Timeline, August 3rd

[David]

HISTORICAL:
August 1883: Hue falls to the French following the death of Emperor Tu Duc a month earlier.

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
August 3, 1950 (Year of the Tiger [Canh Dan]): The U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), Indochina, arrives in Saigon to administer the material assistance program.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
August 3, 1962 (Year of the Tiger [Nham Dan]) (US Advisory): The first contingent of the Australia Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) arrives at Tan Son Nhut Airport, Saigon, where they are met by their commander, who had arrived three days previously. He has had recent experience of communist insurgency in Burma and was a former Commandant of the Jungle Warfare Training Center at Canungra, Queensland. The members of AATTV, composed of officers, warrant officers and sergeants, are all trained in jungle warfare and have Malaysian experience. The group is predominantly Infantry, with some from Armor, Intelligence, Signals and Engineers.

August 3, 1964 (Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): The Maddox and the Turner Joy head back into the Gulf of Tonkin toward the North Vietnamese coast at first light. Between 1600 and 1727 the ships turn north, pass by Hon Me, and retire to the east for a nighttime steaming area in the middle of the gulf. During that time, 240 miles to the south in Da Nang, the 34A maritime force gets underway for another operation in North Vietnamese waters. Around midnight, three South Vietnamese-crewed Nastys reach their operating area off Cape Doc, 95 miles south of Hon Me. The PTFs shell a radar facility at Vinh Son and a security post on the south bank of the Ron River. Their mission accomplished, the boats withdraw and make for Da Nang, the last PTF putting in at 0715 on August 4.

August 3, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): Operation Dan Thang 5: 1150 men are airlifted to an airfield LZ near the besieged SF/CIDG camp at Duc Co.

August 3, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): General Andrew Goodpaster, assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Eisenhower discuss the situation in Vietnam.

August 3, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): Journalists and high-level Administration officials meet to discuss domestic coverage of Vietnam in the US; on the same evening, CBS airs footage of US Marines destroying 51 huts after a unit of the 9th Marines had received heavy small arms fire from the village during the search-and-clear operation, Blastout I.

August 3, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Prairie I begins in Quang Tri Province.

August 3, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Greeley update: Battle at Dak Seang.

August 3, 1970 (Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VII): 7 RAR deploys for operations Cung Chung 2 and 3.

August 3, 1972 (Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: South Vietnamese troops retake Fire Base Bastogne, which had been lost a week earlier to enemy attack.