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First American Death in Vietnam
1959 Major Dale R. Buis and Master Sargeant Chester M. Ovnand become the first Americans to die in the Vietnam War during the guerilla strike at Bienhoa -
Vietcong Formed
1960 Vietcong Formed (National Liberation Front for South Vietnam) -
Vice President
1961 Vice President Johnson Tours Saigon -
First U.S. combat missions against the Vietcong
1962 Operation Chopper: America's first combat missions against the Vietcong.
Operation Ranchhand: Objective to clear vegetation making it difficult for the Vietcong to ambush. US Military then Employs Agent Orange to expose roads and trails used by Vietcong forces -
Battle
1963 Battle of Ap Bac where the Vietcong defeat the South Vietnamese Army
President Kennedy Assassinated in Dallas and Lyndon B Johnson takes over the Presidency
Buddhist monks start setting themselves on fire in public places tp protest
against the Diem government policy of removing Buddhists from key government
positions and replacing them with Catholics. Diem and his brother are murdered. The Diem regime is overthrown -
General Nguyen Khanh seizes power
1964 General Nguyen Khanh Seizes Power in Saigon
3 North Vietnamese PT boats allegedly fire torpedoes at the USS Maddox named the Gulf of Tonkin Incident Following the Gulf of Tonkin Incident Congress authorizes President Johnson to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." The US wages total war against North Vietnam -
200,000 plus U.S. troops sent to Vietnam
1965 Over 200,000 US troops are sent to Vietnam February: Bombing raids on North Vietnam commence referred to as 'Operation Rolling Thunder'. The air raids continue for three years 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade arrive in Vietnam Battle of Ia Drang Valley Students at American Universities start to strongly protest against the US policy in Vietnam -
Bomb North Vietnam
1966 B-52s Bomb North Vietnam
President Johnson meets with South Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Cao Ky and his military advisors in Honolulu American protests against the US policy in Vietnam continue and students are joined by veterans in Anti-War Rallies -
Operation Cedar Falls
1967 Operation Cedar Falls
The Iron Triangle of Vietcong tunnels is discovered
American protests against the US policy in Vietnam continue and Martin Luther King and others call for draft evasion The US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara admits that the US bombing raids had failed to meet their objectives -
Tet Offensive
1968 The Tet Offensive: The Vietcong scores a psychological victory
Battle for Hue: Mass graves found My Lai village Massacre by US troops Peace Talks take place in Paris between the North Vietnamese and the Americans President Johnson does not run for the presidency and Richard Nixon Elected President of the USA -
Operation Breakfast
1969 Operation Breakfast: Nixon authorises the covert bombing of Cambodia in an attempt to destroy supply routes
Melvin Laird the US Secretary of Defense discusses a diminishing role for the US military in Vietnam The death of Ho Chi Minh The news coverage of the massacre of the My Lai village by US troops shocks America leading to numerous Antiwar Demonstrations -
President Nixon extends Vietnam War to Cambodia Tragedy at Ohio
1970 April : President Nixon extends Vietnam War to Cambodia
Tragedy at Ohio: National Guardsmen open fire on protesting students at Kent State University -
Publication
1971 Publication of the Pentagon Papers -
Pressure on Nixon increase the involement of the U.S. in Vietnam
1972 Pressure on Nixon increases to end the involvement of the US in Vietnam and secret peace talks are initiated. US forces apply pressure on North Vietnam by heavy bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong
Henry Kissinger is optimistic about the peace talks despite Vietnam opposition -
A cease-fire agreement is signed
1973 A cease-fire agreement is signed in Paris
The end of the Draft is publicised All remaining US troops leave Vietnam Henry Kissinger wins the Nobel Peace Prize