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Vietnamese forces occupy the French command post and the French commander ordered his troops to cease fire. The battle had lasted 55 days. Three thousand French troops were killed, 8,000 wounded. The Vietnamese victory destroyed France's rmission to carry on the war.
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North Vietnamese Army unit, Group 559, is formed to create a supply route from North Vietnam to Vietcong forces in South Vietnam. Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia approval allows Group 559 to come up with a route right along the Vietnamese/Cambodian border.
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U.S President John F. Kennedy orders more aid for the South Vietnamese government in its war against the Vietcong guerrillas. The U.S backing includes brand new equipment and more than 3,000 military advisors and support manpower on site to help out in the war fight.
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In "Operation Chopper", helicopters flown by American pilots and 1,000 South Vietnamese soldiers to sweep a Viet Cong stronghold near Saigon. This event is America's first combat missions against the Vietcong.
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The United States Army starts Operation Ranchhand. The goal of Ranchhand is to clear vegetation alongside highways, making it more challenging for the Vietcong to hide themselves for traps.
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The Vietcong and the local guerrilla forces ambush the South Vietnamese Army. For the first time, the Vietcong was able to resist ground against American weaponary and South Vietnamese personal. Approximately 400 South Vietnamese are killed or wounded. Three American advisors are murdered.
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During the evening hours, South Vietnamese commandos attack two North Vietnamese islands on the Gulf of Tonkin. The U.S. destroyer, Maddox, an electronic spy ship, is 123 miles south with direct, ready orders to simulate electronically an air attack to push North Vietnamese boats away from the commandos of South Vietnam.
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The commander of the U.S.S. Maddox reports that his ship has been fired on and that an attack could happen any moment. However, he says that no attack took place, six hours after the initial report, a retaliation against North Vietnam is ordered by President Johnson anyway. American jets bomb two naval bases, and destroy a huge oil facility. Two U.S. fighter planes are downed in the attack and there severe casualities among the Vietnamese.
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Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving U.S President Johnson the power and control to take any necessary actions to defend the southeastern Asia region.
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Two days before the 1964 presidential election in the United States, Vietcong bombs Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. Four Americans are killed, 76 wounded. Five B-57 bombers were destroyed in this attack as well.
