Timeline, May 23rd

[David]

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
May 23, 1966 (4th day of the 4th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo] (US Counteroffensive): Demonstrations in Da Nang.

May 23, 1967 (15th day of the 4th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Task Force Oregon limits its activities to surveillance and defense during celebrations of Buddha's birthday.

May 23, 1967 (15th day of the 4th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Muitnamah assigned.

May 23, 1968 (27th day of the 4th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): A/7/17th Cavalry scouts are fired on north of Dak To, losing a chopper.

May 23, 1968 (27th day of the 4th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Battle of FSB Coral: Centurion tanks from C Squadron (1,2 and 3 Troop) arrive at FSPB Coral and provide much needed fire support.

May 23, 1968 (27th day of the 4th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): In a White House ceremony, President Johnson presents the Presidential Unit Citation to Col. David Lownds, who is receiving the award on behalf of the 26h Marines and supporting units, for their service at Khe Sanh in 1968.

May 23, 1969 (8th day of the 4th month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Tet69/Counteroffensive): The first battle of An Loc starts.

May 23, 1970 (19th day of the 4th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Sanctuary Counteroffensive): D Company 8 RAR ambushed south and southeast of Hoa Long.

May 23, 1971 (29th day of the 4th month, Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): Viet Cong infiltrators destroy large stocks of aviation fuel at the U. S. airbase at Cam Ranh Bay.

May 23, 1972 (11th day of the 4th month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: The Defense Department announces that the air war against North Vietnam has been expanded to include new targets.

In South Vietnam's Military Region 4 (IV Corps), ARVN ranger and armor forces of the 44th STZ and the NVA 207th Regiment engage in a small action in an area on the Cambodian side of the border some 15 km north of Cai Cai, a district town located on the common boundary of Kien Tuong and Kien Phong Provinces near the Cambodian border. During this battle, ARVN forces capture some enemy documents which contain plans for the infiltration of NVA units into northern Kien Tuong Province and subsequent attacks against Moc Hoa, the provincial capital.

Further north, while the Communist are attacking Kontum city, another NVA division assisted by VC main force units launches an assault in the coastal regions of Binh Dinh province to further the plan of cutting South Vietnam in half. The North Vietnamese capture several district capitals and cut Route 1, but B-52 and tactical air strikes help ARVN units turn back this thrust.