appoints Ngo Dinh Diem
Bao Dai names Ngo Dinh Diem the new leader of what will become South Vietnam. -
Ho Chi Minh Land Reforms
Ho Chi Minh, orders sweeping "land reforms" in North Vietnam, in which thousands of people classified as landowners and wealthy farmers are imprisoned, tortured, or executed. In a mass exodus, many Vietnamese families flee and head to South Vietnam. -
Eisenhower Reelected
Dwight D. Eisenhower is reelected to a second term as President of the United States. -
Guerrilla War
Ex-Viet Minh forces in the South organize and begin a campaign of guerrilla warfare against Diem's administration. -
Kennedy Elected
John F. Kennedy becomes the 35th President of The United States by defeating Richard Nixon. -
First US Combat Death
An American serviceman dies in Vietnam, the first combat death reported. For many Americans, the death will mark the beginning of the Vietnam War. -
Ducs self Immolation
Thich Quang Duc, a 66-year-old Buddhist monk, sets himself afire in protest of the South Vietnamese government, its religious intolerance, and discriminatory policies. This picture was captured and became one of Life magazines most iconic coverages. -
Kennedy Assassination
President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed while riding in a motorcade through Dallas, TX. -
USS Maddox
Responding to raids on northern ports, North Vietnamese gunboats attack the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin; the Maddox suffers little damage and no casualties are reported. The U.S. declares that its destroyer was on routine patrol in international waters and that it did nothing to provoke the attack, nor did it play any part in the South Vietnamese raids. Four years later, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara will admit that the U.S. had in fact cooperated with the South. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
The operation is a bombardment campaign meant to cripple North Vietnam's transportation system and its industrial centers in order to halt the flow of men and supplies into the South. -
Johnson Declines Reelection
"We are prepared to move immediately toward peace through negotiations. So tonight, in the hope that this action will lead to early talks, I am taking the first step to deescalate the conflict [in Vietnam]." -
United States Involvement in Vietnam Ends
The Vietnam War is officially over for the United States. The last U.S. combat soldier leaves Vietnam, but military advisors and some Marines would still remain. Over 3 million Americans have served in the war. Rouglhly about 7% nearly were either dead, wounded, or were missing in action during the war. -
Nixon Resigns
President Nixon resigns amidst the watergate scandal. Vice President Gerold Ford takes over office as the President of the United States. -
The Fall of Saigon
The Vietnam Wars officially ends when North Vietnamese take Saigon
