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Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave President Lyndon Johnson the power to take whatever actions he saw necessary to defend Southeast Asia. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
President Johnson authorized the sustained bombing campaign of North Vietnam, known as Operation Rolling Thunder. The actual bombing runs began on March 2nd. The aim of Rolling Thunder was to force North Vietnam to stop supporting Viet Cong guerrillas in South Vietnam. -
First American Ground Offensive in Vietnam
General William Westmoreland launched the first purely offensive operation by American ground forces in Vietnam, which swept into Viet Cong territory just northwest of Saigon. -
U.S. Escalation
By the end of 1966, American forces in Vietnam reached 385,000 men, plus an additional 60,000 sailors stationed offshore. More than 6,000 Americans were killed in this year, and 30,000 were wounded. In comparison, an estimated 61,000 Vietcong were killed. -
Tet Offensive
Viet Cong units launched surprise attacks throughout South Vietnam. This became known as the Tet Offensive. Tet is the beginning of the lunar new year and a major national holiday in Vietnam. In previous years fighting decreased dramatically or even ceased altogether during the holiday. The 1968 Tet holiday was different. American and South Vietnamese forces spent the next month fighting to beat back the Viet Cong. This was a major blow to the public perception of the war back in the U.S. -
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre occured when an American unit was sent out on a search-and-destroy mission in an area suspected of harboring Viet Cong. As many as 500 Vietnamese were killed. The Massacre was kept hidden from the American public for over a year. Lieutenant William Calley was the only American soldier at My Lai to be found guilty of any crimes. He was charged with systematically killing unarmed women, children, and the elderly, and was originally sentenced to life in prison. -
Johnson's Decision Not to Run for Reelection
Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not seek reelection to the presidency. -
End of Operation Rolling Thunder
After three-and-a-half years, Operation Rolling Thunder came to an end. The campaign had cost more than 900 American aircrafts, 818 pilots died or went missing, and hundreds wound up in captivity. According to U.S. estimates, 182,000 North Vietnamese civilians were killed. -
Operation Menu
President Nixon authorized Operation Menu, the bombing of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong bases in Cambodia and Laos. Over the following four years, U.S. forces dropped more than a half million tons of bombs on Cambodia. -
American Deaths in Vietnam Exceed Those in Korea
U.S. combat deaths in Vietnam exceeded the 33,629 men killed in the Korean War. -
U.S. Ground Troops in Cambodia
30,000 U.S. soldiers attacked Viet Cong forces in Cambodia. The operation in Vietnam's neighboring country lasted for 60 days. -
The Pentagon Papers
The New York Times began publishing excerpts of what became known as The Pentagon Papers. Daniel Ellsberg, an analyst at the Department of Defense, leaked these documents to the press. This revealed to the general populace that American leaders ignored international agreements, manipulated Saigon governments, and lied to congress and the public.
