Timeline, January 2nd

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
January, 1947 (late Year of the Dog [Binh Tuat]/early year of the Boar [Dinh Hoi]): The NVA's vanguard 308 'Capital' Regiment is created for operation around Hanoi, after the French Expeditionary Force pushes Gen. Giap and his troops out of the city and into the jungles (and, in some cases, into China where they will operate alongside Communist Chinese forces against the Koumintang). The NVA numbered its first regiments and divisions in the "300" series to distinguish them from Communist Chinese units, which were numbered in the "100" and "200" series.

INTERBELLUM:
1957 (Year of the Rooster [Dinh Dau]): NVA begins a complete modernization program. With Chinese and Soviet encouragement and assistance (material aid from China and advisors from the Soviet Union, as well as training of Vietnamese in both countries), Viet Minh "interzones" of the First Indochina War are reorganized into five military regions. The commander of each military region controls provincial and militia forces. Regular forces are under the control of the NVA High Command, unless doing regional tasks like road-building, in which case they come under regional control.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
January 2, 1963 (7th day of the 12th month, Year of the Tiger [Nham Dan])(US Advisory): Battle of Ap Bac.

January 2, 1966 (11th day of the 12th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti])(US Counteroffensive): Eight U.S. aircraft (the highest total for any day to date) are lost in attacks over North Vietnam.

January 2, 1967 (22nd day of the 12th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo])(US Counteroffensive Phase II): The US 155th AHC and the CIDG ARVN unit see action.

January 2, 1967 (22nd day of the 12th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo])(US Counteroffensive Phase II): Frustrated with the lack of permission to attack North Vietnamese MiGs at their airbases, a ruse is devised, labelled Operation Bolo and led by WWII and Korean conflict vets, 8th FW commander, Robin Olds and his vice wing commander, Daniel "Chappie" James, (known to their squadron as "Black Man and Robin"), in F-4C Phantoms and involving the 8th TAC Wing, from Ubon, Thailand and 366th TAC from Da Nang, to lure North Vietnamese Air Force MiGs up into a trap. The plan works and 7 MiGs, about half of the North's operational MiG-21 inventory, are shot down in 11 minutes without any USAF losses. Hanoi immediately orders another stand-down of its air force in order for its pilots to receive better foreign training.

January 2, 1968 (3rd day of the 12th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui])(US Counteroffensive Phase III): USMC dog team alerts on six NVA soldiers on Khe Sanh perimeter. Marines kill five of them. They were NVA officers dressed in USMC uniforms.

January 2, 1968 (3rd day of the 12th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui])(US Counteroffensive Phase III): USMC MAG-16 units conduct an emergency extraction of recon team "Sailfish" at AT8665.

January 2, 1968 (3rd day of the 12th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui])(US Counteroffensive Phase III): The 36-hour US Navy stand-down for New Year's ends, but another one is scheduled for later in the month to coincide with the major Vietnamese lunar new year holiday of Tet, which is not only a time for partying, but also for worship of revered ancestors at the family altar; during Tet celebrations, for several days the entire countryside goes on the move as people visit their ancestral homes and all business--even the business of war--comes to a halt.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
January 2, 1979 (4th day of the 12th month, Year of the Horse [Mau Ngo]): In Cambodia, two Vietnamese Dac Cong commando teams try to infiltrate Phnom Penh by boat to kidnap Norodom Sihanouk, but are discovered and all but one man are killed.