General Harold Johnson Increases Troops to 540k – March 15th 1965
On March 15 1965 General Harold K Johnson Army chief of staff reported to president Lyndon D Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on his recent visit to Vietnam he admitted that the Air Raids ordered by the president had not impacted the wars course and suggested assigning an American Division to hold Coastal enclaves and defend the central Highlands General Johnson also proposed U.S troops to patrol the demilitarized zone along the border between North and South Vietnam and Laos President Johnson ordered 173rd Airborne Brigade to Vietnam in May 1965 followed by the first Cavalry division in September of the same year these forces along with the first U.S marine contingent which arrived in March marked the start of a massive American buildup by 1969 there were more than 540 000 U.S troops in South Vietnam fast forward to
The “Ceasefire War” – March 15th 1973
President Nixon hinted that the United States May intervene again in Vietnam to prevent communist violations of the truce the Paris peace Accord ceasefire which went into effect on January 27 1973 was quickly and repeatedly violated by both sides as they sought control of territory in South Vietnam both sides resumed heavy fighting which came to be known as the seaside War Nixon convinced South Vietnamese president nuyan van fuyu to sign the peace treaty repeatedly promising that the U.S would respond with full force should the settlements be violated by North Vietnam as the fighting continued throughout 1973 and into 1974 few appealed to Nixon to fulfill his promises Nixon became increasingly embroiled in the Watergate scandal and resigned from office in August 1974. His successor Gerald Ford was unable to persuade the Hostile Congress to provide the promised support to South Vietnam
