Viet Nam Time Line Options

[oneknight]

1945
Ho sets up provisional government.
US drops Atomic Bombs.
1st American died in Vietnam.
Roosevelt dies.
World War II ends

1946
Ho sends letter to President Truman asking for help in keeping Vietnam free of French re-establishing colony. Truman ignores request.

1947
French fail to destroy Vietminh as planned

1950
**Sept 18-Don M. (Chosin31st) entered Korea in the Inchon Landing.
Nov. Iwon North Korea to the Chosin Reservoir.
**Dec. 3-Don M. wounded and evacuated to Osaka Army Hospital in Japan.
**Dec. 25-Don M. returned to the U.S. enroute to Percy Jones
Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan.
U.S. pledges $15 million to aid the French.
Truman sends US troops to Korea.

1951
**April 30-Don M. (Chosin31st) released from hospital.

1953
France grants Laos independence.
Vietminh pushes into Laos.

1954
French defeated at Dien Bien Phu.
Geneva agreement dividing Vietnam into two "military zones" at 17th parallel.

1955
China-Soviet pledge more aid to North Vietnam
Diem rejects Geneva agreement and becomes president of South Vietnam. He is urged to negotiate with the North.

1956
French leave Vietnam.
US begins training South Vietnamese troops.
Diem refuses to allow elections.
Election deadline for Vietnam passes.

1957
Communist attack South Vietnam.

1959
Weapons move south via Ho Chi Minh trail.
Diem orders crackdown on communists.

1960
**DrillVietVet-Joined Army
Basic Ft. Dix, NJ; Ft. Bliss, TX. 8th Mis Bat 15th Arty Hawk.
Moved to Ft. Lewis, WA., then reup and went to APG
Maryland Welding, Alaska, Ft. Wainwright, 559th Combat Engn., and 77th Engn. 171st Inf. Bde, Ft. Campbell, KY.
597th Engn. OCS, Ft. Belvoir, VA., Egnr, dropped out 14 days to graduation.
Kennedy elected president.
Diem survives coup attempt.
Viet Cong formed.

1961
+++December 22. Specialist Fourth Class James Davis of Livingston, TN became the first American killed by Communist action in Vietnam. (Wall: 01E/04). He and 9 ARVN were on a radio detection truck on Provincial Highway 10 when they hit a land mine. The occupants were thrown from the truck. As the 10 men moved back up to the road, they received fire from about 20 VC. Though they returned fire, they were quickly overcome. All 10 were killed. Davis was shot through the head, dying instantly.

1962
**Mar 19-Andy (Lazyhawk) enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Basic training in Ft. Dix, New Jersey.
Attended Advanced Individual Training in MOS 111
(now 11B) Infantryman.
After training, stationed at Schweifurt, Germany,
1st Battalion, 30th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division.
**June-Don M. arrives in Quang Ngai, Vietnam as advisor
to the ARVN 25th Infantry Division.
Quote from Don M. "The heat took my breath away when I
stepped off the plane. Didn't stop sweating until returning
to the States one year later. Smelled bug spray the entire
year. Shook out our boots every morning ridding them of
any critters that found a home overnight.
US employs Agent Orange.
Diem palace bombed.
Cuban missile crisis.

1963
**May-Don M. (Chosin31st) returned to the States.
Battle of Ap Bac.
Kennedy assassinated.
Diem overthrown and murdered.

1964
Nguyen Khanh seizes power in Saigon.
Gulf of Tonkin incident.
Viet Cong attack Bien Hoa Airbase.

1965
**Aug 13-Illshermanville-Enlisted..Basic..Ft. Knox.
**PIO (Mike V)-arrives in Cam Ranh Bay aboard the USS Gaffney. First Logistics Command, 4th Transportation Command. "Nothing there! Red sand spot and very, very green jungle." Next stop was Vung Tau and Ton Son Nhut with 25,000 troops aboard the Gaffney. Mission was to ready the Port of Saigon for additional arrivals and supplies.
Operation Rolling Thunder.
First Marines arrive in DaNang.
Heavy fighting at Ia Drang Valley.
US Troops reach 200,000.
**Oct-Illshermanville-AIT, Ft. Sill.
**Nov-NickG arrives in country amazed at it's beauty. "What are those little twinkling lights down there on the ground? Damn, you gotta be kidding. This is gonna be a very long year."

1966
**January-Illshermanville-Stationed 2/44 Pershing Missile
Bn, at Ft. Sill.
**Sept-ARTiber Deployed as Public Safety NCO Sgt/E5 with
the 2nd Civil Affairs Company, of course by boat from
Oakland.
**March-Andy (Lazyhawk) arrives in Phouc Vinh, Vietnam
assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry
Division.
Quote: "I could not believe the heat and humidity when
I got off the plane in Saigon in March. Had just enjoyed
a 45 day leave in New York before, it was as cold in
New York as Germany before leaving there. The heat
and humidity was a shock and a sign of things to come.
**April-Illshermanville-Ft. Sill O.C.S.
**May-DrillVietVet-Quinhon USASG Vietnam.
Quote.."The heat and smell, no way to explain them."
**May-GenoG arrives in country aboard USS Luzerne County via San Diego, Honolulu, Subic Bay, PI. Immediately in the Mekong Delta. "At that time the trees and brush were full. The air was hot and sticky. I was so young and had no idea of what I was into. Had no realization that I was becoming part of history."
**Mt. Pari graduates from high school
**September-Don M (Chosin 31st)Second tour in Nam to the Central Highlands in Ban Me Thout, advisor to the 23rd Infantry Division.
**November 22-Illshermanville-Commission
**November-Illshermanville-Instructor at Ft. Polk.
**ARTiber-Arrived in Saigon. "After company set up and dust
settled, my team, "19th AA Platoon" sans officer made me
team leader, attached to the First Brigade, First Infantry
Division at Phuoc Vinh."

1967
**January-Don S arrives in Vietnam.
**Jan.-Mt. Pari marries high school sweetheart.
**February-Zippom enlisted in the Navy, boot camp
Great Lakes, IL. Attended Corpsman school and was
kicked out.
**February-Andy (Lazyhawk) while on a search and destroy
operation at Parrot's Beak received bilateral shrapnel wounds
to legs. Returned to base camp after four days.
**February 13-Four miles south of
previous wounds, was wounded in the throat and near
death, spent the next year in various hospitals recovering.
Continued Military career until retirement in 1988.
**Feb.-Mt. Pari's husband ships to VN
**March-Don S' boat arrived, assigned to Monitor 92-1, homebase being Dong Tam-Mekong Delta
Operation Cedar Falls.
**May-DrillVietVet-Left Vietnam.
**May-DrillVietVet-APG Maryland Welding Instructor.
Ft. Wainwright, Alaska-593rd Spt.
Ft. Jackson, S.C.- Drill Sgt School.
Drill Sgt. 3rd Bn. 1st BCT Bde. Barnstorf Germany.
42nd USA Arty Det. Ft. Carson, CO.
Retired SFC.
**May-GenoG arrives in Des Moines, Iowa via Japan and Tacoma, WA. It was pointed out to me that I had aged and matured more than a year.
**July 17-dap22 left Fort Bragg and arrived in Vietnam at 1800 at Long Binh via Bien Hoa. An advanced party left via aircraft carrier about 3 weeks prior with all our brand new aircraft aboard.
**August-Zippom received orders for Mobile Riverine Force,
reported to Coronado, CA for training. Was then sent to
Witby Island, WA for sere training (escape and evasion).
From there, to Mare Island for 9 weeks of training.
**Sept-Chosin (Don M) left Vietnam for Ft. Gordon, GA.
**Sept 10-Illshermanville assigned 2/33 Arty. (105 Howitzer),
1st Infantry Division. Quote: "Got to see beautiful Lai Khe,
Quan Loi, Song Be, Black Virgin and assorted fire bases up
and down Thunder Road (Rt. 13)."
**Oct-Mt. Pari gives birth to first son.
**November-Zippom was on his way to Vietnam. Arrived
at Sonhut airport, then sent to Camp Alpha. Left Camp
Alpha going to Dong Tam in the Delta. Assigned to RIVDIV92,
N92-2(Zippo). Attached with the Army 9th Inf. Div., "saw
a lot of stuff that puckered me up and I must say that the
soldier's of the 9th Div and sailors of the Riverine Force were
the bravest men I have ever been associated with."
**December-Don S arrives back in United States at San Francisco with protestors lined up.
**Late 67-ARTiber-"Big Red One moved North. We moved
with them but in a short time were attached to 3rd Bde,
101st at Phuoc Vinh, with a lot of finagling with the MACV
district team at PV. Assigned quarters in an old unused
fenced in French compound with my own Villa surrounded
by U.S. Troops on two sides and the main district MACV
stuff on the other side with entry only through the MACV
side, a lockable gate. Can the gentle reader see the potential
of this great arrangement?"


1968
**Early-ARTiber-Reattached to MACV district team 90 or
91, not sure anymore at Phuoc Vinh.
**Feb 11-frayedvet-Enlisted Ft. Lewis, WA.
After basic, went to Ft. Ord.
**July 3-Sharon's husband arrives home from Vietnam.Battle for Hue.
My Lai Massacre.
LBJ announces he won't run for re-election.
Martin Luther King assassinated.
Paris peace talks begin.
Robert Kennedy assassinated.
Nixon elected president.
**March-Pari's husband returns.
**April 1-LarryJK arrives in-country at Cam Ranh Bay, afraid and uncertain about the next 364 days. Is sent to Long Binh Post for duty, where more fear and uncertainty awaits.
**"Mau Than" Hieu still was an Air Cadet in VNAF Officer Training School.
**July 14-dap22 Left Vietnam
August 29-Rioting breaks out at Long Binh Stockade (LBJ), causing death of one prisoner and numerous injuries to stockade personnel. Cause of riot was
attributed to over crowding, drugs and the assassination
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
**Sept- Illshermanville-Quote: "I got outta that place,
3 Years, 1 Month, 1 Day."
**Oct-Nighthawk arrives RVN. Finds the weather hot, the beer warm, and the locals friendly (at least some of them)
**Nov-SSG Miller (remf) leaves FT Hood Texas headed to Bien Hoa. After a couple days He's sent to Nha Trang, Where everyone wants to know what the hell are we supposed to do with this guy? And he thinks he's in for some time on the beach, After about an hour he's hauled off to the airstrip & put on an Air America DC-3. The only GI on the thing other than the pilots. He's left at the civilian airport a Qui Nhon about dark. No gun, no friendy forces with in sight to his knowlege. He's beginning to wonder now, he picks a direction and starts walking, duffle bag in hand. Finally spots an MP who takes him under his wing. Then on to the 1st Korean Infantry compound where he spends the next 4-5 months. He's then transfered to Phu Bai and sent to Camp Eagle. (Thinks what the hell is the nortward stuff ?) After a few months he's sent to FB Bastogne to sit on a hill surrounded by jungle.
**Nov-Murph enters U.S. Army at Ft. Polk, LA. Completes
basic AIT and Tigerland.
**Nov-Zippom-Left Vietnam for San Diego and was assigned to the USS San Diego.
**Laserqwik/Doc (Vern Wagner), Pilot and Physician spent
68/69 at Ubon, and NKP, Thailand as a flight surgeon with
the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing "Wolfpack" and flying the
F4D "Phantom" over Laos and RVN.

1969
**Feb-Murph's first son
**March-Murph goes to Ft. Knox for APC driver training.
**March-Don M. (Chosin31st) Returned to Korea as 1st Sgt. in in Signal Command, 2nd Infantry Division on DMZ
Nixon begins bombing Cambodia in secret.
Ho Chi Minh dies at 79.
"Vietnamization" policy announced.
Massive anti war demonstration in Washington.
**March 31-LarryJK leaves Vn with memories.
**May 11-frayedvet-Arrived in Vietnam. Assigned to 1st
Logistics Command, Long My Depot and drove convoy from
the Delta to the DMZ for 9 months. Quote: "What a tropical
paradise!"
**Mid-ARTiber-Attached alone to MACV district team
IV Corps Go Cong Province Pho Glao, District # ?.
**June-Murph lands in Vietnam. Is not assigned
to mech unit as expected, but is assigned to
Co. A 1/18th Infantry Division.
"Makes friends with ants and other crawling things."
**Aug-Nighthawk departs RVN. Takes nothing with him but his memories.
**Nov-Remf is off for Cam Ranh Bay for a ride on TWA to Tacoma WA.

1970
**Early-ARTiber-Reattached with old team #19 to 1st
Cavalry, after a brief stay at Snoul, proceeded to FB
"David" Cambodia.
**Laserqwik/Doc (Vern Wagner) spent all of 1970 at
Nha Trang in the 327th Combat Support Group as a
flight doc for the 15th and 90th Special Ops Squadrons.
Quote-"By DEROS, I'd logged 230 combat support sorties
in 15 types of military aircraft."
**Jan 3-Jimmy T (Signal) arrives in Nha Trang in the middle of the night.
**March-Chosin31st returned to the United States
**Misterstan arrives in Vietnam. Many trees along rivers of Mekong Delta missing branches! LOL
**June-ARTiber-Attached alone to a new MACV team
building up at Tan Lin district as Census Grievance Officer,
Revolutionary Development Cadre, under command of COORD's, where I did absolutely nothing (but with great elan)
until rotating out in October.
**June-Murph returns to the Land of the Big PX.
**Nov ? 1970-Jimmy T. (Signal) "I went from short to packing my bags with a drop."
**Nov-Zippom-Discharged from Navy at San Diego.
**Dec 7-Homer Arrive in-country at Cam Ranh, spent another week to 10 days or so till ordered to...
Vinh Long...52nd Sg BN HQ to spend another couple of days, till ordered to...SaDec...CO A of the 52nd where placed out on loan to increase the manpower of the MACV MAT's...
Mobile Advisory Team 60. Pulled from the field over a dispute of my stolen electric frying pan and sent to MACV Radio Relay Station down town, Can Tho for a couple of weeks until ordered to Long Binh for processing out.
**Dec-ARTiber-Arrived for duty with the 22nd Provost Marshall Detachment at Can Tho, Remf.

1971
**Feb 11-frayedvet-left Vietnam and the military as an
E-5. Quote: "Don't know how that happened."
**25 May-Shadow arrives at Ft Lewis from Ft Hood for immediate shipment to RVN. 1 Jun Arrives at Cam Rahn Bay and shipped to Chu Lai/Americal Div, 1st Bn 6th Inf, off to the jungle
**Oct 6th-Homer left on the Freedom Bird from Bien Hoa for the World.
**Oct-Shadow reassigned to 101st ABN Div in Phu Bai, 2/502 Inf Bn.
Thieu re-elected in South Vietnam

1972
**October-Don M. (Chosin31st) returned to Vietnam as
operations Sgt. in the 1st Signal Brigade in Long Binh.
After 3 months, transferred to Saigon MACV headquarters
compound. The war ended.
**Dec-ARTiber-Arrived for duty as security NCOIC for the
"United States Element Four Power Joint Peace Commission
Area IV" at My Tho.
**Jan-Shadow reassigned to 2nd Bn 327th Inf Bn, 101st, off to the jungle
**19 Mar-Shadow arrives Bien Hoa for immediate transport home.
Troops cut by 70,000.
B-52's bomb Hanoi and Haiphong.

1975
Communists forces capture Phuoc Long province and Hue.
Phnom Penh captured by Khmer Rouge.
Last Americans evacuate as Saigon falls to the communists.
**Indybear graduates high school {How's that ta make ya feel old? }
**1975-1981: Hieu Re-education and also graduated
+++ May 15 Kelton Rena Turner, an 18-year old Marine, is considered to be the last combat death of the War. He was killed in action two weeks after the evacuation of Saigon, in what become known as the Mayaguez incident. (Wall 01W/130) He was 5 years old when the first KIA of the war fell.

1976
North and South Vietnam united as a communist state.

1978
Vietnam granted entry to the United Nations.
Vietnam invades Cambodia.
Boat people flee Vietnam.

1980
Ronald Reagan elected president.
PROMISES TO MAKE MIA's FIRST PRIORITY.

1981-1982
**Hieu had been 5 terrible days in Pacific Ocean as Boat People.. on 3 refugee Camps, then US resident.

1982
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall dedicated in Washington, D.C.
**June-Chopper Hieu arrived US of America at Los Angeles as a single refugee 33 years old man, with no relative, no family only one pair cloth and some junks.

1985
Vietnam Veterans honored throughout the United States with parades and etc.
**Hieu Got Cetificate for Helicopter Commercial License Pilot from FAA for nothing..

1987
**Hieu US citizen.

1994
**Winter graduates high school.

1997
United States and Vietnam restore diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors.

2000
MSNBC ends
VMBB begins

2001
Thieu dies.
September 11... newest day of infamy strikes America. War on terrorism begins.
Guys were banned from VMBB and became known as
the "banned of thirteen."
VietNam Vets and friends reformed on Yahoo!!

2002
Jan-Vietnam Vets and Friends formed.
Donna elected 1Sgt. Boom Boom
Patriots won Super Bowl and
Budweiser is the best commercial that day (ground zero)
**July 17. Col. Floyd (Jim) Thompson, America's longest held POW (1964 to 1973) passes away in Key West, FL. RIP, Col.

2006
Jul 15--Founder of Patriots Home, James D. Turpin, passed away.