1960s Timeline

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6 days ago

“Dragon Lady” Madame Nhu Complains About American Conduct in Vietnam

Nov. 27, 1962 - Madame Nhu, sister-in-law of President Ngo Dinh Diem, complained today that Americans not only were dancing illegally in South Vietnam, but they also had recently invited officials of the security police to a reception and danced in front of them. Mrs. Nhu is considered to be the first lady of South Vietnam, as President Diem is a bachelor, and she and her husband, Ngo Dinh Nhu, live in Independence Palace with the President. Sometimes referred to as a “dragon

6 days ago

Viet Cong Strike “Operation Sunrise” Hamlet

Nov. 27, 1962 - A Communist guerrilla battalion struck at the heart of South Vietnam’s “Operation Sunrise” hamlet project early today and inflicted severe casualties before disappearing into the surrounding rubber plantations. A Government communiqué reported that the assault was launched against three hamlets in the first attack of its kind since the resettlement project was begun in March with U.S. financial support. The hamlets were Lai Khe, Long Can, and Ben Dong So. The

Nov 25

109 Reds Slain in South Vietnam

Nov. 25, 1962 - One hundred nine Communist guerrillas were slain today in an abortive attempt to seize to South Vietnamese Government outposts guarding a small valley 50 miles south of Danang. The dead included the chief of staff of the Communists’ 37th Battalion, a second battalion commander, and a company commander. Seven guerrillas were taken prisoner. The attack on the outposts of Phuoc Chia and Phuoc Lan began at 3 a.m. when the Viet Cong opened fire on the outposts with

Nov 24

Viet Cong Plots to Assassinate American Soldiers

Nov. 24, 1962 - Military officials in South Vietnam are concerned over evidence that the Communists plan to increase attempts to assassinate American soldiers. Recently seized documents indicate a plan to abduct Americans in cyclos and murder them. Cyclos (pictured) are bike-like open-air transport that, in many parts of the country, form the only taxi service. The idea would be for the Viet Cong to smuggle a man in among the cyclo drivers who pick up Americans outside the ba

Nov 22

Live Turkeys Dropped to G.I.’s in Vietnam

Nov. 22, 1962 - On a hot, steamy day in South Vietnam, U.S. planes dropped live turkeys to American servicemen in isolated outposts in areas controlled by Communist Viet Cong guerrillas. Thanksgiving came and went before most G.I.’s had time to be thankful, being busy in the war. For some stationed in major military centers, it meant the traditional meal with turkey and dressing, ham, and shrimp. In the outposts that received the airdrop, turkeys were cooked as best could be

Nov 20

South Vietnamese Troops Launch Offensive in Red-Infested Area North of Saigon

Nov. 20, 1962 - South Vietnamese troops carried by about 50 helicopters launched today what is expected to be a prolonged operation against guerrillas in an area regarded as a major Communist sanctuary. The force landed near a hamlet known as B’Run, about 70 miles northwest of Saigon. It is believed that both Vietnamese and U.S. craft were used in the lift of approximately 800 Vietnamese troops. Paratroops were also dropped into the area. About 200 Americans were involved in

Nov 5

Two More U.S. Casualties in Vietnam

Nov. 5, 1962 - Two members of the Tactical Air Command’s first air commando group who were killed in a crash in Vietnam were identified today. The dead were listed as Captain Robert D. Bennett (left), 31 years old, the pilot, and First Lieutenant William B. Tully (right), 26, the navigator. Both were on temporary duty in South Vietnam. Their plane went down about 160 miles southwest of Saigon. It was reported that the B-26 was hit by Communist ground fire. Captain Bennett lea

Nov 3

U.S. Army Sergeant Killed in Vietnam

Nov. 3, 1962 - A U.S. Army sergeant, feeding ammunition to a machine gun aboard an escort helicopter, was fatally wounded today as the South Vietnamese Government scored one of its biggest successes in months against the Viet Cong. The dead sergeant was identified as Johnnie G. Lee of Gholson, Miss. Another escort helicopter pilot had a narrow escape — a bullet pierced his armored vest just over the heart. He suffered only a bruise but turned the controls over to the co-pilot

Oct 26

Grenade Attack in Saigon, Youth Arrested

Oct. 26, 1962 - A young man tossed a grenade today into a helicopter being exhibited in downtown Saigon. A South Vietnamese soldier inside the helicopter picked up the grenade and tossed it outside an instant before it exploded. The soldier and five other persons were killed and 38 were wounded. The explosion turned the crowd into a screaming mob. Policemen and civilians seized the young man who had tossed the grenade, kicking and beating him (pictured). He was taken away by

Oct 20

Three American Servicemen Laid to Rest in Saigon

Oct. 20, 1962 - In a simple ceremony at the sunbaked airport in Saigon today, Americans and South Vietnamese paid their final respects to three Americans who were killed in action this week. The men were Capt. Terry Cordell (pictured), Capt. Herbert Willoughby Booth Jr., and T. Sgt. Richard Foxx. Three caskets wrapped in American flags were placed in a transport plane, and now they are on the way home. Two Protestant chaplains officiated at a ceremony at Tan Son Nhut Field. P

Oct 19

“Operation Morning Star” in Vietnam an Expensive Failure

Oct. 19, 1962 - One of the largest operations against the Communists in recent years in Vietnam came to a quiet close yesterday. It was, in the opinion of Americans in South Vietnam, a long and expensive failure. Up to 5,000 troops were used each day for a week, carried from place to place by 20 helicopters, and supported by armored personnel carriers. Despite the size of the campaign, named Operation Morning Star, no one in Saigon has given a briefing on it or even announced

Oct 16

American Planes Shot Down in South Vietnam

Oct. 16, 1962 - The U.S. today lost its third plane in two days in South Vietnam’s central highlands, where two American planes were felled earlier by Communist ground gunners. Three U.S. fliers were killed in the first of the planes lost. This was a U.S. Air Force L-28 spotter carrying an Army Special Forces captain, an Air Force captain, and an Air Force sergeant. It was shot down Monday in the jungle 10 miles north of Banmethuot. The bodies of the three men have been broug

Oct 15

AR-15 Rifle Increasingly Favored in South Vietnam

Oct. 15, 1962 - One United States weapon that has proved to be unusually effective in the guerrilla warfare in South Vietnam is the Armalite AR-15 rifle, which the U.S. Army turned down several years ago. “The boys who use it think it is the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel,” a high American officer said. A number of the high-velocity, rapid-fire AR-15’s were introduced in Vietnam about 6 months ago for testing. The tests have shown the weapon to be reliable. T

Oct 12

Viet Cong Guerrillas Prove Elusive

Oct. 12, 1962 - One of South Vietnam’s largest operations against the Viet Cong this year finally made solid contact with the enemy on its second day. Observation planes spotted the Viet Cong in sampans (pictured) relayed information to amphibious troop carriers, and the carriers moved in. They are reported to have killed 37 Communists. Other than this, however, Operation Morning Star, a massive strike against the Communists in areas northwest and southwest of Saigon, has tur

Oct 10

South Vietnamese Forces Have Killed 5,000 Red Guerrillas Since January

Oct. 10, 1962 - Since U.S. military aid started arriving in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam Jan. 1, Government forces are estimated to have killed about 5,000 Communist guerrillas (pictured). The Communists, in turn, have sent in about that number of replacements. The Viet Cong’s ability to rebuild its forces despite increased Government mobility indicates the difficulty of the war ahead. The Viet Cong operates at three levels. The first is what the Americans call “h

Oct 6

Three American Soldiers Killed in South Vietnam

Oct. 6, 1962 - Three Americans were killed today when a U.S. Marine helicopter crashed and burned north of Quangngai in South Vietnam. A rescue mission traveled into the area by foot to help five others who were injured in the crash, about 300 miles north of Saigon. A helicopter could not land to assist them because of the rough terrain. There was no information on whether the helicopter had crashed accidentally or was felled by fire of the Viet Cong. The Communists shot down

Oct 5

Viet Cong Counterpunch Near Ap My Luong, One American Dead

Oct. 5, 1962 - The Communist Viet Cong threw a powerful counterpunch at a Government task force of more than 1,000 troops today, killing a U.S. helicopter crewman and crippling an entire company of South Vietnamese Rangers. The Government reported that 100 guerrillas had been killed in the action. The battle occurred a few hundred yards from the temporarily deserted hamlet of Ap My Luong, and it was over almost as soon as it began. Eleven U.S. Army helicopters roared into the

Oct 3

Viet Cong Wipe Out Catholic Forces 12 Miles from Saigon

Oct. 3, 1962 - More than half of a force of 50 volunteers recruited by a Roman Catholic priest was wiped out today in an ambush by Communist guerrillas (pictured) about 12 miles from Saigon. In the Catholic group’s first operation, 13 men were killed and 14 wounded. The Viet Cong guerrillas’ casualties were not determined. The ambush, staged by 200 Communists so near to the capital city, was a grim reminder of the Reds’ ability to gather, strike, and run. Government troops ca

Sep 28

Gen. Shoup Urges Patience in Vietnam

Sept. 28, 1962 - U.S. sources reported that South Vietnamese Government troops routed two companies of Viet Cong guerrillas in fighting today near the mouth of the Mekong River. In the northern region, rangers destroyed a Viet Cong installation near a Government area above Da Nang. The commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, Gen. David Shoup (pictured), ended a four-day visit to South Vietnam with a request to his fellow countrymen to show more patience in trying to understand t

Sep 27

Helicopters Play Critical Role in Vietnam

Sept. 27, 1962 - In an effort to fit the aircraft to the terrain, the U.S. military command in Vietnam has added heavily armed HU-1-A turbojet helicopters as escorts for transport copters. The turbojets, armed with heavy machine guns and rockets, will offer improved suppressive fire against Communist ground fire. The Marines’ tactical unit, Helicopter Medium Squadron 163, operates 24 helicopters. It is commanded by Lieut. Col. Robert Rathbun. The unit, nicknamed “Rathbun’s Ri