The Vietnam War

1964Gulf of Tonkin Incident

        The USS Maddox was fired upon by North Vietnamese gun ships

            *Maybe.There were two attacks reported.It is likely that the 2^nd attack did not happen

        Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in Congress

        Gave extraordinary powers to LBJ

        Only 1 vote in opposition in Congress-shows major support

        Vietcong (VC) attack Bien Hua airbase.

1965  Feb.  LBJ authorizes operation Flaming Dart against NVN as a retaliatory strike because the NVA attacked a US helicopter base in SVN

         Feb. 13^th.  LBJ authorizes operation Rolling Thunder(this operation would last three years!)

        March 8^th.  Two Marine battalions land at Danang to protect the airfield

                        1^st US combat units to enter the war.

                        Teach-ins begin at U. of Michigan and Berkeley

                        LBJ offers economic development $$ in exchange for peace in Vietnam.

        June.  General William Westmoreland launches the first offensive operation by US forces, NW of Saigon.

        August 17^th.  1^st major battle-Operation Starlite-to protect the Marine base at Chu Chi. 700 VC dead and 45

                               Americans.

        Sep.-Oct.  Ia Drang Valley-1^st Air Cavalry Division deployed against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA)                 regiments, who retreat into Cambodia after heavy losses

        Nov-NVA 66^th Division ambush a US battalion and cause 60% casualties

        Nov 20 & 27.  Peace Movement demonstrations in Berkeley and D.C.

        Dec 25^th- LBJ suspends bombing in an attempt to get Ho Chi Minh to negotiate.

1966

        Jan 31^st.  LBJ resumes bombing

        Operation Crimp- Large operation by the US to capture the VC headquarters (HQ) in Chu Chi-a suburb of

        Saigon, but the operation failed.

        *The VC had an extensive tunnel system to protect themselves and move supplies.

        NVA 9^th and 324B Divisions move across the De-militarized Zone(DMZ)

        Americans killed in action (KIA) reaches 6,000 in 1966.

1967

        Jan.  Operation Cedar Falls-designed to drive the VC from the Iron Triangle. No major battles.

        Jan.  The NVA attacks across the DMZ at Khe Sanh, the Rockpile, Cam Lo, Dong Ha, Con Thien, and Gio Linh.

        May.  Air war directed against the NVN airbases and air defense system.  Desperate air battles over NVN-they loose ½ their pilots and 2/3 of their aircraft.

        August.  Robert McNamara, Sec of Defense testifies before Congress that the bombing of North Vietnam is ineffective.

                      LBJ offers to stop the bombing for “Productive Discussions.”

                      Trinh, North Vietnamese Foreign Minister, says they will talk if the bombing stops.

Westmoreland meets LBJ and testifies before Congress. Tells everyone that we are winning the war.

      45% of the Americans who were polled thought that our involvement in Vietnam was a mistake.

1968

        Jan.  NVA mass three divisions around Khe Sanh

        Jan. 20^th.NVA attack along Cambodia and Laotian borders, including Khe Sanh, to draw American forces away from the cities.

Jan. 31^st.TET begins.All major cities and provincial capitols are attacked by the NVA and VC.The battles last three weeks in Hue, the old imperial capitol of Annam.The Siege of Khe Sanh begins.

èNVA & VC losses are staggering-45,000 KIA, about ½ of their forces committed to the battle.Americans lost 2500 KIA, the most ever.

vThe political goals of the NVN government achieved.The US military and the Johnson Administration had told the American Public that the war was almost won, and then the NVA & VC attack in force, all over the country, and inflict heavy casualties on the US.

vWalter Cronkite-“The most trusted man in America,” comes to Vietnam for CBS News, declares the war to be a stalemate, at best, and voices his opposition against further involvement.

vCronkite’s statements cause the other TV networks and many major newspapers to voice their opposition to the war also.

vRobert McNamara is no longer in the government-Clark Clifford takes over.

vWestmoreland is replaced by Abrams

vLBJ announces a partial bombing halt and states he won’t run for re-election.

èChallenges from McCarthy and RFK help Johnson reach his decision.

March 16^th.My Lai 4 Massacre occurs

vApril 4^th-Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis

May,North Vietnamese arrive in Paris for peace talks with Averell Harriman

April 8^thThe Siege of Khe Sanh is lifted.

vRFK is assassinated in Los Angeles

vDemocratic Party Convention is held in Chicago

Nov.Operation Rolling Thunder is ended

900 aircraft are lost, 818 pilots are KIA or MIA, 180,000 NVN civilians are dead and 20,000 Chinese support personnel are KIA

vRichard Nixon is elected President

v58% of Americans polled think our involvement in Vietnam was a mistake.

1969.Nixon begins “Peace with Honor” campaign and undertakes Vietnamization

of the war.

Feb.NVA launch major attacks against US bases, but are overwhelmed by artillery and air power.

March.Nixon authorizes the bombing of Cambodia

June.The first 25,000 GIs are withdrawn from Vietnam.

US casualties exceed the Korean War-33,629 dead.

Sep.Ho Chi Minh dies

vOct.Massive protests in D.C.

vNov. Nixon give the “Silent Majority speech.”

vNov. 15^th.Moratorium on the War rallies all over America

vNov. 16^th.My Lai Massacre is revealed in the press

v57% of the Americans polled think our involvement in Vietnam is a mistake.

1970.April.Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)attack into Cambodia.2 

days later, 3 US divisions launch an attack against suspected VC & 

NVA supply depots.

10,000 NVA casualties, 14 million pounds of rice destroyed, &

28,500 weapons captured with 16 million rounds of ammo

vProtest erupt on many campuses across the US

v4 students are killed and 13 injured at Kent State U. in Ohio.

vJackson State erupts and students are killed in their dorms

vLt. William Calley goes on trial for the My Lai Massacre.

1971Feb.Operation Lam Son 719-ARVN launch 3 divisions into Laos to attack the NVA strongholds.It is an ambush and 9,000 ARVN are KIA or WIA and 2/3 of their armor is wiped out.

Operation Ranchhand.11 million gallons of defoliant (Agent Orange) was dropped on VN.Destroyed 1/7^th of the country

vJune 13^th, New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers

Troop strength is down to 140,000.

1972March.NVA launch attack from the DMZ.By April, they take part of Hue, but are driven back by B-52 raids and counterattacks by ARVN airborne units

Nixon steps up the bombing of Hanoi and mines Haiphong Harbor.

Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho agree to a cease fire, but Thieu is opposed

Talks break down in December and Nixon orders more bombing.The NVN return 11 days later.

1973January 27^thEveryone signs the ceasefire

March- All US combat troops are withdrawn, some units are left to protect 

US bases.

1974NVA resumes the offensive in the Northern provinces of RVN and pushes the ARVN back.

1975March,Hue falls to the NVA

April,30^thSaigon falls

1.1million NVA and VC are killed

225,000 ARVN are killed

58,418 Americans are killed

Nobody knows how many civilians were killed and wounded.