War Statistics
"On This Day" (from History.com)
September 21
1967: Thai troops arrive inSaigon
Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam, welcomes 1,200 Thai troops as they arrive in Saigon. By 1969, Thai forces in Vietnam would number more than 12,000. The effort to get additional "Free World Military Forces" to participate in the war in support of South Vietnam was part of President Lyndon Johnson's "Many Flags" program. Under this program, 40 nations would send aid and assistance to the Saigon government. However, only five nations--Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and the Philippines--sent troops. A total of 351 Thai soldiers were killed in action in Vietnam.
September 2
1969: Ho Chi Minh dies
President Ho Chi Minh of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam dies of a heart attack in Hanoi. North Vietnamese officials announced his death the next day.
Ho Chi Minh had been the heart and soul of Vietnamese communism since the earliest days of the movement. Born in 1890, he was the son of a Vietnamese government official who resigned in protest against French domination of his country. He was educated in Hue and as a young man worked as a cook on a French steamship, travelling to the United States, Africa, and then Europe, where he took work in London and Paris. In 1920, having accepted Marxist Leninism because of its anticolonial stance, he changed his name to Nguyen Ai Quoc ("Nguyen the Patriot") and helped found the French Communist Party. He traveled to Moscow in 1923 for study and training. In 1924, he went to Canton, China, to meet with Phan Boi Chau, one of the leading Vietnamese nationalists of the era. While in China, Ho played the leading role in the founding of the Indochinese Communist Party in 1929. Ho spent most of the next 10 years writing and organizing, all while outside Vietnam. When the Japanese invaded Vietnam at the beginning of World War II, he changed his name to Ho Chi Minh ("Ho, the Bringer of Light") and moved his revolutionary group to the caves of Pac Bo in northern Vietnam. There, in May 1941, he organized the Viet Minh, a nationalist and communist organization created to mobilize the people.
During the war, Ho and the Viet Minh entered into a loose alliance with the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), helping to rescue downed American pilots. In 1945, when the Japanese surrendered, the Viet Minh seized power and proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with Ho as president. However, the French, wanting to reimpose colonial rule, refused to grant independence to the Vietnamese. In late 1946, war broke out between the Viet Minh and the French. It lasted for eight bloody years, ending finally with the Viet Minh defeating the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The subsequent Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into North and South Vietnam. Ho devoted his efforts to constructing a communist society in North Vietnam. In the early 1960s, a new war broke out in the South, where communist-led guerrillas mounted an insurgency against the U.S.-supported regime in Saigon. When the United States intervened militarily, Ho directed his forces in a protracted war against the Americans. During this period, Ho continued to provide inspirational leadership to his people, but as his health deteriorated, he increasingly assumed a more ceremonial role as policy was shaped by others. Still, he was the embodiment of the revolution and remained a communist icon after his death in 1969.
May 26
1965: Australian troops depart for Vietnam
Eight hundred Australian troops depart for Vietnam and New Zealand announces that it will send an artillery battalion.
The Australian government had first sent troops to Vietnam in 1964 in the form of a small aviation detachment and an engineer civic action team. They were increasing their commitment to the war with the deployment of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). In 1966, the Australians once again increased their troop strength in Vietnam with the formation of the First Australian Task Force, which established a base of operations near Ba Ria in Phuoc Tuy province. The task force included two infantry battalions, a medium tank squadron, and a helicopter squadron, as well as signal, engineer, and other support forces. By 1969, Australian forces (including RAN & RAAF personnel) in Vietnam totaled an estimated 8,000 personnel.
New Zealand had initially sent a small engineer detachment to South Vietnam, but later sent an artillery battery in July 1965. Over time, the New Zealand contingent, which was placed under the operational control of the First Australian Task Force, grew to over 1,000 men.
The Australian and New Zealand contingents were part of the Free World Military Forces, also known as the "many flags" program, which was an effort by President Lyndon B. Johnson to enlist allies for the United States and South Vietnam. By securing support from other nations, Johnson hoped to build an international consensus behind his policies in Vietnam.
Australia and New Zealand began to withdraw their troops in 1970, following the lead of the United States as it drastically reduced its troop commitment to South Vietnam.
April 20
1971: "Fragging" on the rise in U.S. units
The Pentagon releases figures confirming that fragging incidents are on the rise. In 1970, 209 such incidents caused the deaths of 34 men; in 1969, 96 such incidents cost 34 men their lives. Fragging was a slang term used to describe U.S. military personnel tossing of fragmentation hand grenades (hence the term "fragging") usually into sleeping areas to murder fellow soldiers. It was usually directed primarily against unit leaders, officers, and noncommissioned officers.
Fragging was rare in the early days of U.S. involvement in ground combat, but it became increasingly common as the rapid turnover caused by the one-year rotation policy weakened unit cohesion. With leadership and morale already declining in the face of repetitive Vietnam tours, the withdrawal of public support led to soldiers questioning their purpose on the battlefield. The situation worsened with the gradual U.S. troop withdrawal that began in 1969. As some troops were withdrawn, discipline and motivation declined as many remaining soldiers began to question why they had to continue fighting.
Fragging incidents in combat were usually attempts to remove leaders perceived to be incompetent and a threat to survival. Most fragging incidents, however, occurred in rear-echelon units and were committed by soldiers on drugs or because unit leaders were enforcing anti-drug policies. Unit leaders who were perceived to be too stringent in the enforcement of discipline or regulations sometimes received warnings via a fragmentation grenade, with the safety pin left on, but with their name painted on it left on their bunk, or a smoke grenade discharged under their bunk. Most understood the message, and intimidation through threat of fragging far exceeded actual incidents.
April 7
1975: North Vietnamese forces begin preparations for final offensive
North Vietnamese forces prepare to launch the "Ho Chi Minh Campaign," designed to set the conditions for a final communist victory in South Vietnam. By this time, well over two-thirds of South Vietnam was under communist control as South Vietnamese forces had fallen back in panic when the North Vietnamese pressed the attack.
The Ho Chi Minh Campaign offensive was the final phase of the North Vietnamese plan to defeat South Vietnam. Despite the imposition of a cease-fire by the terms of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, fighting had continued between South Vietnamese forces and the North Vietnamese troops left in South Vietnam at the end of the 1972 Easter Offensive. In December 1974, the North Vietnamese launched a major attack against the lightly defended province of Phuoc Long, located north of Saigon along the Cambodian border. They overran the provincial capital at Phuoc Binh on January 6, 1975.
President Richard Nixon had repeatedly promised South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu that the United States would come to the aid of South Vietnam if the North Vietnamese violated the Peace Accords in a major way. However, by the time the communists captured Phuoc Long, Nixon had resigned from office and his successor, Gerald Ford, was unable to convince a hostile Congress to make good on Nixon's promises to Saigon.
This situation emboldened the North Vietnamese, who launched Campaign 275 in March 1975, to capture the provincial capital of Ban Me Thuot (Darlac province) in the Central Highlands. The South Vietnamese defenders fought very poorly and were quickly overwhelmed by the North Vietnamese attackers. The United States did nothing. Stunned by the lack of response from Washington, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu ordered his forces in the Highlands to withdraw to more defensible positions to the south. What started out as a reasonably orderly withdrawal soon degenerated into a panic that spread throughout the South Vietnamese armed forces. They abandoned Pleiku and Kontum with very little fighting and the North Vietnamese pressed the attack from the west and north. In quick succession, Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang in the north fell to the communist onslaught. The North Vietnamese continued to attack south along the coast, defeating the South Vietnamese forces at each encounter.
As the North Vietnamese forces closed on the approaches to Saigon, the politburo in Hanoi issued an order to Gen. Van Tien Dung to launch the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the final assault on Saigon itself. Dung ordered his forces into position for the final battle. The South Vietnamese 18th Division made a valiant final stand at Xuan Loc, 40 miles northeast of Saigon, in which the South Vietnamese soldiers destroyed three of Dung's divisions. After a week, however, the South Vietnamese succumbed to the North Vietnamese. By April 27, the North Vietnamese had completely encircled Saigon and began to maneuver for their final assault. By the morning of April 30, it was all over. When the North Vietnamese tanks broke through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, the South Vietnamese surrendered. The Vietnam War was over.
March 26
1975: Hue falls to the communists
The city of Hue, in northernmost South Vietnam, falls to the North Vietnamese. Hue was the most recent
major city in South Vietnam to fall to the communists during their new offensive. The offensive had started in December 1974, when the North Vietnamese had launched a major attack against the lightly defended
province of Phuoc Long, located north of Saigon along the Cambodian border. The communists overran
the provincial capital of Phuoc Binh on January 6, 1975.
President Richard Nixon had repeatedly promised South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu that the United States would come to the aid of South Vietnam if North Vietnam committed a major violation of the Peace Accords. However, by the time the communists had taken Phuoc Long, Nixon had already resigned
from office and his successor, Gerald Ford, was unable to convince a hostile Congress to make good on Nixon's promises to Saigon.
This situation emboldened the North Vietnamese, who launched a campaign in March 1975 to take the provincial capital of Ban Me Thuot in the Central Highlands. The South Vietnamese defenders there fought
very poorly and were overwhelmed by the North Vietnamese attackers. Once again, the United States did nothing. President Thieu ordered his forces in the Highlands to withdraw to more defensible positions to the south. What started out as a reasonably orderly withdrawal degenerated into a panic that spread throughout
the South Vietnamese armed forces. They abandoned Pleiku and Kontum in the Highlands with
very little fighting and the North Vietnamese pressed the attack from the west and north. In quick succession, Quang Tri and Hue fell. The communists then seized Da Nang, the second largest city in South Vietnam.
Many South Vietnamese, both military and civilian, died in the general chaos while attempting to escape
from the airport, docks, and beaches.
By this time, the South Vietnamese forces were in flight all over the northern half of South Vietnam. The
North Vietnamese continued to attack south along the coast, overrunning city after city, methodically
defeating the South Vietnamese forces. By April 27, the North Vietnamese had completely encircled
Saigon and began to maneuver for their final assault, which became known as the "Ho Chi Minh Campaign."
By the morning of April 30, it was all over. As the North Vietnamese tanks broke through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, the Vietnam War came to an end.
March 20
1954: Americans alarmed about impending French defeat
After a force of 60,000 Viet Minh with heavy artillery had surrounded 16,000 French troops, news of Dien
Bien Phu's impending fall reaches Washington.
French General Henri Navarre had positioned his forces 200 miles behind enemy lines in a remote area adjacent to the Laotian border. He hoped to draw the communists into a set-piece battle in which he
supposed superior French firepower would prevail. He underestimated the enemy. Viet Minh General Vo Nguyen Giap entrenched artillery in the surrounding mountains and massed five divisions around the French positions. The battle, which far exceeded the size and scope of anything to date in the war between the
French and the Viet Minh, began with a massive Viet Minh artillery barrage and was followed by an infantry assault.
Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and other members of the Eisenhower administration were stunned
at the turn of events and discussions were held to decide on a course of action. Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Admiral Arthur Radford proposed the use of nuclear strikes against the Viet Minh. Other
options included massive conventional air strikes, paratrooper drops, and the mining of Haiphong Harbor.
In the end, President Eisenhower decided that the situation was too far gone and ordered no action to be
taken to aid the French.
Fierce fighting continued at Dien Bien Phu until May 7, 1954, when the Viet Minh overran the last French positions. The shock at the fall of Dien Bien Phu led France, already plagued by public opposition to the
war, to agree to grant independence to Vietnam at the Geneva Conference in 1954.
March 13
1975: Ban Me Thuot falls
Ban Me Thuot, capital of Darlac Province in the Central Highlands, falls to North Vietnamese troops.
In late January 1975, just two years after the cease-fire established by the Paris Peace Accords, the North Vietnamese launched Campaign 275. The objective of this campaign was to capture Ban Me Thuot in the Central Highlands. The battle began on March 4 and the North Vietnamese quickly encircled the city with
five main force divisions, cutting it off from outside support.
As it became clear that the communists would take the city and probably the entire province, South
Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu decided to withdraw his forces in order to protect the more critical populous areas to the south. Accordingly, he ordered his forces in the Central Highlands to pull back from
their positions. Abandoning Pleiku and Kontum, the South Vietnamese forces began to move toward the
sea, but what started out as an orderly withdrawal soon turned into panic and the South Vietnamese forces rapidly fell apart. The North Vietnamese were successful in both the Central Highlands and further north at Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang. The South Vietnamese soon collapsed as a cogent fighting force while the
North Vietnamese continued their attack all the way to Saigon. South Vietnam surrendered unconditionally
to the North Vietnamese on April 30 and the war was over.
March 12
1972: Australians withdraw from South Vietnam
The last remnants of the First Australian Task Force withdraw from Vietnam. The Australian government had
first sent troops to Vietnam in 1964 with a small aviation detachment and an engineer civic action team. In
May 1965, the Australians increased their commitment with the deployment of the 1st Battalion, Royal
Australian Regiment (RAR). The formation of the First Australian Task Force in 1966 established an
Australian base of operations near Ba Ria in Phuoc Tuy province. The task force included an additional
infantry battalion, a medium tank squadron, and a helicopter squadron, as well as signal, engineer, and other support forces. By 1969, Australian forces in Vietnam totaled an estimated 6,600 personnel.
The Australian contingent was part of the Free World Military Forces, an effort by President Lyndon B.
Johnson to enlist allies for the United States and South Vietnam. By securing support from other nations, Johnson hoped to build an international consensus behind his policies in Vietnam. The effort was also
known as the "many flags" program.
Australia began to withdraw its troops in 1970, following the lead of the United States as it drastically
reduced its troop commitment to South Vietnam.
March 10
1970: Army captain charged with My Lai war crimes
The U.S. Army accuses Capt. Ernest Medina and four other soldiers of committing crimes at My Lai in March 1968. The charges ranged from premeditated murder to rape and the "maiming" of a suspect under interrogation. Medina was the company commander of Lt. William Calley and other soldiers charged with murder and numerous crimes at My Lai 4 in Song My village.
The My Lai massacre became the most publicized war atrocity committed by U.S. troops in Vietnam.
Allegedly, a platoon had slaughtered between 200 and 500 unarmed villagers at My Lai 4, a cluster of
hamlets in the coastal lowlands of I Corps Tactical Zone. This was a heavily mined region where Viet Cong guerrillas were firmly entrenched and numerous members of the participating platoon had been killed or maimed during the preceding month.
The company had been conducting a search-and-destroy mission. In search of the 48th Viet Cong (VC)
Local Force Battalion, the unit entered My Lai but found only women, children, and old men. Frustrated by unanswered losses due to snipers and mines, the soldiers took out their anger on the villagers. During the attack, several old men were bayoneted, some women and children praying outside the local temple were
shot in the back of the head, and at least one girl was raped before being killed. Many villagers were systematically rounded up and led to a nearby ditch where they were executed.
Reportedly, the killing was only stopped when Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, an aero-scout helicopter
pilot, landed his helicopter between the Americans and the fleeing South Vietnamese, confronting the
soldiers and blocking them from further action against the villagers. The incident was subsequently covered
up, but eventually came to light a year later. An Army board of inquiry headed by Lt. Gen. William Peers investigated the massacre and produced a list of 30 people who knew of the atrocity. Only 14, including
Calley and Medina, were eventually charged with crimes. All eventually had their charges dismissed or were acquitted by courts-martial except Calley, who was found guilty of murdering 22 civilians. He was sentenced
to life imprisonment, but his sentence was reduced to 20 years by the Court of Military Appeals and further reduced later to 10 years by the Secretary of the Army. Proclaimed by much of the public as a "scapegoat," Calley was paroled in 1974 after having served about three years.
1975: Communists surround Ban Me Thuot
The North Vietnamese surround and attack the city of Ban Me Thuot, as heavy fighting erupts in the Central Highlands. This action, initiated in late January 1975, just two years after a cease-fire was established by the Paris Peace Accords, was part of what the North Vietnamese called Campaign 275. The battle for Ban Me Thuot began on March 4, when North Vietnamese encircled the city with five main force divisions and
effectively cut it off from outside support. The South Vietnamese 23rd Division was vastly outnumbered and quickly succumbed to the communists.
As it became clear that the communists would take the city and probably the entire province, South
Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu decided to withdraw his forces in order to protect the more critical populous
areas. Accordingly, he ordered his forces in the Central Highlands to pull back from their positions.
Abandoning
Pleiku and Kontum, the South Vietnamese forces began to move toward the sea, but what started out as an orderly withdrawal soon turned into panic and the South Vietnamese forces rapidly fell apart. The North Vietnamese were successful in both the Central Highlands and further north at Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang. The South Vietnamese soon collapsed as a cogent fighting force and the North Vietnamese continued the attack all the way to Saigon. South Vietnam surrendered unconditionally on April 30.
February 26
1968: Mass graves discovered in Hue
Allied troops who had recaptured the imperial capital of Hue from the North Vietnamese during the Tet
Offensive discover the first mass graves in Hue.
It was discovered that communist troops who had held the city for 25 days had massacred about 2,800
civilians whom they had identified as sympathizers with the government in Saigon. One authority estimated
that communists might have killed as many as 5,700 people in Hue.
The Tet Offensive had begun at dawn on the first day of the Tet holiday truce (January 30), when Viet Cong forces, supported by large numbers of North Vietnamese troops, launched the largest and best coordinated offensive of the war. During the attack, they drove into the center of South Vietnam's seven largest cities
and attacked 30 provincial capitals ranging from the Delta to the DMZ. Among the cities taken during the
first four days of the offensive were Hue, Dalat, Kontum, and Quang Tri; in the north, all five provincial capitals were overrun. At the same time, enemy forces shelled numerous allied airfields and bases. By February 10,
the offensive was largely crushed, but resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.
February 23
1966: Desertion up in South Vietnamese Army
According to the U.S. military headquarters in Saigon, 90,000 South Vietnamese deserted in 1965. This number was almost 14 percent of total South Vietnamese army strength and was twice the number of those
that deserted in 1964.
By contrast, the best estimates showed that fewer than 20,000 Viet Cong defected during the previous year.
February 5
1975: North Vietnamese begin preparations for offensive
North Vietnamese Gen. Van Tien Dung departs for South Vietnam to take command of communist forces in preparation for a new offensive. In December 1974, the North Vietnamese 7th Division and the newly formed 3rd Division attacked Phuoc Long Province, north of Saigon. This attack represented an escalation in the "cease-fire war" that started shortly after the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973.
The North Vietnamese wanted to see how Saigon and Washington would react to a major attack so close to Saigon. President Richard Nixon and his successor, Gerald Ford, had promised to come to the aid of South Vietnam if the North Vietnamese launched a major new offensive. With Nixon's Watergate resignation and
Ford facing an increasingly hostile Congress, Hanoi was essentially conducting a "test" attack to see if the United States would honor its commitment to Saigon. The attack was much more successful than the North Vietnamese anticipated: the South Vietnamese soldiers fought poorly and the United States did nothing.
Emboldened by their success, the North Vietnamese decided to launch a major offensive against the South Vietnamese. "Campaign 275" began on March 1, 1975. The North Vietnamese forces quickly overran the
South Vietnamese and the United States failed to provide the promised support. Saigon fell on April 30
and the South Vietnamese government officially surrendered.
January 30
1968: Tet Offensive begins
At dawn on the first day of the Tet holiday truce, Viet Cong forces--supported by large numbers of North Vietnamese troops--launch the largest and best coordinated offensive of the war, drivingg into the center of South Vietnam's seven largest cities and attacking 30 provincial capitals from the Delta to the DMZ.
Among the cities taken during the first four days of the offensive were Hue, Dalat, Kontum, and Quang Tri;
in the north, all five provincial capitals were overrun. At the same time, enemy forces shelled numerous
Allied airfields and bases. In Saigon, a 19-man Viet Cong suicide squad seized the U.S. Embassy and
held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof
and routed them. Nearly 1,000 Viet Cong were believed to have infiltrated Saigon, and it took a week of
intense fighting by an estimated 11,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops to dislodge them.
By February 10, the offensive was largely crushed, but with heavy casualties on both sides. The former
Imperial capital of Hue took almost a month of savage house-to-house combat to regain. Efforts to assess
the offensive's impact began well before the fighting ended. On February 2, President Johnson announced
that the Viet Cong had suffered complete military defeat. General Westmoreland echoed that appraisal four days later in a statement declaring that Allied forces had killed more enemy troops in the previous seven
days than the United States had lost in the entire war.
Militarily, Tet was decidedly an Allied victory, but psychologically and politically, it was a disaster. The
offensive was a crushing military defeat for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese, but the size and
scope of the communist attacks caught the American and South Vietnamese allies by surprise. The early reporting of a smashing communist victory went largely uncorrected in the media and led to a psychological victory for the communists. The heavy U.S. and South Vietnamese casualties incurred during the offensive, coupled with the disillusionment over the earlier overly optimistic reports of progress in the war, accelerated
the growing disenchantment with President Johnson's conduct of the war. Johnson, frustrated with his
inability to reach a solution in Vietnam, announced on March 31, 1968, that he would neither seek nor
accept the nomination of his party for re-election.
1971: Operation Dewey Canyon II begins
Operation Dewey Canyon II begins as the initial phase of Lam Son 719, the South Vietnamese invasion of
Laos that would commence on February 8. The purpose of the South Vietnamese operation was to interdict
the Ho Chi Minh Trail, advance to Tchepone in Laos, and destroy the North Vietnamese supply dumps in the
area.
In Dewey Canyon II, the vanguard of the U.S. 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division began moving from
Vandegrift Combat Base along highway Route 9 toward Khe Sanh with an armored cavalry/engineer task
force. These units were to clear the way for the move of 20,000 South Vietnamese troops along the highway
to reoccupy 1,000 square miles of territory in northwest South Vietnam and to mass at the Laotian border
in preparation for Lam Son 719.
U.S. ground forces were not to enter Laos, in accordance with a U.S. congressional ban. Instead they gave logistical support, with some 2,600 helicopters on call to airlift Saigon troops and supplies. In addition, U.S. artillerymen provided long-range artillery fire into Laos from American firebases just inside the South Vietnamese border.
January 29
1968: President Johnson requests additional funds
In his annual budget message, President Lyndon B. Johnson asks for $26.3 billion to continue the war in Vietnam, and announces an increase in taxes. The war was becoming very expensive, both in terms of
lives and national treasure. Johnson had been given a glowing report on progress in the war from Gen.
William Westmoreland, senior U.S. commander in South Vietnam. Westmoreland stated in a speech
before the National Press Club that, "We have reached an important point when the end begins to come
into view. I am absolutely certain that, whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing.
The enemy's hopes are bankrupt."
The day after Johnson's budget speech, the communists launched a massive attack across the length and breadth of South Vietnam. This action, the Tet Offensive, proved to be a critical turning point for the United States in Vietnam. In the end, the offensive resulted in a crushing military defeat for the Viet Cong and the
North Vietnamese, but the size and scope of the communist attacks caught the American and South Vietnamese allies by surprise. The heavy U.S. and South Vietnamese casualties incurred during the
offensive, coupled with the disillusionment over the administration's earlier overly optimistic reports of
progress in the war, accelerated the growing disenchantment with the president's conduct of the war.
Johnson, frustrated with his inability to reach a solution in Vietnam, announced on March 31, 1968, that he
would neither seek nor accept the nomination of his party for re-election.
January 24
1966: Operation Masher/White Wing/Thang Phong II launched
In the largest search-and-destroy operation to date - Operation Masher/White Wing/Thang Phong II - the
U.S. 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), South Vietnamese, and Korean forces sweep through Binh Dinh
Province in the central lowlands along the coast.
The purpose of the operation was to drive the North Vietnamese out of the province and destroy enemy
supply areas. In late January, it became the first large unit operation conducted across corps boundaries
when the cavalrymen linked up with Double Eagle, a U.S. Marine Corps operation intended to destroy the
North Vietnamese 325A Division. Altogether, there were reported enemy casualties of 2,389 by the time
the operation ended.
Also on this day: Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, in a memorandum to President Johnson,
recommends raising the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam to more than 400,000 by the end of the year. However, he warned that planned deployments and increased bombing would not ensure military success. Ultimately, McNamara was correct and the war raged on even as total U.S. troop strength in country went
over 500,000 soldiers in 1969.
January 20
1972: New communist offensive anticipated
In continued efforts to disrupt an anticipated communist offensive, a contingent of more than 10,000 South Vietnamese troops begin a sweep 45 miles northwest of Saigon to find and destroy enemy forces. There
was much speculation that the North Vietnamese would launch such an offensive around the Tet (Chinese
New Year) holiday. Although the communists did not attack during the Tet holiday in early February, in March
they launched a massive invasion involving more than 150,000 main force troops and large amounts of
tanks and artillery pieces. The battles raged throughout South Vietnam into the fall and resulted in some
of the fiercest fighting of the war.
January 15
1973: Nixon halts military action against North Vietnam
Citing "progress" in the Paris peace negotiations between National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and
Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam, President Richard Nixon halts the most concentrated bombing of the war,
as well as mining, shelling, and all other offensive action against North Vietnam. The cessation of direct
attacks against North Vietnam did not extend to South Vietnam, where the fighting continued as both sides jockeyed for control of territory before the anticipated cease-fire.
On December 13, North Vietnamese negotiators had walked out of secret talks with Kissinger. President
Nixon issued an ultimatum to Hanoi to send its representatives back to the conference table within 72
hours "or else." The North Vietnamese rejected Nixon's demand and the president ordered Operation Linebacker II, a full-scale air campaign against the Hanoi area. This operation was the most concentrated
air offensive of the war.
During the 11 days of the attack, 700 B-52 sorties and more than 1,000 fighter-bomber sorties dropped
roughly 20,000 tons of bombs, mostly over the densely populated area between Hanoi and Haiphong. On December 28, after 11 days of intensive bombing, the North Vietnamese agreed to return to the talks.
When the negotiators met again in early January, they quickly worked out a settlement. The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 23 and a cease-fire went into effect five days later.
January 14
1968: Operation Niagara launched
U.S. joint-service Operation Niagara is launched to support the U.S. Marine base at Khe Sanh.
The Khe Sanh base was the westernmost anchor of a series of combat bases and strongholds that
stretched from the Cua Viet River on the coast of the South China Sea westward along Route 9 to the
Laotian border. Intelligence sources revealed that the North Vietnamese Army was beginning to build up
its forces in the area surrounding Khe Sanh. Operation Niagara was a joint U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps air campaign launched in support of the marines manning the base. Using sensors installed along
the nearby DMZ and reconnaissance flights to pinpoint targets, 24,000 tactical fighter-bomber sorties and
2,700 B-52 strategic bomber sorties were flown between the start of the operation and March 31, 1968,
when it was terminated. This airpower played a major role in the successful defense of Khe Sanh when it
came under attack on January 21 and was subsequently besieged for 66 days until finally broken on April 7.
January 12
1962: Operation Ranch Hand initiated
The United States Air Force launches Operation Ranch Hand, a "modern technological area-denial
technique" designed to expose the roads and trails used by the Viet Cong.
Flying C-123 Providers, U.S. personnel dumped an estimated 19 million gallons of defoliating herbicides
over 10-20 percent of Vietnam and parts of Laos between 1962-1971. Agent Orange--named for the color
of its metal containers--was the most frequently used defoliating herbicide. The operation succeeded in
killing vegetation, but not in stopping the Viet Cong. The use of these agents was controversial, both during
and after the war, because of the questions about long-term ecological impacts and the effect on humans
who either handled or were sprayed by the chemicals.
Beginning in the late 1970s, Vietnam veterans began to cite the herbicides, especially Agent Orange, as
the cause of health problems ranging from skin rashes to cancer to birth defects in their children. Similar problems, including an abnormally high incidence of miscarriages and congenital malformations, have
been reported among the Vietnamese people who lived in the areas where the defoliating agents were
used.
January 11
1956: Diem issues Ordinance No. 6
South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem issues Ordinance No. 6, allowing the internment of former
Viet Minh members and others "considered as dangerous to national defense and common security."
The Viet Minh was a largely communist organization that overthrew French colonial rule in Vietnam and assumed control of the government in North Vietnam in October 1954. Diem's internment of former Viet
Minh members was an attempt to consolidate his control of South Vietnam. He had already subdued
opposition from various religious sects and had launched a drive against Viet Minh who remained in the
South.
Although by the end of 1956, Diem had smashed 90 percent of the former Viet Minh insurgent agents in the Mekong Delta, his ruthless drive against all dissidents did little to enhance his popularity, and he lost many potential allies. He managed to stay in power until November 1963, when he was assassinated during a
coup by South Vietnamese army generals.
1965: Demonstrations erupt in Saigon and Hue
Major cities--especially Saigon and Hue--and much of central Vietnam are disrupted by demonstrations and strikes led by Buddhists.
Refusing to accept any government headed by Tran Van Huong, who they saw as a puppet of the United
States, the Buddhists turned against U.S. institutions and their demonstrations took on an increasingly
anti-American tone. Thich Tri Quang, the Buddhist leader, and other monks went on a hunger strike. A
Buddhist girl in Nha Trang burned herself to death (the first such self-immolation since 1963). Although
Huong tried to appease the Buddhists by rearranging his government, they were not satisfied.
In the end, Huong was unable to put together a viable government and, on January 27, the Armed Forces Council overthrew him in a bloodless coup and installed Gen. Nguyen Khanh in power. Khanh was ousted
by yet another coup on February 18, led by Air Commodore Nguyen Cao Ky and Maj. Gen. Nguyen Van
Thieu. A short-lived civilian government under Dr. Phan Huy Quat was installed, but it lasted only until June
12, 1965. At that time, Thieu and Ky formed a new government with Thieu as the chief of state and Ky as
the prime minister. Thieu and Ky would be elected as president and vice-president in general elections
held in 1967.
January 10
1967: Johnson asks for surcharge to pay for the war
President Johnson, in his annual State of the Union message to Congress, asks for enactment of a
6 percent surcharge on personal and corporate income taxes to help support the Vietnam War for two
years, or "for as long as the unusual expenditures associated with our efforts continue." Congress
delayed for almost a year, but eventually passed the surcharge. The U.S. expenditure in Vietnam for
fiscal year 1967 would be $21 billion.
January 8
1967: Operation Cedar Falls is launched
About 16,000 U.S. soldiers from the 1st and 25th Infantry Divisions, 173rd Airborne Brigade and 11th
Armored Cavalry Regiment join 14,000 South Vietnamese troops to mount Operation Cedar Falls.
This offensive, the largest of the war to date, was designed to disrupt insurgent operations near Saigon,
and had as its primary targets the Thanh Dien Forest Preserve and the Iron Triangle, a 60-square-mile area
of jungle believed to contain communist base camps and supply dumps. During the course of the operations, U.S. infantrymen discovered and destroyed a massive tunnel complex in the Iron Triangle, apparently a headquarters for guerrilla raids and terrorist attacks on Saigon. The operation ended with 711 of the enemy reported killed and 488 captured. Allied losses were 83 killed and 345 wounded. The operation lasted
for 18 days.
December 31
1968 : Bloodiest year of the war ends
The bloodiest year of the war comes to an end. At year's end, 536,040 American servicemen were
stationed in Vietnam, an increase of over 50,000 from 1967.
Estimates from Headquarters U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam indicated that 181,150 Viet
Cong and North Vietnamese were killed during the year. However, Allied losses were also up: 27,915 South Vietnamese, 14,584 Americans (a 56 percent increase over 1967), and 979 South Koreans, Australians,
New Zealanders and Thais were reported killed during 1968. Since January 1961, more than 31,000 U.S. servicemen had been killed in Vietnam and over 200,000 U.S. personnel had been wounded.
Contributing to the high casualty number was the Tet Offensive launched by the communists. Conducted in
the early weeks of the year, it was a crushing military defeat for the communists, but the size and scope of
the attacks caught the American and South Vietnamese allies completely by surprise. The early reporting
of a smashing communist victory went largely uncorrected in the media and this led to a psychological
victory for the communists. The heavy U.S. casualties incurred during the offensive coupled with the disillusionment over the earlier overly optimistic reports of progress in the war accelerated the growing disenchantment with President Johnson's conduct of the war. Johnson, frustrated with his inability to reach
a solution in Vietnam, announced on March 31, 1968, that he would neither seek nor accept the Democratic nomination for president. Johnson's announcement did not dampen the wave of antiwar protests that
climaxed with the bloody confrontation between protesters and police outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
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Statistical Data from the Vietnam War
Australian Statistics:
804,000 Australian men registered for National Service.
63,000 National Servicemen (7.8%) were called up.
18,000 National Servicemen (28.6%) saw service in Vietnam.
Source: Australian Defence Force Casualties in Vietnam - Revised June 1988. The Official figures still indicate only 1 as Missing in Action (MIA). We have adjusted the figure to show 6, which we believe to
be the true figure. We have accounted for a definite 6 MIA. Confusion may exist as some MIAs were
listed as KIA, even though their bodies were never recovered from the battle field.
Naval Operations - Onshore:
In Feb 1967 Clearance Divers became the first RAN personnel to be sent to Vietnam in a combat role.
The 6 man teams continued to serve in the war zone until May 1971 (they were first in, first out).
Summary of CDT3 operations:-
Ships searched - 7573
Other major diving tasks - 153
Explosive devices removed from ships - 78
Heavy ordnance destroyed - 353 tons
Unsafe ammunition destroyed - 42,000 items
Special Operations - 68
Casualties - 1 wounded in action
1 killed on active service.
In sum total, 49 Clearance Diver's served in the 8 Teams.
In Oct '67 the RAN Helicopter Flight became an integral part of the US 135th Aviation Company.
They returned to Australia in June '71.
The RAN also provided 8 Helicopter pilots for service with 9 Squadron, RAAF. (see Misc page).
Naval Operations - Offshore:
In March '67, HMAS Hobart joined the US 7th Fleet to provide gunfire support missions. In 5 years of
service RAN destroyers steamed over 397,000 miles and fired 102,546 rounds.
HMAS Hobart served 3 tours and fired a total of 42,475 rounds in support of ground troops.
HMAS Perth - 3 deployments, firing 30,711 rounds.
HMAS Brisbane - 2 deployments, firing 15,651 rounds and
HMAS Vendetta - 1 deployment, firing 13,709 rounds of ordnance.
NGFS Call Signs:
HMAS Hobart - 'Royal Purple'
HMAS Perth - 'Gunpowder'
HMAS Brisbane - 'Flamboyant'
HMAS Vendetta - 'Premier'
HMAS Sydney, in company with her escorts, acted as a troop transport conducting 22 voyages to
Vung Tau between May '65 and March '72.
Naval stats taken from "Royal Australian Navy in Vietnam" by Denis Fairfax.
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General Stats - Vietnam
Casualties:
Estimated overall at 5,773,190.
Estimated dead 2,122,244.
Americans killed - 58,169 at an average age of 23.11 years - 304,000 wounded.
11,465 killed were under 20 years of age.
1 in 10 Americans who served in Vietnam were casualties.
75,000 Veterans were severely disabled.
Amputation and crippling wounds were almost 300% higher than WW2.
51% of deaths and 16% of wounds were caused by small arms fire. (World War II 32% - Korea 33%). The higher rate in Vietnam was contributed to the high velocity rapid fire weapons such as the AK47 and captured M16s.
36% of deaths and 65% of wounds were caused by fragments from artillery.
11% of deaths and 15% of wounds were caused by booby traps and mines.
2% of wounds were caused by Punji stakes.
2% of deaths and 2% of wounds were caused by other means.
There were 18 military hospitals scattered throughout Vietnam.
Medivac helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions.
900,000 patients were airlifted (almost half being American).
Average time lapse from being wounded to hospitalisation was one hour.
Percentage of those seriously wounded who were saved - 82 %.
Percentage of wounded who died after arriving at hospital - 2.6%.
There were almost twice as many casualties in South East Asia (primarily Cambodia) in the first two years
after the fall of Saigon in 1975 than there were during the ten years the US was involved.
1973: US POWs in SE Asia - 591, MIA - 1,380, unaccounted for - 1,929.
Casualties - US versus NVA/VC
North Vietnamese military personnel and Vietcong reported to have died in combat - 444,000.
Estimated number of Vietnamese civilians killed in the war - 587,000.
Estimated number of Vietnamese civilians wounded in the war - 935,000.
Number of South Vietnamese military personnel killed during the war - 220,357.
Number of South Vietnamese military personnel wounded during the war - 499,000.
Number of South Vietnamese military personnel who deserted between 1965 and 1972 - 840,000.
There were 140,000 Vietnamese evacuees in April 1975. (The Fall Of Saigon).
An estimated 10 million Vietnamese were refugees being 55% of the population including 900,000 orphans.
Number of US NCOs and US Officers killed by their own troops - 86.
Number of US NCOs and US Officers wounded by their own troops - 714.
Number of probable explosive-device assaults (fraggings) against officers by US servicemen - 788.
The Air War
The US flew 1,899,688 sorties and dropped 6,727,084 tons bombs on Indo China, compared with the
2,700,00 tons of bombs dropped on Germany during the Second World War.
The US conducted 124,532 B52 missions, expending 2,633,035 tons of ordnance.
18 B52s were lost to enemy action with 13 more lost in collisions and accidents.
3,750 Aircraft (Fixed Wing) were lost in Vietnam.
More than 8,000 US Airmen were killed.
Approx. 12,000 helicopters saw service in Vietnam (all services).
4,865 Helicopters were downed by Communist ground fire at a cost of US$250,000 each.
(Total - US$1,216,250,000)
Amount of the damage, in dollars, inflicted on North Vietnam by US bombing raids - $600 million.
Cost of US bombing raids on North Vietnam - $6 billion. ( i.e. it cost $10 to inflict $1 worth of damage).
The Ground War
From 1957 to 1973 the NLF assassinated 36,725 South Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499.
The Chemical War
3,500,000 acres of Vietnam was sprayed with 19 million gallons of Defoliants, the effects of which will
last 100 years.
The US Infantry Combat Soldier:
Average age of Infantry soldiers was 23.1 years.
Average age during World War 2 was 26 years.
The infantry soldier in the South Pacific in WW2 saw about 40 days of combat in four years.
The American infantry soldier in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in 1 year.
The Australian infantry soldier saw an average of 314 days combat in 1 year.
Logistics:
$352 billion dollars spent on the war.
760,000 tons of supplies arrived each month.
10 million field rations were consumed each month.
71,000 tons of ammunition was expended each month.
303 million litres of petroleum products were consumed each month.
Engineers paved 33,450 hectares of airfields and heliports.
Engineers constructed 18,000 hectares of covered and open storage facilities plus 14,150 cubic metres of refrigerated storage.
Engineers constructed 2,740 km of roads, built 4,600 metres of bridges and constructed 15 large fortified bases.
Average number of artillery rounds expended in one day by the US in Vietnam - 10,000.
Cost per artillery round - $100. Cost per day - $1,000,000.
Cost of one sortie for a B-52 bomber - $30,000.
Amount of aid in dollars, provided to North Vietnam and the Vietcong by the Soviet Union and China -
$3 billion.
At Wars End:- Equipment Lost To Communist Forces (Estimated):
Light and medium tanks - 550.
Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) - 1,200.
Small ships and landing craft - 80.
Aircraft - 1,000 including 200 fighters and ground attacks aircraft.
Transport aircraft - 100.
Helicopters - 500.
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These statistics are from the US involvement in Vietnam and make very interesting reading.
Vietnam War Facts:
2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam.
Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation.
240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.
The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station.
75,000 were severely disabled, 23,214 were 100% disabled.
5,283 lost limbs, 1,081 sustained multiple amputations.
Of those killed, 6.1 % were younger than 25.
11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old.
Of those killed, 17,539 were married.
Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old.
The oldest man killed was 62 years old.
As of January 15th 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged.
91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served. At February 2006, 74% say they would serve
again, even knowing the outcome.
Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non vet age groups.
Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non veteran age group by more than 18 percent.
87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem.
There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non Vietnam Veterans of the same
age group (Source: Veterans Administration Study).
Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison. Only half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been
jailed for crimes.
85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.
Interesting Census Stats and "Been there" Wanabees:
1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures).
During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in country was 9,492,958.
As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population
estimate is: 1,002,511. This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. That's 390 per
day. During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam Vets are not.
Common Myths Dispelled:
Myth: Common Belief is that most Vietnam veterans were drafted.
Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War 2
were drafted. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers.
Myth: The media have reported that suicides among Vietnam veterans range from 50,000 to 100,000,
6 to 11 times the non Vietnam veteran population.
Fact: Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate.
The CDC Vietnam Experience Study Mortality Assessment showed that during the first 5 years after
discharge, deaths from suicide were 1.7 times more likely among Vietnam veterans than non Vietnam
Veterans. After that initial post service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide
than non Vietnam veterans. In fact, after the 5 year post service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans' group.
Myth: Common belief is that a disproportionate number of blacks were killed in the Vietnam War.
Fact: 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book "All That We Can
Be", said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. Black fatalities amounted to 12 percent of all Americans killed in
Southeast Asia, a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the US population at the time and slightly
lower than the proportion of blacks in the Army at the close of the war.
Myth: Common belief is that the war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated.
Fact: Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well to do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because
they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our
nation had ever sent into combat. 79% had a high school education or better.
Here are statistics from the Combat Area Casualty File (CACF) as of November 1993. The CACF is the
basis for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Salute February 2006 Wall): Average age of 58,148 killed
in Vietnam was 23.11 years. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both
event date and birth date. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were
listed as missing in action).
Deaths
Total: 58,148
Enlisted: 50,274
Officers: 6,598
Warrant Officers: 1,276
Myth: The common belief is the average age of an infantryman fighting in Vietnam was 19.
Fact: Assuming KlAs accurately represented age groups serving in Vietnam, the average age of an
infantryman (MOS 11 B) serving in Vietnam to be 19 years old is a myth, it is actually 23. None of the
enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. The average man who fought in World War 2 was
26 years of age.
Myth: The Common belief is that the domino theory was proved false.
Fact: The domino theory was accurate. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand stayed free of Communism because of the U.S. commitment to Vietnam. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of America's commitment
in Vietnam. Without that commitment, Communism would have swept all the way to the Malacca Straits that
is south of Singapore and of great strategic importance to the free world. If you ask people who live in these countries who won the war in Vietnam, they have a different opinion from the American news media. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism.
Myth: The common belief is that the fighting in Vietnam was not as intense as in World War 2.
Fact: The average infantryman ill the South Pacific during World War 2 saw about 40 days of combat in
four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,148
were killed and 304,000 wounded.
The US stats were compiled by Capt Marshal Hanson,
USNR (Rtd).
**The webmaster is unable to confirm whether or not the US figures are 100% accurate .
