Vietnam War Event Timeline

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    Pentagon Papers

    Daniel Ellesberg, a former defense analyst, leaked gov. documents regarding war efforts during Johnson's Administration to the New York Times. The docs proved that the gov mislead congress and the U.S people regarding their intentions. Their main goal was not to stop communism in Vietnam, but to avoid a humiliating defeat. quote-"The Pentagon Papers was the name given to a top-secret Department of Defense study of U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967."
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    Kennedy's increase of military advisers in Vietnam

    In May of 1961 Kennedy decided to authorize sending 500 military advisers and Special Forces troops to Vietnam, there were approximately 11,000 US troops in Vietnam by the end of 1962. The number of troops will have increased to 16,000 by 1963. Quote-"that year, 53 military personnel had been killed. The president would soon send additional military advisers to support the South Vietnamese Army. By the end of 1963, the numbers had risen to 16,000."-jfklibrary,org
  • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

    Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
    After the incident the Gulf of Tonkin resolution was enacted which gave Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson the ability to set up military forces in Vietnam without declaring war.
  • Gulf of Tonkin

    Gulf of Tonkin
    In the Gulf of Tonkin The North Vietnamese attacked a U.S. ship because the U.S was starting to support South Vietmnamese.
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    Operation Rolling Thunder

    There was ongoing air war-fare of constant bombing of Hanoi for 3 years especially on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. quote-"...sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the U.S. 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam)"
  • The Election of 1968

    The Election of 1968
    The Election of 1968 focused around the candidate and former Vice Pres. Richard Nixon. His whole campaign was about peace and he promised to end the war if elected Pres.. His slogan was "Peace with Honor". This appealed to the "Silent Majority" that desperately wanted an end to the war.
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    Tet Offensive

    The Tet Offensive was the series of Guerrilla War-Fare attacks on South Vietnam and U.S. by the Vietcong and North Vietnam. This took place all over towns, cities and hamlets.quote-"The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong (rebel forces sponsored by North Vietnam) and North Vietnamese forces..."
  • My Lai Massacre

    My Lai Massacre
    The My Lai Massacre was a massacre held out by the U.S which killed 500 unarmed vietnamese people. Hugh Thompson was a helicopter pilot who ended the massacre and is regarded as a true hero. Lt. William Calley was a platoon leader and the only soldier held accountable for the massacre.
  • Ratification of the 26th Amendment

    Ratification of the 26th Amendment
    Many 18 yo men were upset that they were being sent to the Vietnam war before they could vote so they started protesting. As a result of this the 26th Amendment was enacted which lowered the voting age to 18 for all federal, state and local elections
  • Kent State Massacre

    Kent State Massacre
    At the Kent State Massacre, many college student protested the Vietnam War. 4 people ended up shot dead and 11 people wounded and the hands of national guardsmen
  • Expansion into Laos and Cambodia

    Expansion into Laos and Cambodia
    Along with the Vietnam War there was the Secret War which was an extension of the Vietnam war that took place in Cambodia and Laos doe to a war expansion.
  • The Paris Peace Accords

    The Paris Peace Accords was peace treaty signed in Paris that was officially named The Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam. The conditions were that the U.S had to remove all troops from Vietnam, the North could leave all troop already in the South and continue the war without the U.S involved and there would be no provisions for POWs and MIAs.
  • The Fall of Saigon

    On the Fall of Saigon the U.S. abandons its embassy, Knowing they now have no chance to survive the war, many South Vietnamese people tried to flee the country