A timeline of events leading up to and surrounding ... becoming the first American casualty of the Vietnam War. Following a breakdown in negotiations, Ho Chi Minh's Vietminh forces begin a war ...

Vietnam had been a French colony close colonyA country, state or territory ruled over by another country, state or territory. before it was occupied by the Japanese during World War Two.

By March, 1965, the first U.S. combat troops had touched down on Vietnamese soil, with thousands more on their way. The war would not end until 1975 with Hanoi unifying the whole of Vietnam.

More than forty years after its conclusion, the Vietnam War is a persistent wound on the American psyche. It is a war that divided families and communities, and sparked massive protests on college ...