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America's Mistake (The Vietnam War)

By mchll.plltr

  • Operation Chopper

    Operation Chopper
    Operation Chopper marks America's first combat mission against the Vietcong. Helicopters flown by U.S. Army pilots carried one thousand South Vietnamese soldiers to sweep a National Liberation Front near Saigon.

  • Operation Ranchhand

    Operation Ranchhand
    (Early 1962, not sure which date)
    The U.S.'s goal was to clear out the vegetation alongside the highways. This would and did make it harder for th Vietcong to hide themselves for ambushes. (During the continuation of the war, this operation becomes more intense. The forests were being sprayed with "Agent Orange," which is a herbicide that contains Dioxin, a deadly chemical. During this operation, Guerrilla trails and bases are exposed. Also crops that the Vietcong might eat are destroyed.)

  • Hamlet of Ap Bac

    Hamlet of Ap Bac
    The Vietcong 514th Battalion along with local Guerrillas attack and abush the Southern Vietnamese Army's 7th division. This marks the first time the Vietcong forces stood their ground against the American machinery and Southern Vietnamese forces. Three American advisors were killed and almost 400 South Vietnamese soldiers are either killed or wounded.

  • Assassination of South Vietnamese President, Ngo Dinh Diem

    Assassination of South Vietnamese President, Ngo Dinh Diem
    Before the assassination, the US had been advising the South Vietnam government in the war. 16,000 US troops were in South Vietnam. US casualties became large and the images of the descesed were being broadcast on stateside network television. Three weeks after the assassination of Diem, President Kennedy was assassinated. President Johnson then made the US become increasingly involved in the war. US troops grew to 500,000.

  • Operation Rolling Thunder

    Operation Rolling Thunder
    President Johnson authorized a long lasting bombing offensive. However, it was limited. The goal was to force North Vienam to stop support for the Vietcong guerrillas in South Vietnam.

  • Tet Offensive

    Tet Offensive
    The Viet Cong rapidly attacked all of the major cities in South Vietnam during the holiday "Tet," a holiday celebrating the lunar new year. Many of the attacks were defendable, but it showed that even with the United States' presence, the Viet Cong could still attack any point in South Vietnam on a whim.

  • Vietnamization

    Vietnamization
    Vietnamization is President Nixon's term used to discribe the Uniterd States policy towards the South Vietnamese in the later stages of the vietnam war. Vietnamization was meant to help the South Vietnamese government take control in the war while removing US troops.

  • Fall of Saigon

    Fall of Saigon
    This event marked the end to the Vietnam War. President Nixon introduced Vietnamisation, allowing him to remove troops from South Vietnam overtime. At the time of this event, the South Vietnamese Army was very weak and could not withstand any attack. Saigon was hit by rockets and the city had no defense. The North Vietnamese made their way into the Presidental Palace for the surrender of General Minh. This created one united Vietnam. Saigon was then re-named Ho Chi Minh City.