Gradual Escalation (1965–67)
The war took on a new dimension when on February 7, 1965, United States airplanes began bombing North Vietnamese military targets in retaliation for a terrorist guerrilla raid against the American Camp Holloway air base at Pleiku. On February 18, airplanes manned solely by United States personnel began making direct attacks on the Vietcong in South Vietnam. Previously, South Vietnamese had participated in such missions.
The war entered another phase in March, 1965, when units of Marines became the first United States combat troops in South Vietnam. They participated in search-and-destroy expeditions against the Vietcong near Da Nang. In April the first North Vietnamese regular units entered South Vietnam.
United States involvement in the war vastly increased in July, 1965, when President Johnson raised American strength in Vietnam to 125,000 men. While many of these soldiers had a defensive role in guarding the extensive United States military installations, others joined ARVN forces in seeking out the Vietcong.
Fierce battles took place in late 1965, particularly along the coast near United States bases at Chu Lai and Da Nang and in the central highlands at An Khe and in the Ia Drang Valley. By the end of 1965, there were 181,000 American troops in South Vietnam. Troops were also sent by South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Communists responded to the large increase in Allied strength by nearly doubling their forces to a total of 230,000 men, including part-time guerrillas and about 40,000 NVA regulars. In addition, Communist China and the Soviet Union supplied equipment for antiaircraft installations in North Vietnam, making American bombing raids and observation flights much more hazardous.
United States planes started bombing targets deep in North Vietnam in February, 1966, but the infiltration of men and supplies from North Vietnam continued. The buildup of American forces in South Vietnam was accelerated. By the end of 1966, United States troops there totaled about 389,000. A few thousand troops were also sent by Thailand and the Philippines.
Throughout 1967 guerrilla activity continued to increase, but there was also a rise in the number of pitched battles fought between American troops and North Vietnamese regulars. Fighting raged throughout the south, particularly in the area surrounding Saigon, in the northern provinces, and in the Mekong Delta region. In the central highlands around Dak To a bloody battle took place between American and NVA troops. Bombing of the north was stepped up. Casualties were heavy on both sides. Hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese were made refugees by the fighting.
At the end of 1967, Allied forces totaled approximately 1,228,000 (United States, 470,000; South Vietnam, 700,000; other allies, 58,000). Enemy forces were estimated at 333,000. Despite the massive commitment of American men and money, the military situation appeared stalemated. Neither side seemed able to resolve the conflict by winning a clear-cut military victory. Although the Allies had superiority on the battlefield, the enemy was able to retain the allegiance of many peasants and had the advantage of sanctuaries in Cambodia.
During the Tet (New Year) holidays in January, 1968, the Communists launched surprise attacks on more than 30 cities. After weeks of intense fighting during which they suffered substantial losses, they were driven out of all the cities. A tragic result was the destruction of large areas of the historic city of Hue and of the Cholon section of Saigon. The onslaught weakened the newly elected South Vietnamese government, set back efforts at pacification (a program directed by the Americans to protect rural villages from Communist penetration), and brought demands in the United States for peace.
