America in Vietnam 1964+ Flashcards
When was the Gulf of Tonkin, and what did the resolution entail?
It took place in early August 1964, and the resolution gave Johnson loads of power
When did ‘Operation Barrel Roll’ start?
14th December 1964
When did ‘Operation Rolling Thunder’ start?
7th February 1965
When did the first US marines arrive in Vietnam?
3,500 marines arrived in Da Nang on 8th March 1965; by June there were 200,000+ in Vietnam
How often did bombs fall in Vietnam?
A bomb fell every 5 minutes for 5 years
What was the average age of a US soldier in Vietnam?
19
When was Camp Holloway, and how many were killed?
1965, and 8
When was the fight at La Drang, and how many were killed?
It took place in November 1965, 300 US were killed, Napalm was brought in and 3,561 out of 6,000 VC were killed
How much did China and the USSR pay to Vietnam in assistance?
Together they payed over $2 billion between 1965 and 1968
How many civilians did the VC kill?
Between 1966 and 1971 the VC killed about 27,000 civilians who opposed them
How many soldiers did Hanoi supply every year under conscription?
100,000
What equipment did the USSR supply the VC with?
8,000 anti-aircraft guns and 200 anti-aircraft missile sites
How many Vietnamese worked on the Ho Chi Minh trail to keep it open?
Up to 40,000
What percentage of American deaths were caused by booby traps?
11%
How far did the tunnels around Saigon run for?
320km
How many VC died in war?
Between 500,000 and 1 million
How many US troops served in Vietnam?
Around 2.8 million- 2 million through conscription
How long did most US soldiers serve for?
1 year
How many US were treated in 1971?
5,000 for wounds and 20,000 for drug use
How many cases of desertion were there?
Between 1966 and 1973 there were 503,000 cases of desertion
What percentage of US died within their first 3 months in Vietnam?
43%
What was fragging, and how many cases of it were there?
Fragging was the killing of officers by troops, and between 1970 and 1971 there were over 200 cases of it
When was colour television available?
Mid 1960s
How many US casualties were there yearly?
There were less than 2,000 US casualties in 1965 but there were 14,000 in 1968
When was the Vietnam Veterans Against the War founded?
1967
When did the anti-war movement start?
- Martin Luther King joined 200,000 marchers in New York
When was the Tet Offensive?
January 1968
What happened during the Tet Offensive?
80,000 VC attacked 100+ towns during the holiday of Tet, the American Embassy in Saigon was taken
When was the My Lai massacre and how many were killed?
It took place on 16th March 1968, and 500 unarmed civilians were killed
What was Operation Phoenix, and when was it set up?
It was set up in 1968 by the CIA and the aim was to identify and arrest at least 3,000 VC suspects each month. In total they arrested 28,000
When did ‘Operation Rolling Thunder’ end?
It ended in October 1968, after 3.5 years
Who took over from Johnson, and when?
Nixon took over on 20th January 1969
What was Vietnamisation and when did it start?
It was the building up of the SVA, and it started in 1969
How many draft dodgers were wanted in 1969?
34,000
How many men avoided conscription?
250,000
When did the USA start bombing Cambodia?
1970; there were 3,500+ bombing raids
When did Secretary of State Kissinger and Le Duc meet?
1970
When were 4 students shot at Kent State?
4th May 1970
When did the US invade Laos?
February 1971; 15,000 enemy troops were killed
How many US troops were there in Vietnam in 1972?
29,000
When and where was the ceasefire signed?
The ceasefire was signed in January 1973 in Paris; war officially ended in 25th January and it took 3 months to withdraw all of the US troops
How many protests did the Kent State shootings spark off?
400
Who was the main general for the VC?
General Giap
By 1968, how much was the USA spending on the war effort annually?
$20 billion
How many soldiers did the VS lose during the Tet Offensive?
Between 10,000 and 45,000
During the Tet Offensive, the VC assumed something would happen and it didn’t. What was it?
They thought that the people of South Vietnam would rise up with them (they didn’t)
How long did it take the US soldiers to recover the taken towns after the Tet Offensive?
A month
