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Occupation of japan
Japan sweeps away french rule in Indochina. In Vietnam, it places Emperor Bao Dai in power, creating the illusion of an independent Vietnamese state. -
Nagasaki
A second atomic bomb is dropped in Nagasaki. Also the last major act of World War Two and within days the Japanese had surrendered. -
Vietnam Is Divided
Vietnam was divided into two separate nations, divided by the Bến Hải River at the 17th parallel, each with its own government. -
Presidents meet
The president of South Vietnam and the US president John F Kennedy meet and Kennedy increases the number of american advisors in Vietnam from 340 to 805. -
Diem is Overthrown
South Vietnam's president, Ngo Dinh Diem, is overthrown by a military coup. Diem, along with being overthrown by the coup, was also killed. -
United States sends more troops
The US sends 5,000 more troops into Vietnam. -
US Heli Base is attacked
Viet Cong troops attack a helicopter base at Camp Halloway. The troops blow up the barracks of US military advisors at Pleiku, killing 8 and wounding 126. -
First Major US Offensive
The first major US offensive action of the war is taken by 3000 troopsof the 173rd Airborne Division and 800 Australian troops. The troops are to sweep Zone D, north of Saigon. The sweep fails to make any contact withthe Viet Cong. -
operation masher
In the largest search and destroy mission up to that point in the war, Operation Masher, 2,389 Viet Cong casualties are reported. The name of the operation is changed from Operation Masher to White Wing at the insistence of the President. The operation combined US and Vietnamese troops in sweeps and amphibious assaults. Operation Masher continued until March 6. -
Operation Hasting
A force of 8,500 Marines and 2,500 South Vietnamese troops launch OperationHasting. The operation's goal is to thwart the North Vietnamese 324 B Division'sefforts to take control of Quang Tri Province. Operation Hasting lasted until August 3.
