Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search results

Archives at The Museum of Flight


Vietnam War, 1961-1975

 Subject
Subject Source: Library Of Congress Subject Headings
Scope Note: The Vietnam War between North Vietnam and South Vietnam lasted from approximately 1955 until 1975 and was fought with the goal of reunification. The North Vietnamese were aided financially and militarily by China and the Soviet Union, while South Vietnam was backed by the United States.

Regular U.S. deployments began after the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident. However, U.S. involvement peaked in 1968 following the Tet Offensive, which was an attempt by North Vietnam forces to execute surprise attacks on military and civilian command and control centers throughout South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive triggered the decline of support from the U.S. public, eventually dovetailing into the anti-Vietnam War movement. In May 1968, peace talks began between the United States and North Vietnam in Paris, France.

Gradual withdrawal of U.S. ground forces began in 1973 as part of "Vietnamization," a policy of President Richard Nixon's that sought to end American involvement by providing equipment and training to the South Vietnamese with the goal of transferring fighting solely to their forces. Additionally, President Nixon suspended military offensives against North Vietnam and on January 15, 1973, direct U.S. involvement ended.

Despite all parties signing the Paris Peace Accords, fighting continued between North and South Vietnam but South Vietnam was not able to sustain its defense against North Vietnam. The Vietnam War ended in April 1975 when the North Vietnamese Army captured Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam. The countries reunified the following year.

Source and Further Reading:

Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: a history, New York: Viking Press, 1983.

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Farmer, Jim -- oral history interview, 2017 October 26

 File
Interview Summary Vietnam War veteran James “Jim” Farmer is interviewed about his military service as a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress pilot. He discusses his wartime experiences in Southeast Asia, including his participation in Operations Linebacker I and Linebacker II, and shares other highlights from his U.S. Air Force service. He also discusses his involvement with The Museum of Flight and his work on Project Welcome Home, the Museum’s campaign to construct a memorial park paying tribute to Vietnam War veterans.

Mennella, Bruce -- oral history interview, 2020 January 28

 File
Interview Summary Vietnam War veteran Bruce Mennella is interviewed about his life and military service. He discusses his career with the United States Navy, focusing particularly on his time as an air intelligence office with Fighter Squadron VF-114 on board the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). He also touches on his experiences growing up in Washington State during the 1950s and 1960s and on his post-military career managing a car dealership in Seattle.

Platt, James H. -- oral history interview, 2018 May 04

 File
Interview Summary Vietnam War veteran James H. Platt is interviewed about his decade-spanning career with the United States Air Force. He discusses his training and experiences as a military pilot, including his wartime service in Southeast Asia piloting Sikorsky HH-3E helicopters, known as Jolly Green Giants, during air rescue missions. He also describes other notable assignments from his career, such as his support flights at the Eastern Test Range (Florida), his time as a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress commander,...

Redmon, Bill -- oral history interview, 2018 March 27

 File
Interview Summary Naval aviator Bill Redmon is interviewed about his 27-year career with the United States Navy. He discusses his training and experiences as a pilot, landing signal officer, and commander and shares details about his combat tours during the Korean War and Vietnam War. He also discusses other notable assignments from his service and his experiences with various aircraft, including the Vought F4U Corsair, the Douglas A3D (A-3) Skywarrior, and the McDonnell F3H (F-3) Demon. The interview concludes...

The Museum of Flight | 9404 E. Marginal Way South | Seattle WA 98108-4097 | 206-764-5874
Contact us with a research request
curator@museumofflight.org