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American Involvement Begins
The United States entered the war with a high morale and to fight for democracy. Even the American people backed the war, but all this would soon change. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
In this resolution, Congress gave very broad military power to President Johnson. The Johnson Administration feared that the American people would despise the expansion of the controversial war in Vietnam. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
The major expansion of U.S. involvement was used to attack strategic loactions in North Vietnam in an effort to weaken the North's ability to fight. The effectiveness of this operation is still controversial today. -
My Lai Massacre
U.S. soldiers killed the majority of the South Vietnamese population in My Lai. Hundreds upon hundreds of people were brutally murdered by our soldiers. -
Nixon Elected
President Richard Nixon won the 1968 election with the platform of ending the war as soon as possible. It sounded easy but would soon prove difficult for Nixon. -
Invasion of Cambodia
President Nixon, on this day, announced the plan to invade Cambodia in an effort to eliminate the Viet Cong and end the war. Many citizens felt that their president had failed in his efforts to end the war quickly. -
The Fall of Saigon
On this day, the Viet Cong officially took Saigon, which is now Ho Chi Minh City. This event marked the end of the Vietnam War.
