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Ho Chi Minh Trail
In 1959, North Vietnam began creating the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This trail helped the North Vietnamese transport troops and supplies from the north to the south. -
First American troops are killed
The first American troops are killed in South Vietnam when guerrillas raid their living headquarters near Saigon. This is significant because it is the first time the Americans experienced casualties in this long and bloody war. -
Operation Ranch Hand
US aircrafts would fly over rural areas of South Vietnam and spray Agent Orange and other herbicides to kill vegetation that would offer food and cover to guerrilla forces. Agent Orange caused birth defects in many children years after the Vietnam War. -
USS Maddox
The USS Maddox is attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. This leads President Johnson to call for air strikes on North Vietnamese patrol boat bases. This is when America starts to get fully involved in the war. -
More Troops and More Death
President Johnson calls for 50,000 more ground troops to be sent to Vietnam and this ups the draft to 35,000 per month. This causes an uproar in the US as people are already angry about being involved in the conflict yet they continue to send troops. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive begins which encompasses a combined assaukt of the Viet Minh and North Vietnamese armies. They attack more than 100 cities in South Vietnam, including Hue and Saigon. The US embassy is invaded and US officials are shocked by the attacks and this starts a huge turning point in the war. The US begins withdrawing troops from this region. -
Massacre at Mai Lai
More than 500 civilians are murdered in Mai Lai by US troops. This is one of the biggest events to come out of the war because of how evil one man can be. One man had all of those people killed and nobody could do anything other than what he told them to do. -
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US Withdrawal from Vietnam
The Nixon Administration gradually reduces the number of US forces in vietnam. By 1972, US troops are reduced from a peak of 549,000 to 69,000. -
Fall of Saigon
The capital of South Vietnam is seized by communist forces and South Vietnam surrenders. 1,000 American civilians and 7,000 South Vietnamese refugees are evacuated. -
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
North and South Vietnam unify to become the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The war is over!
