The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War

Where ?

Southeast AsiaWho?South Vietnam, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand.North Vietnam, Viet Cong, communist guerrillas in Cambodia and the communist guerrillas in Laos. China and the Soviet Union contributed to the Communist side by giving them supplies and support.VS.Why?The U.S. wanted to stop the spread of Communism throughout Southeast Asia. We wanted South Vietnam to be freed from the Vietcong.

1959

Communists supported by North Vietnam cause conflict in South Vietnam. This conflict between the two halves of Vietnam marks the beginning of the Vietnam War.1961

Late 1961: President John F. Kennedy orders more help for the South Vietnamese government in its war against the Vietcong guerrillas. U.S. backing includes new equipment and more than 3,000 military advisors and support personnel.December 11, 1961: American helicopters arrive at docks in South Vietnam along with 400 U.S. personnel.1963

President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President.1964

August 4, 1964: The captain of the U.S.S. Maddox reports that his vessel has been fired on and that an attack is imminent. Though he later says that no attack took place, six hours after the initial report, a retaliation against the North Vietnam is ordered by President Johnson. August 7, 1964: U.S. congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Johnson the power to take whatever actions he sees necessary to defend southeast Asia.1964

October: China, North Vietnams neighbor and ally, successfully tests an atomic bomb.November: Two days before the U.S. presidential election, Vietcong mortars shell Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. Four Americans are killed, 76 wounded. Five B-57 bombers are destroyed, and 15 are damaged.1965

Trying to stop the spread of Communism, the United States sends combat troops to Vietnam. About 60,000 American soldiers and many more Vietnamese soldiers die in the years to follow. This loss of lives sparks anti-war protests all over America.

Anti-war opinion increased in the U.S. from the mid-1960s on with rallies, teach-ins, and other forms of demonstration.1973

In response to anti-war feelings, the U.S. signs a peace accord with North Vietnam. American troops leave Vietnam.1975

South Vietnam surrenders to Communist North Vietnam. They are united in 1976 under Communist leadership.1982The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington D.C. It is a wall of black granite engraved with the names of all soldiers who died in the Vietnam War or are missing.

1993

The U.S. and Vietnam successfully work together to recover the remains of American soldiers missing since the war.FACTSThe war was estimated to cost about $200 billion.The bombing of North Vietnam surpassed the total tonnage of bombs dropped on Germany, Italy, and Japan in WWII.8,744,000- Total numbers of U.S. Troops that served worldwide during Vietnam.The total of American servicemen listed as POW/MIA at the end of the war is 2,646 and as of May 2013 1,647 are still unaccounted for. U.S. DEATHSBattle: 47,434Non-Battle: 10,786Total number of U.S. casualties in the Vietnam War: 58,220