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Gulf of Tonkin incident
On August 2, 1964, the USS Maddox crosses into North Vietnamese waters. Shortly after, a NV patrol boat is spotted following the USS Maddox. The Maddox fires a warning shot at the boat, resulting in the patrol boat firing back. After that the Maddox sinks both the NV patrol boats. -
Gulf of Tonkin incident part 2
On August 4, two days after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the USS Maddox and another naval vessel report being fired at by North Vietnamese boats. They report this supposed attack back to the states. After hearing of this second attack, President Lyndon B. Johnson orders bombing attacks on North Vietnam. However as far as anyone can tell, there was never any actual attack by the North Vietnamese on the 4. -
Operation rolling thunder
Part of our retaliation for the Gulf of Tonkin incident was operation rolling thunder. Operation rolling thunder was the name of our bombing missions on North Vietnam. Operation rolling thunder was only supposed to last for 8 weeks. It lasted until November of 1968. -
First US troops in Vietnam
A few months after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and the begin of operation rolling thunder, 3500 marine troops landed on the shores of Vietnam. This was the first of many times we were going to send out troops to Vietnam, and the start of the war on the ground. -
Dak to
The battle was a series of engagements between the US and the Viet cong. it lasted until November 22, and resulted in a tactical victory for the US and South Vietnamese. -
Khe Sanh
The battle of Khe Sanh was a siege on the Marine base of Khe Sanh. The People's Army of North Vietnam fired artillery on Khe Sanh, and then surrounded the base and began a siege that would last for 77 days. Khe Sanh was regarded as one of the most brutal battles of the vietnam war. 10000 of the enemy forces died during the siege compared to the less than 500 US marines who died. -
Saigon
The battle of Saigon was mostly fought during the Tet offensive, and lasted until March 7, 1968. The South Vietnamese and Americans were fighting the communist Viet Cong. The battle resulted in an American and South Vietnamese victory. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a series of North Vietnamese attacks on more than 100 South Vietnamese cities and outposts. The attacks were meant to convince South Vietnamese people to rebel. The attacks were also meant to drive the Americans away. The tet offensive lasted until late September of 1968 -
My lai massacre
The My Lai massacre was one of the most brutal and horrific things we did during the Vietnam war. A company of American troops killed unarmed civilians in the village of My Lai. The American troops raped and mutilated young women and girls, and killed over 500 people altogether. -
Easter offensive
The Easter offensive was an attack by the North Vietnamese in an attempt to achieve a decisive victory. It has also been called the spring-summer offensive. -
Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accord are where we signed a treaty with the Vietnamese to end our involvement in the Vietnam war. A few months after the signing of the accords we pulled our last troops out of Vietnam. -
US pulling out of Vietnam
After nearly ten years of being in Vietnam, the US finally pulled it's last troops out of Vietnam on March 29, 1973. After we left Vietnam, the North took the South in April of 1975. It was the first time we had lost a war.