Vietnam

Ho Chi minh
PEOPLE:

  • Woodrow Wilson — U.S. president Ho tried to meet in 1919

  • V.I. Lenin — Russian leader who Ho meet in 1922

  • Chiang Kai Shek — Chinese nationalist leader Ho meet in 1925

  • Mao Zedong — founder of PRC

  • Vo Nguyen Giap — Ho’s top general who helped beat the French and Americans

  • LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson) — U.S. president who sent tons of troops to Vietnam

DATES:

  • 1919 — Ho tries to meet Wilson at Versailles

  • 1920 — ho Joins French Communist Party

  • 1922 —  ho met Lenin

  • 1925 —  ho met Chiang Kai Shek

  • 1941 — Founding of Viet Minh

  • 9/2/1945 — Vietnam declares independence

  • 1946 — First Indochina War begins

  • 5/7/1954 — Dien Bien Phu victory over French

  • 7/1954 — Geneva Accords (Vietnam splits at 17th parallel)

  • 3/1965 — First U.S. combat troops land in Vietnam

  • 1960 — Viet Cong formed

  • 1969 — Ho Chi Minh dies

  • 1973 — Paris Peace Accords end U.S. involvement

  • 4/30/1975 — Fall of Saigon (Vietnam becomes fully communist)

TERMS:

  • French Communist Party — Party Ho joined in 1920 after learning about communism

  • Viet Minh — Ho’s group that fought for Vietnam’s independence from France and Japan

  • “Bringer of Light” — Ho Chi Minh’s nickname because he wanted to “save” Vietnam

  • Guerrilla Warfare — Hit-and-run fighting style that Viet Minh/Viet Cong used

  • Ho Chi Minh Trail — Hidden trail through Laos and Cambodia used to sneak supplies

  • Dien Bien Phu — Major battle where the French got wrecked by Giap’s forces

  • Viet Cong — South Vietnamese communists who fought U.S. and South Vietnam

  • French Indochina War — War between France and Ho’s forces from 1946–1954

MISC:

  • Quotes:


    • “All men are created equal.” — Ho (he said it when declaring Vietnam’s independence)

    • “You can kill ten of my men and I will kill one of yours yet even at those odds, you will lose and I will win.” — Ho

  • Other facts:


    • About 3 million Vietnamese died during the Vietnam War

    • Vietnam split at the 17th Parallel after Geneva Accords

Vo Nguyen Giap

PEOPLE:

  • Vo Nguyen Giap – Vietnamese general who led the Viet Minh and later the North Vietnamese Army.

  • Ho Chi Minh – Leader of North Vietnam and close associate of Giap.

  • General William Westmoreland – U.S. general during the Vietnam War, Giap’s main adversary.

  • John F. Kennedy Jr. – Interviewer who conducted a notable interview with Giap in 1998.

DATES:

  • 1911 – Giap was born in Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam.

  • 1944 – Founded the Vietnam Liberation Army, precursor to the Viet Minh.

  • 1954 – Led forces to victory at Dien Bien Phu, ending French colonial rule.

  • 1968 – Orchestrated the Tet Offensive against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.

  • 1975 – Oversaw the final offensive leading to the fall of Saigon.

  • 2013 – Passed away at the age of 102.

TERMS:

  • Viet Minh – Nationalist coalition led by Ho Chi Minh and Giap against French colonial forces.

  • Dien Bien Phu – Decisive battle where Giap’s forces defeated the French in 1954.

  • Tet Offensive – Major 1968 campaign of attacks by North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War.

  • Guerrilla Warfare – Military tactics involving small, mobile groups using hit-and-run strategies, employed by Giap’s forces.

MISC:

  • Quotes:


    • “All people must fight.”

    • “We survived because of our courage and determination, together with wisdom, tactics and intelligence.”

    • “No other wars for national liberation were as fierce or caused as many losses as this war.”

    • “For Vietnam, nothing is more precious than independence and freedom.”

General William Westmoreland

PEOPLE:

  • William Westmoreland – U.S. Army general who commanded American forces during the Vietnam War.

  • President Lyndon B. Johnson – U.S. President during much of Westmoreland’s command in Vietnam.

  • General Vo Nguyen Giap – North Vietnamese general and Westmoreland’s main opponent.

DATES:

  • 1964-1968 – Served as commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam.

  • 1968 – Reassigned as Army Chief of Staff following the Tet Offensive.

  • 1998 – Gave a notable interview reflecting on the Vietnam War.

TERMS:

  • Attrition Strategy – Military strategy aiming to wear down the enemy through continuous losses in personnel and material.

  • Tet Offensive – Surprise attacks by North Vietnamese forces in 1968; a turning point in public perception of the war.

  • “An Old Soldier Sounds Off” – 1998 interview where Westmoreland discussed his views on the Vietnam War.

MISC:

  • Quotes:


    • “Giap was trained in small-unit, guerrilla tactics, but he persisted in waging a big-unit war with terrible losses to his own men.”

    • “Such a disregard for human life may make a formidable adversary, but it does not make a military genius.”

    • “The Oriental doesn’t put the same high price on life as does a Westerner. Life is plentiful, life is cheap in the Orient.”

    • “We had first-class fighting forces, first-class troops.”

My Lai Massacre

PEOPLE:

  • LT William Calley – Led the My Lai massacre on 3/16/68.

  • Hugh Thompson – Helicopter pilot who saved villagers.

  • Ron Haeberle – Took pictures of the massacre.

  • Ron Ridenhour – Blew the whistle about My Lai.

  • Fred Widmer – Witnessed and later testified.

  • Harry Stanley – Soldier who helped report it.

  • SGT Ken Hodges – Tried to stop the killings.

  • Varnado Simpson – Tried to help but got ignored.

  • Larry Colburn – Helped save civilians.

  • CAPT Ernest Medina – Officer accused of giving the massacre orders.

  • Richard Nixon – Downplayed My Lai in public.

DATES:

  • 3-16-68 – Date of the massacre.

  • 11-20-69 – When the massacre was made public.

  • 12/67 – Time when planning for My Lai happened.

  • 5-4-97 – Interview with William Calley.

TERMS:

  • Charlie Company – Unit that did the massacre.

  • Pinkville – Nickname for the village of My Lai.

  • Cleveland Plain Dealer – Newspaper that exposed it.

  • PTSD – Many soldiers from My Lai suffered it.

  • Life – Calley’s original life sentence (only served 3 years though).

MISC:

  • 504 killed – Total victims.

  • 125 wounded – Survivors who got hurt.

  • “Kill everyone in the village” – Order given.

  • 4 hours – How long the massacre lasted.

  • 3 days – How long till it was reported.

  • 3 years – Calley’s reduced sentence.

They Were Young and Brave

PEOPLE:

  • Hal Moore – U.S. leader at LZ X-Ray; wrote We Were Soldiers Once… and Young.

  • Joe Galloway – Reporter who fought at LZ X-Ray; co-wrote the book.

  • Bruce Crandall – Chopper pilot who kept flying supplies under fire; Medal of Honor 2007.

  • Jack Smith – Soldier who almost died during ambush to LZ Albany.

  • George Forrest – Captain who ran 600 yards to save men and saved Jack Smith’s life.

  • Broken Arrow – Emergency call for max air support.

  • Napalm – Jelly gasoline bomb dropped on enemies.

  • War of Attrition – Strategy to kill as many enemies as possible.

DATES:

  • 11-14-65 – Start of battle at LZ X-Ray.

  • 1992 – Book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young published.

  • 1993 – Doc They Were Young and Brave aired.

  • 2002 – Movie We Were Soldiers came out.

TERMS:

  • Air Cav – Using helicopters to move troops.

  • LZ (Landing Zone) – Place where helicopters land.

  • Hot LZ – LZ with enemy fire.

MISC:

  • 79 KIA – Americans killed at LZ X-Ray.

  • 121 WIA – Americans wounded at LZ X-Ray.

  • 155 KIA – Killed at LZ Albany ambush.

  • 121 WIA – Wounded at LZ Albany.

  • 10:1 – NVA outnumbered U.S. soldiers.

  • 1600 vs 150 – NVA to U.S. at start of LZ X-Ray.

Agent Orange

PEOPLE:

  • Operation Ranchhand – Code name for herbicide missions.

  • Dioxin – The toxic chemical inside Agent Orange.

DATES:

  • 1961-1971 – Years Operation Ranchhand happened.

TERMS:

  • Agent Orange – Chemical used to kill crops and trees to expose enemies.

MISC:

  • 19 million gallons – Amount of Agent Orange dropped.

  • 800,000 vets – Filed VA claims.

  • 300,000 vets – Got claims approved.

25% – Percentage who got medical help from VA.