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Vietimeline

By D R E W

  • The Truman doctrine.

    The Truman doctrine.
    Harry Truman gives funding to countries he fears are at risk of falling to communism, including Vietnam. He gives them finances, transport planes and jeeps, along with 35 military advisers.

  • US does not sign Geneva Accords.

    US does not sign Geneva Accords.
    US along with South Vietnam does not sign Geneva accords, as they do not want Ho Chi Minh to win election and turn all of Vietnam Communist.

  • Eisenhower pledges support to South Vietnam.

    Eisenhower pledges support to South Vietnam.
    Eisenhower supplied Diem with money and weapons, sending nearly $2 billion in aid from 1955 to 1960 and increasing the number of military advisors to around 1,000.

  • JFK continues supporting South VIetnam.

    JFK continues supporting South VIetnam.
    Once in the White House, Kennedy provided South Vietnam with jet fighters, helicopters, armored personnel carriers, river patrol boats and other tools of war. He also authorized the use of napalm, as well as defoliants such as Agent Orange, for defense against it's Communist counterpart.

  • Ngo Dinh Diem is assassinated.

    Ngo Dinh Diem is assassinated.
    With Diem assassinated and more military advisors in South Vietnam than before, Kennedy contiplates withdraw from Vietnam, but it is unclear whether he would have actually done so.

  • Gulf of Tonkin incident first time.

    Gulf of Tonkin incident first time.
    The USS Maddox is reported to be attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats. Johnson uses this to pass Gulf of Tonkin resolution.

  • Gulf of Tonkin incident second time.

    Gulf of Tonkin incident second time.
    USS Turner Joy reportedly attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats. Doubts later emerged as to whether or not the attack against the Turner Joy had taken place.

  • Golf of Tonkin resolution is passed.

    Golf of Tonkin resolution is passed.
    This authorizes President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia.

  • Operation Flaming Dart begins.

    Operation Flaming Dart begins.
    The White House authorised a series of targeted bombing runs against North Vietnam, purportedly in response to Viet Cong attacks.

  • Operation Rolling Thunder begins.

    Operation Rolling Thunder begins.
    A bombing campaign against the North begins. This is to destroy things and to threaten the North Vietnamese with US military power.

  • First US combat troops are sent in.

    First US combat troops are sent in.
    On March 8th some 3,500 Marines landed at ‘China Beach’, near Da Nang. These arrivals would continue regularly through 1965.

  • Vietnam draft lottery begins.

    Vietnam draft lottery begins.
    The first draft lottery since 1942 began. Men are being drafted and sent to Vietnam to fight on the ground to combat the Viet Cong in the South.