The Vietnam War began in 1954 and ended in 1975.  In late 1961, J.F.K. ordered help for the South Vietnamese government in its war against the Vietcong guerrillas.  The U.S. helped with equipment and military advisors.  In 1961, American helicopters arrived in South Vietnam with 400 U.S. personnel who flew and maintained the aircrafts.  On January 12, 1962, Operation Chopper began.  Helicoptersa flown by U.S. army pilots ferry 1000 South Vietnamese soldiers to sweep a NLF stronghold near Saigon.  It marked America's first combat missions against the Vietcong.

    Later on January 2, 1963, the Vietcong 514th Battalion and local guerrilla forces ambushed the South Vietnamese Army's 7th division.  For the first time the Vietcong stood their ground against American machinery and South Vietnamese soldiers.  Almost 400 Souith Vietnamese were killed or wounded and 3 American advisors were killed.

    On August 7, 1964, the U.S. Congress passed the Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution, which gave President Johnson the power to do whatever it takes to defend Southeast Asia.  Later, the same year, two days before the U.S. presidential election, Vietcong mortars shell Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon.  Four Americans were killed and 76 wounded.  Five B-57 bombers were destroyed and 15 were damaged.

    In 1965, nine Americans were killed and morethan 70 wounded after being attacked by NLF commandos.  Three days later, 23 American servicemen were killed after a Vietcong-placed bomb exploded in a hotel in Qui Nonh.  On February 13, President Johnson authorizes Operation Rolling Thunder, whicn was a long lasting bombing offensive.  It's purpose was to stop Vietcong guerrillas in the South.  On April 7, of the same year, they U.S. offered North Vietnam economic aid in exchange for peace but the offer was rejected.  Two weeks later, President Johnson raised America's combat strength in Vietnam to more than 60,000 troops.  Allied forces from Korea and Australia were added as a sign of international support.  On June 10, 1965, the Vietcong withdraw after numerous U.S. air attacks.

    On September 14, 1966, the U.S. 196th Brigade and 22,000 South Vietnamese troops began to aggresively search and destroy raids through the Tay Ninh Province.  Almost immediately, huge caches of supplies belonging to the NLF 9th Division are discovered, but there is no head-to-head conflict.  After six weeks, the mission ended with more than 1,000 Vietcong and 150 Americans killed.  By the end of 1966, American forces in Vietnam reach 385,000 men, plus 60,000 sailors stationed offshore.  In this year alone, more than 6,000 Americans were killed and 30,000 wounded.  However, 61,000 Vietcong were also killed and their troops now numbered over 280,000 men.

    On January 8, 1967, American forces begin Operation Cedar Falls, which is intended to drive Vietcong forces from the Iron Triangle, a 60 square mile area lying between the Saigon River and Route 13.  Nearly 16,000 American Troops and 14,000 South Vietnamese soldiers move into the Iron Triangle.  Here, huge quantities of enemy supplies were captured.  In a period of 19 days, 72 Americans were killed and 720 Vietcong were killed.  On April 24 of the same year, American attacks on North Vietnam airfields begin.  By the of the year, all but one of the North Migh's bases were hit, destroying runways and installations.  One month later, American air forces shoot down 26 North Vietnamese jets, decreasing their pilot strength by half.

    On March 22, 1968, an impromptu North Vietnamese barrage slams into Khe Sanh.  More than 1,000 rounds hit the base, at a rate of a hundred every hour.  American forces reply to this with heavy bombing.  Next month, U.S. forces in Operation Pegasus finally retake Route 9, ending the siege of Khe Sanh.  Khe Sanh was a 77 day battle, making it the single biggest battle of the Vietnam War up to that point.  In June of the same year, with highly mobile American forces now in the area, General Westmoreland approved the abandonment and demolition of Khe Sanh.  On November 1, 1968, Operation Rolling Thunder came to and end.  In total, 900 American aircrafts were destroyed.  This caused 818 pilots to be either dead or missing, and hundreds more in captivity.  According to U.S. estimates, 182,000 North Vietnamese civilians were killed as well.  Nearly twenty thousand Chinese support personnel were also casualties of the bombing.

    In January 1969, Richard M. Nixon took office as the new President of the United States.  He promised to achieve "Peace with Honor."  His aim was to negotiate a settlement that would allow the half million U.S. troops in Vietnam to be withdrawn.  Despite this promise, he authorized Operation Menu, which dropped more than a half million tons of bombs on Cambodia.  Three months later, U.S. combat deaths in Vietnam exceed the 33, 629 men killed in the Korean War.  On June 8, 1969 President Nixon met with South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu on Midway Island in the Pacific, and announced that 25,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn immediately.

    On January 8, 1973, North Vietnam and the United States resume peace talks in Paris.  A few weeks later, all warring parties in the Vietnam War sign a cease war.  In March of the same year, the last American combat soldiers leave South Vietnam.  For the United States, the war is officially over.  Of the more than 3 million Americans who have served in the war, almost 58,000 are dead, and over 1,000 are missing in action.  Some 150,000 Americans were seriously wounded.