Timeline, May 21st

[David]

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
May 1960 (4th and 5th months, Year of the Rat [Canh Ty]): In Laos, Prince Souphanouvong, the "Red Prince," escapes from prison and rejoins the Pathet Lao in the north.

May 21, 1962 (18th day of the 4th month, Year of the Tiger [Nham Dan]) (US Advisory): Ships of Escort Division 72 depart the Gulf of Siam for scheduled return to the U.S. after a three-month training exercise with South Vietnamese ships.

May 21, 1963 (28th day of the 4th month, Year of the Hare [Quy Mao]) (US Advisory): Operation Yankee Team, a joint Navy-Air Force low-level aerial reconnaissance operation in eastern and southern Laos begins and two USN Chance-Vought RF-8A Crusader photo reconnaissance planes from the Kitty Hawk discover a Communist military presence in the Plain of Jars by way of both a photographic record and a direct hit on one of the planes by antiaircraft fire. Over the next two weeks, 130 Navy and Air Force flights over Laos will confirm the existence of a North Vietnamese infiltration system in the southern Laotian panhandle.

May 21, 1964 (10th day of the 4th month, Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): The initiation of the standing carrier presence at Yankee Station in the South China Sea.

May 20-21, 1965 (21st day of the 4th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): A coup against President Quat fails and some 40 individuals are arrested.

May 21. 1966 (2nd day of the 4th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): LBJ is told that in Danang "heavy exchanges of fire between GVN and struggle forces led to VNAF bombing of the latter" and that mortar fire there, "possibly from struggle forces," has injured 13 U.S. servicemen. The New York Times reports that "government marines [sic] today took over one of the pagodas used as a refuge by dissidents here after four hours of bitter fighting in which two Buddhist monks were killed." and that dissident ARVN soldiers and Buddhists are still holed up in two other pagodas. In the evening, State tells Ambassador Lodge that the press is giving the events in Da Nang "full play with pictures of GVN tanks trained on pagodas," gives him an outline of points to discuss with Ky, and asks Lodge if he thinks the US should assert its power "forcefully and drastically" to end the crisis.

May 21, 1966 (2nd day of the 4th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): Operation Lexington starts in the Rung Sat.

May 21. 1966 (2nd day of the 4th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): A platoon of US cavalrymen comes under intense attack from an enemy located on the ridge in front of them.

May 21, 1968 (25th day of the 4th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Operation Nevada Eagle update: The 101st Airborne base camp is attacked.

May 21, 1970 (17th day of the 4th month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Sanctuary Counteroffensive): C Company 8 RAR deploys to ambush positions south of Long Dien.

May 21, 1972 (9th day of the 4th month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): TOW missiles are first issued to ARVN troops.

May 21, 1972 (9th day of the 4th month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: The NVA hits the Marine defensive line at the My Chanh with a concentrated armor-infantry force, supported by artillery, and succeeds in breaking through the northeast line of defense.

Another NVA attack on Kontum City is beaten off with hand-to-hand fighting and tactical air and B-52 strikes. With the support of U.S. tactical air and gunships, Kontum City's defenders start several limited offensive operations in the areas north and northwest of the city within the range of ARVN artillery. During these actions, scattered contacts are made as troops discover additional evidence of heavy enemy casualties caused by B-52 strikes. Meanwhile, a major effort is launched from Pleiku to clear Route QL-14 north to Kontum, which has been interdicted at Chu Pao Pass for several weeks by the NVA 95B Regiment. The II Corps relief task force consists of the 2nd and 6th Ranger Groups, augmented by armored cavalry and combat engineer elements. Despite support from tactical air and artillery firepower, including B-52 strikes and the use of CBU-55 bombs, the attack is slowed by multiple enemy blocking positions on both sides of the highway and finally stopped by a system of strong points entrenched on the rocky southern slope of the Chu Pao Mountain. Coordinated with concentrated artillery, this ring of enemy blocks inflicts serious losses on the ARVN forces and continues to prevent road supply to Kontum City from Pleiku.