May 12, 1961 – Vietnam War

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in Saigon during his tour of Asian countries. Calling Diem the “Churchill of Asia,” he encouraged the South Vietnamese president to view himself as indispensable to the United States and promised additional military aid to assist his government in fighting the communists. On his return home, Johnson echoed domino theorists, saying that the loss of Vietnam would compel the United States to fight “on the beaches of Waikiki” and eventually on “our own shores.” With the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, Johnson became president and inherited a deteriorating situation in South Vietnam. Over time, he escalated the war, ultimately committing more than 500,000 U.S. troops to Vietnam.

1SG Steven Imerman COL Mikel J. Burroughs Col Carl Whicker PO3 Lynn Spalding PO1 H Gene Lawrence SSG William Jones Maj William W. 'Bill' Price LTC Stephen F. ] Alan K. SGT John " Mac " McConnell ] Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SPC Douglas Bolton Lt Col Charlie Brown Sgt Randy Wilber MSgt John McGowan Cpl (Join to see) PO3 Bob McCord SPC Margaret Higgins Sgt Albert Castro