Timeline, July 7th

[David]

PREBELLUM:
July 7, 1945 (28th day of the 5th month, Year of the Rooster [At Dau]): At H?ng Ga?, a company in service with French troops is stopped by the Viet Minh, who open fire.

INTERBELLUM:
July 7, 1954 (8th day of the 6th month, Year of the Horse [Giap Ngo]): Premier Diem completes the organization of his cabinet.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
July 7, 1966 (19th day of the 5th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): American intelligence presents National Intelligence Estimate 14.3-66, an estimate of the present strength of the North Vietnamese military establishment, its capability to expand, its capability through 1967 to send troops to the South and support them there, and the probable buildup of forces in the South.

July 7, 1966 (19th day of the 5th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): The 3rd Marine Division Task Force Delta starts Operation Hastings just south of the DMZ. The Marine task force will successfully repulse the 324B NVA Division in its attempt to move into northern Quang Tri Province. This marks the beginning of the North Vietnamese effort to move in strength directly through the DMZ and results in the eventual move of the entire 3rd Marine Division northwards and establishment of a forward headquarters at Dong Ha in northern Quang Tri Province.

July 1967 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]): The COSVN Military Commander, General Nguyen Chi Thanh, dies of wounds sustained during a B-52 attack on his HQ in the south. As a result, the southern faction in the Hanoi Politboro is weakened and the northern-born Defense Minister, General Giap, is allowed to modify Thanh's original plan to for an upcoming widespread offensive against South Vietnam. While Thanh's plan remains for attacks against South Vietnam's cities by Viet Cong forces aided by NVA troops in the hope of igniting a "general uprising," Giap, who originally opposed the General Offensive concept because of his losses when trying it against the French in 1951, adds a second phase of attacks against remote border areas in the only two southern provinces where he directly controls Communist forces, Quang Tri and Thua Thien provinces (the so-called Tri-Thien-Hue front), in an effort to lure American troops away from South Vietnam's cities. He will position his best divisions, heavily armed with artillery and tanks, near Khe Sanh and use other units to seize Hue, capital of Thua Thien Province and a historic seat of government, which will be declared the capital of a "neutral" southern-based government. Once Hue is successfully occupied, the third phase of the offensive will begin, consisting of the actual invasion of South Vietnam by NVA troops crossing directly across the DMZ to link up with the units holding Hue. With the mountains south of Hue forming a natural defense line, and with thousands of US troops held hostage to prevent US retaliation, the North will be in position to begin negotiations.

July 7, 1968 (12th day of the 6th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than])(US Counteroffensive Phase V): Operation Toan Thang II update.

July 7, 1968 (12th day of the 6th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than])(US Counteroffensive Phase V)(PS&S): General Westmoreland's brother-in-law is killed in the Mekong Delta just hours after Westmoreland is sworn in as Chief of Staff in Washington.

July 7, 1970 (5th day of the 6th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): Cambodian incursion - postscript: Major General Casey of the 1st Cavalry, after sending out a note of thanks to his men, who had incurred almost half the American casualties in the Cambodian incursion, boards a Huey as copilot to fly north from Phuoc Vinh to visit division wounded who have been medevacked to Cam Ranh Bay, despite staff urging to wait until better weather, as there is an unusually heavy monsoon front in his flight path over the Central Highlands. The General's helicopter disappears into a thick cloud bank and never arrives in Cam Ranh Bay.

July 7, 1970 (5th day of the 6th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): Operation Texas Star update: After the fourth night of continuous attack by the enemy, Company D, 2/501st, is ordered extracted from Hill 805. After artillery bombardment of Hill 1000, Companies B and C, 2/506th Infantry, launch two attacks against the NVA positions there, but are unsuccessful.

July 7, 1971 (15th day of the 5th month (supplemental), Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi])(US Consolidation I): In Laos, two NVA regiments supported by PT-76 light tanks partially drive back Gen. Vang Pao's guerrillas who are advancing on the Plain of Jars.

July 7, 1972 (27th day of the 5th month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: The first South Vietnamese airborne troops reach the outskirts of Quang Tri City, where they encounter fierce resistance from the North Vietnamese. A battalion of South Vietnamese Marines is airlifted to a point 2 km northeast of the city to relieve the paratroopers and interdict enemy communications lines, but. it can't to make any progress and gets stopped by enemy infantry and armored elements. The ARVN drive in the region is totally stalled.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR - OTHER:
July 7, 1985 (20th day of the 5th month, Year of the Ox [At Suu]): Indonesian Foreign Minister Mochtar relays a message to the US from Hanoi of an agreement to re-enter into high-level discussion with US officials to resolve the POW/MIA issue within a two-year period, beginning January 1, 1986.

ONGOING OPERATIONS:
SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
July 1972 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive:
- Operation Lam Son 72 (6/28-9/16/72) (18th day of the 5th month through 9th day of the 8th month): In Thua Thien Province, ARVN 1st Division troops at FSB Checkmate are subjected to heavy enemy attacks during which the fire base is overrun and retaken several times during the month; the South Vietnamese Airborne Division and Marines continue advancing on Quang Tri City; the three provinces south of the Hai Van Pass were able to maintain reasonable control despite the low strength of friendly forces.
- The Chu Pao Pass area is cleared and the highway between Kontum and Pleiku opens to commercial traffic in early July. However, the enemy continues to harass traffic with sporadic attacks by fire and Route QL-14, although open, remains insecure.
- A total of six enemy regiments are reported in northern Dinh Tuong Province, about 65 km southwest of Saigon. After taking Kompong Trabek, NVA forces, probably elements of the 9th Division, supported by local Khmer Rouge units, are tightening control over Route QL-l from the Parrot's Beak area to Neak Luong on the Mekong River. By July 2 (22nd day), only two towns in the area remain under National Khmer control, Neak Luong and Svay Rieng. The series of heavy engagements between the NVA and South Vietnamese troops in the Elephant's Foot area in Military Region 4 continue; NVA continues to put pressure on QL-4, the supply route between the Delta's rice bowl and the nation's capital, while launching a series of coordinated attacks on the towns of Sam Giang, Cai Be and Cai Lay in Dinh Tuong Province from mid-May through mid-July; the attacks are driven back by territorial forces with strong support from U.S. tactical air and helicopter gunships.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
July 1979 (6th month and supplemental month, Year of the Goat (Ky Mui]): The Vietnamese have consolidated control over all major Cambodian towns and cities. PAVN forces in Cambodia reach a high of 224,000 in 1979, and then stabilize at an average of 170,000 to 180,000 troops, including 11 combat divisions. Up to eight divisions operate along the border in the dry season (December to June) and pull back to established garrisons during the rainy season (July to November).

July 1981 (6th and 7th months, Year of the Rooster [Tan Dau]): The beginning of the rainy season forces the Vietnamese to pull back from the border town of Pailin, which they have occupied since May in response to Khmer Rouge advances at Phnom Malai.

July 1982 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Dog [Nham Tuat]): Some 20,000 PAVN troops are sent home in the first major troop rotation since 1978. Taking their place are fresh troops, many of them southern draftees sent to complete basic training in the forward bases of understrength divisions.

July 1983 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Boar [Quy Hoi]): The Khmer Rouge increase their attacks on PAVN garrisons during the rainy season.

June-July 1984 (5th, 6th and 7th months, Year of the Rat [Giap Ty]): PAVN rotates its troops again, sending home three brigades and replacing these with an estimated 14,000 fresh troops, many of whom are sent to reinforce the weakned 5th Division.

July 1985 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Ox [At Suu]): This year as the rainy season begins ten PAVN combat divisions remain in Cambodia, all of them understrength, some with as few as 5000 troops. Meanwhile, the non-Communist resistance is recovering from PAVN's most recent dry season offensive.

July 1986 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Tiger [Binh Dan]): During this summer, PAVN withdraws Divisional Group 98 from Cambodia, replacing some of the troops with fresh men.

July 1988 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Dragon [Mau Thin]): PAVN has moved the bulk of its combat troops inland, with PRK Cambodian troops increasingly deployed on the border.