Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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 10 Collections and/or Records:
Bloch, Paul S. -- oral history interview, 2019 June 4
Cable, David -- oral history interview, 2017 September 28
Clarke, Doug -- oral history interview, 2017 October 28
American Fighter Aces Association Oral Interviews
Collection of approximately one hundred twenty (120) oral histories of Fighter Aces and several non-aces, including relatives of aces, other military pilots, and military historians.
David F. Beyl and Donald D. Beyl Logbooks
Roy T. Church Vietnam War Photograph Collection
Roy T. Church (b. 1944) was born in Great Falls, Montana and served in Vietnam with the U.S. Marines as a bombadier and navigator from 1968-1969. The collection contains slides, photographs and a map related to his military service.
Calvin H. and Yun Yau Kam Military Aviation Collection
Yun Yau Kam served in the U.S. Army for 19 years and was the father of Calvin H. Kam. Calvin H. Kam was born in Hawaii and enlisted in 1969, completing flight school in 1970. The collection contains military documents, photographs, and slides relating to the military service of Calvin H. Kam during Vietnam and photographs and clippings related to his father's, Yun Yau Kam, service during World War II and the Korean War.
Robert Withrow Vietnam War Collection
Robert Withrow (b. 1946) was born in Seattle, Washington and served as a U.S. Navy Fireman (E-3) aboard the USS Kitty Hawk from 1965-1967. The collection contains photographs, patches, and yearbooks related to his service.
Mennella, Bruce -- oral history interview, 2020 January 28
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.
Redmon, Bill -- oral history interview, 2018 March 27
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