Timeline, July 1st

[David]

HISTORICAL:
July 1, 1885: General de Courcy arrives in Hue to "regulate difficulties" with Annam.

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
July 1949 (6th day of the 6th month, Year of the Ox [Ky Suu]): The French establish the (South) Vietnamese National Army.

July 1, 1964 (22nd day of the 5th month, Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): In the Delta, while on approach to pick up wounded in a hot zone, the commander of the 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance), Major Charles L. Kelly, is advised repeatedly by the ground element advisor to withdraw because of heavy enemy fire. He calmly replies, "When I have your wounded," and a minute later is killed by a single bullet. Kelly's call sign, Dustoff, becomes synonymous with helicopter medevac units throughout the war, and his words "when I have your wounded" are adopted as an informal motto by dustoff units everywhere, one that they live day in and day out.

July 1, 1965 (3rd day of the 6th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): A VC 85-man mortar and recoilless rifle force reinforced by North Vietnamese sappers attack the Da Nang airfield.

July 1965 (6th and 7th months, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): General Westmoreland attempts to bring the role of 1 RAR into line with the US operations by including 1 RAR as part of a general reserve required to carry out tasks anywhere in Vietnam. Australia's response is, "1 RAR can best be employed, and make its most effective and valuable contribution to the operations in South Vietnam by continuing on its present role and tasks in the Bien Hoa area".(OS) Australian Lt. General Sir John Wilton is very wary of Australians fighting alongside American troops, feeling that the Americans take extremely heavy casualties, something the Aussies can't afford to do. "While the loss of a battalion would be a setback to the Americans, it would be a national catastrophe to Australia's small army."

July 1, 1965 (3rd day of the 6th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): A Company, 1st Aviation Battalion is alerted for movement to Cheo Reo airfield for an operation in support of the ARVN Airborne Brigade and a second mission of evacuating a district headquarters near Cheo Reo which has been under attack by the VC for several days.

July 1, 1966 (13th day of the 5th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Paul Revere update; 155th AHC activities.

July 1966 (13th day of the 5th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): The Australians now have in place an entirely independent fighting force, the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) built around two infantry battalions with supporting artillery and armor. The Aussies report directly to the Corps Commander. From their base near the town of Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province on the southern approaches to Saigon, the Aussies' primary task is to keep the local guerrilla forces away from the civilian population "and [is] specifically intended to keep it out of America's battles with Main Force units. Gen. Wilton still [sees] these actions as 'a bit of a meatgrinder.'"

July 1, 1967 (24th day of the 5th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Greeley update.

July 1, 1968 (6th day of the 6th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than])(US Counteroffensive Phase V): The Phoenix program is established.

July 1, 1969 (17th day of the 5th month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau])(US Summer-Fall 1969): The Aerospace Rescue and Recovery forces in South East Asia complete their 2,500th save.

July 1, 1969 (17th day of the 5th month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau])(US Summer-Fall 1969): South Vietnamese relief forces reach the Special Forces camp at Ben Het, lifting a eight-week siege.

July 1, 1970 (28th day of the 8th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): Negative contact with the enemy after an insertion two km northeast of LZ Welch.

July 1, 1970 (28th day of the 8th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): Operation Texas Star update: The 803rd NVA regiment attacks American night defensive positions on the floor of the A Shau Valley with assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and satchel charges.

July 1, 1971 (9th day of the 5th month, supplemental, Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi])(US Consolidation I): 6100 American soldiers depart Vietnam, a daily record.

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.