Hell No We Won't Go Timeline Panel · Hell No, We Won't Go!

13 March 1954:
The Viet Minh, a group formed by Ho Chi Minh to fight for Vietnam's independence from France, begin their siege on the French Garrison at Dien Bien Phu. By early May, the Viet Minh take control of the base.

Spring 1954:
The Geneva conference begins. By July, it is decided that Vietnam will be divided in half at the 17th parallel and elections will take place within 2 years. These elections never occur.

May 1961:
President Kennedy sends 400 Green Berets to South Vietnam to train South Vietnamese soldiers to fight the Vietcong, a Communist Guerilla army fighting the South Vietnamese forces, backed by the North Vietnamese army. The Vietcong are also known as the National Liberation Front.

12 January 1962:
The U.S. Air Force launches Operation Ranch Hand, a program aimed at defoliating jungle cover and exposing Vietcong hideouts by spraying agent orange over large areas of the jungle.

7 August 1964:
The bill that becomes the gulf of Tonkin Resolution is passed, allowing president Johnson "to take all necessary measures" against North Vietnam.

January 1968:
The Tet Offensive, a series of attacks targeting over 100 South Vietnam cities and military outposts, is launched by the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese army.

16 March 1968:
Around 300 Vietnamese civilians are slaughtered in the My Lai Massacre by U.S. Troops. The initial report makes no mention of civilian casualties, and the army conceals the massacre for a year.

30 April 1970:
President Nixon announces a U.S. invasion of Cambodia, sparking campus protests across the nation. At Kent State University, Ohio National Guardsmen kill 4 student protestors on May 4th, leading to additional protests on campuses.

June 1971:
The New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers, a series of leaked defense department documents detailing the U.S.'s political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1954-1967 that was previously unknown to the American public.

January 1973:
The draft ends. President Nixon signs the Paris Peace Accordings, ending direct U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

April 1975:
The North Vietnamese Army takes control of Saigon, and South Vietnam surrenders.

Sources:
Dougherty, Kevin, and Jason Stewart. The Timeline of the Vietnam War: The Ultimate Guide to this divisive conflict in American History. Amber Books, 2008. Print. Lawrence, Mark Atwood. The Vietnam War: A Concise International History. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2008. Print. "Vietnam War Timeline." History.com. A&E Television Networks.