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Truman supports French government in Vietnam
The Truman administration supported France's colonial war against the Communist nationalists, known as the Viet Minh, in their contention for independence. -
Truman sends first military advisers to Vietnam
President Harry S. Truman announces that he is ordering U.S. air and naval forces to South Vietnam to aid the democratic nation in repulsing an invasion by communist North Vietnam -
North Vietnamese prevail at Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist-nationalist revolutionaries. As a result of blunders in French decision-making, the French began an operation to support the soldiers at Dien Bien Phu of northwestern Vietnam. Its purpose was to cut off Viet Minh supply lines into the neighboring Kingdom of Laos, a French ally, and tactically cripple Viet Minh -
Geneva Conference splits Vietnam at the 17th parallel
In 1954, the Geneva Accords were signed. The agreement split Vietnam at the 17th parallel until unified elections, which were to be held in 1956. It also forbid the presence of foreign troops in Vietnam. Since the United States refused to sign the Geneva Accords, it remained as the primary supporter of anti-communist efforts in South Vietnam. -
JFK initiates Operation Farm Gate
President John F. Kennedy originally ordered the Air Force to send a combat detachment to South Vietnam to assist the Saigon government in developing its own counterinsurgency capability. The Air Force formed the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron. Under Operation Farm Gate, the 4400th used older, propeller-driven aircraft to train South Vietnamese Air Force personnel. -
Buddhist protest of Diem regime at Tu Dam pagoda
The Buddhist crisis was a period of political and religious tension in South Vietnam between May and November 1963, characterized by a series of repressive acts by the South Vietnamese government and a campaign of civil resistance, led mainly by Buddhist monks.The crisis was precipitated by the shootings of nine unarmed civilians on May 8 in the central city of Huế who were protesting a ban of the Buddhist flag -
South Vietnamese President Diem is assassinated
Following the overthrow of his government by South Vietnamese military forces the day before, President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother are captured and killed by a group of soldiers. The death of Diem caused celebration among many people in South Vietnam, but also lead to political chaos in the nation -
William Westmoreland put in control of U.S. military forces
William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a United States Army General, who commanded US military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak (1964–68), during the Tet Offensive. He adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. He later served as U.S. Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972. -
Gulf of Tonkin incident
The Gulf of Tonkin incident is the name given to two separate confrontations involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.On August 2, 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox, while performing a signals intelligence patrol as part of DESOTO operations, engaged three North Vietnamese Navy torpedo boats of the 135th Torpedo Squadron. A sea battle resulted in boats and aircrafts damaged and four North Vietnamese sailors were killed. There were no U.S casualties. -
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Widespread protest of the Vietam War
Many Americans began to protest from 1966 until about 1968 because of the Vietnam War. People were upset with all the drafting and just wanted to end the world and bring the troops home -
Tet offensive touches off widespread protests in the United States
From January through February of 1968, the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong attacked towns and cities in the Tet Offensive. With this, President Johnson announced that the bombings would end and that U.S. involvement would be reduced. South Vietnam was to eventually have the primary responsiblity of defending themselves. -
News of My Lai massacre breaks
The My Lai massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of between 347 and 504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Victims included women, men, children, and infants. Some of the women were gang-raped and their bodies were later found to be mutilated &many women were allegedly raped prior to the killings -
Kent State tragedy
On April 30, 1970, President Richard M. Nixon appeared on national television to announce the invasion of Cambodia by the United States and the need to draft 150,000 more soldiers for an expansion of the Vietnam War effort. This provoked massive protests on campuses throughout the country. At Kent State University in Ohio, protesters launched a demonstration that included setting fire to the ROTC building, prompting the governor of Ohio to dispatch 900 National Guardsmen to the campus -
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U.S. troop withdrawal from Vietnam
Secret negotiations led to an agreement between the United States and North Vietnam which guarenteed the withdrawal of U.S. troops. After the treaty was signed in 1973 and American troops were withdrawn, the U.S. was limited to supplying South Vietnam forces and giving air support. -
U.S. military draft terminated
Many Americans got drafted into the Vietnam War from the drafting method. In 1973, this was terminated and now it is selective service only/ -
South Vietnamese President Thieu resigns
The President of South Vietnam has been forced to resign accusing the United States of betrayal -
North and South Vietnam unified under communist rule
Vietnam was divided after the French were forced out of the country. Northern Vietnam was still controlled by the communist while South Vietnam was controlled by those who still supported the French. On July 2, 1976 North and South Vietnam unified under a communist rule
