11/14/1965: Battle of Ia Drang Valley
The Battle of Ia Drang Valley was the conclusion of a series of engagements that had begun with the North Vietnamese Army laying siege to the Special Forces camp at Plei Me four weeks earlier. At this early stage of direct involvement of U.S. ground troops in the war, no major battle had occurred between [...]
11/02/1965: Norman Morrison Sets Himself On Fire At Pentagon
On the afternoon of November 2nd 1965, 31-year-old Norman Morrison went to a garden area outside the Pentagon, drenched himself in kerosene and set himself on fire in a suicide protest against the Vietnam War. The ghastly scene was witnessed by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, as it took place below his third-floor office window. In [...]
10/28/1965: Viet Cong Commando Attacks on U.S. Air Bases
During the night between October 27th and 28th 1965, the Viet Cong launched simultaneous attacks on the U.S. air bases at Chu Lai and the Marble Mountains (near Da Nang), using explosive charges to attempt to destroy aircraft. The Chu Lai attack resulted in two fixed wing aircraft being destroyed. The Marble Mountain attack resulted [...]
10/23/1965: Operation Silver Bayonet Begins
Following the lifting of the Siege of Plei Me, the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division and a division of the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) commences Operation Silver Bayonet, with the mission to find and destroy the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces that had attacked Plei Me. This would ultimately lead to the Battle of the Ia [...]
10/19/1965: Siege of Plei Me Begins
On October 19th 1965, North Vietnamese Army (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC), under the leadership of Brigadier General Chu Huy Man, attacked the Special Forces camp at Plei Me in the central highlands of Vietnam. General Man’s mission was to draw the US 1st Cavalry Division into combat, and learn about its weapons and air mobility capabilities. His [...]
10/15/1965: First Draft Card Burned
David Miller became the first protestor to burn his draft card. This was a federal crime, for which he served 22 months in prison between 1968 and 1970, after losing the case in the Supreme Court. Miller was a speaker at a rally in New York, which was one of many rallies held in 40 cities [...]