Free fire zone was a common term used by the U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. Its definition could be found in the Field Manual FM 6-20 as a specifically designated area in which any weapons or weapon systems...
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Background After three years of deadlock, the peace talks in Paris finally reached a major breakthrough. In October 1972, Hanoi decided to change their negotiating position in order to get to an agreement. This move was made in the...
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From Viet Minh to Viet Cong At the end of the First Indochina War in 1954, there were some 60,000 Viet Minh members serving in South Vietnam. Following the Geneva Accords, a large number of these men began to...
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On August 7, 1964, the U.S Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident authorizing the President Johnson to use military power in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war. Deeper American...
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October surprise, which first came into use shortly after the 1972 presidential election, referred to news events that happened right before the election and have the potential to influence its outcome. As the Election Day typically occurs on the...
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In early 1960s, after the formation of the National Liberation Front (NLF), Vietnamese communists began to increase their operations in South Vietnam. As part of their guerilla tactics, the Viet Cong usually based and operated in South Vietnamese lush...
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On August 5, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson ordered Operation “Pierce Arrow” – the first U.S. air operation against North Vietnam in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. The operation’s major objectives were to destroy several North Vietnamese torpedo...
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When the United States first sent their troops to Vietnam on March 8, 1965, many Americans supported that military effort. 61 percent of Americans said no when asked if the U.S. military intervention in Vietnam was a mistake. However,...
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In the United States, military conscription has been used many times during its wars, particularly in the Cold War. Even though the draft was abolished in 1973, men of draft age (between 18-25 years) still have to register with...
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Four years after the first withdrawal of a U.S. battalion, the last U.S. combat troops eventually left South Vietnam on March 29, 1973. In total, there were around 2.5 million Americans served in the Vietnam War. They were not...
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