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President Discussion
This meeting results in an agreement to have the U.S. army give South Vietnam direct training and combat supervision. The president of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem had asked the the U.S. to help sooner, but they finally pulled through and sent more troops to help. -
Helicopter Arrival
The USNC Core arrived in Saigon with the first U.S. Helicopter unit. It carried 33 vertol H-21C Shawnee Helicopters and 400 air and ground crewmen to opporate them. Their mission was to airlift South Vietnamese troops in combat. -
U.S. Troops Sent to Vietnam
An Addition 5,000 U.S. Troops were sent to Vietnam adding up to a total number of 21,000 U.S. military forces in Vietnam. These U.S. troops were not sent to change policy, but sent to support and help already exsisting U.S. efforts. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Public Law 88-408 gave president Johnson the power to take what ever action he felt was needed to protect Southeast Asia including the use of armed forces. Johnson used it to increase U.S. commitment to the war in Vietnam. -
Lt. Frank Reasoner
U.S.M.C Lt. Frank Reasoner og Kellogg,Idaho he was on a search of a suspected Viet Cong area to detect enemy activity by a near by airbase at Da Nang. This Lt. and five men layed fire and killed two Viet Cong. Lt. Reasoner singe-handedly took out a machine gun to save a wounded radio operator. He then lost his life and was was awarded for Highest award for Valor; he was honored for giving his life to protect his soldiers. -
Major Action U.S. Forces
5,500 U.S. Marines destroy a Viet Cong base area near Van Tuong. Massive artillery and air assualt were used. The U.S. forced claim to have losted 45 men and killed 668 Viet Cong warriors. -
Operation Masher
The largest search an destroy operation to date. South Vietnsmese and Korean forces travel through Binh Dinh province in the central lowlands along the coast. The mission was to drive the North Vietnamese out of province and destroy their supply area. there were 2,389 enemy casualties by the time the operation is over. On this same day Robert McNamara suggested sending U.S. troops to more than 400,000. -
Operation Hasting
8,500 Marines and 2,500 South Vietnamese launched operation Hasting. Their intention was to thwart the North Vietnameses 324 B Division's efforts to take control of Quang Tri Province. This lasted until August 3rd. -
Operation Attleboro
Began with a search and destroy mission led by the 196th infantry Brigade in the area North of it's base camp at Tay Ninh. On November 1st, after a month and a half of searching they run into the 9th Viet Cong division in the dense jungles Northwest of Dau Tieng. When the battle is over Viet Cong are forced to withdraw. -
Operation Cedar Falls
After Viet Cong's withdraw in 1966 Cedar Falls was launched. The goal was to route out Viet Cong camps in the Iron Triangle. Americans Commanders hoped that Viet Cong forces would stand and fight. It was designed as a classic hammer and anvil operation and requires US and ARVN divisions. The Viet Cong choose not to fight, but 750 VietCong were killed. -
Operation Juntion City
This was the largest U.S. operation of the war. Search and destroy mission along the Cambodian Border. American troops cover most of the area before the encoutered resistance. There we threee major battle and each of them were led by the Viet Cong: Ap BauBang, at fire support base gold, and at Ap Gu. Each battle started with the VietCong attacking first and all three times they were beaten. -
Operation Kingfisher
130 men of the 173rd U.S. Airborne Brigade is nearly wiped out in an ambush near Dak To, Kontum province. By the end 80 americans are killed and 34 are wounded. this operation lasted until October 31st. -
Dak To Battle
One of the bloodiest battles of the war takes place in the central highlands near Dak To. There were about 4,500 US 4th devision and 173rd Airborne Brigade. They faced 6,00 North Vietnamese troops of the 174th regiment. The North Vietnamese were forced to withdrwa with 1,455 of there men killed. For the US there were 285 killed and 985 wounded. -
My Lai Massacre
A unit of Charlie Company 1st Battalion 20th infantry Slaughter between 200 and 500 unarmed villagers in the hamlet of My Lai. Led by Lt. William Calley, the platoon was order to enter the village firing. -
Hamburger Hill
U.S. and South Vietnamese troops fight for Ap Bia Mountain. This battle was one of the fiercest of the war. After 56 AMericans are killed and 420 are wounded, the US and South Vietnamese capture the hill and kill 597 North Vietnamese. This battle lasted ten days! -
Nixon Withdraw
Began withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam. By the end of the year U.S. troops were down to 479,000. In 1969 9,414 Americans are killed in Vietnam.
