Timeline, December 25th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
December 25, 1951-January 3, 1952 (Year of the Hare [Tan Mao]): Hoa Binh campaign: French-led Vietnamese commandos in the field locate various units of the 308 Division in the Ba Tai forest, calling in artillery and air strikes, while the CEFEO force is built up and plans are made for a preliminary attack to draw off Viet Minh forces that could reinforce the Black River sector.

December 25, 1953 (Year of the Snake [Quy Ti]): Operation Castor update: In Laos, Mekong falls (per Histoire) during a series of Viet Minh diversionary actions, which also include the 308 Division moving toward Luang Prabang in late December and the 325 Division heading west into the upper Laotian panhandle during January 1954. Laos has been demanding French guarantees for its national security for months now, but the French maintain their static positions at key places there and continue to build up the garrison at Dien Bien Phu. The Viet Minh 312 Division starts moving closer to the isolated garrison.

INTERBELLUM:
December 25, 1955 (Year of the Goat [At Mui]): Laos: General elections are held with the participation of the N?o lao Itsala.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
December 25, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Counteroffensive): For some time, units from the NVA 325 Division have been besieging the three Special Forces camps in the valley of the Rao Lao River at the western edge of Thua Thien Province. On the 25th the South Vietnamese who control two of the camps, at A Loui and Ta Bat, abandon them and leave the valley. The Americans who control the third camp, at the village of A Shau, decide to stay.

December 25, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Laos: The North Vietnamese attack Muong Phalane, one of four USAF tactical air navigation sites in Laos with a precision mortar barrage followed by an infantry assault.

December 25, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): During the Christmas truce, 110 enemy incidents are reported, forty of them called major incidents. Two US soldiers are killed and 24 wounded during the 24-hour period.

December 25, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): A hand-picked team from III Corps is heli-lifted into an enemy-controlled area in Tay Ninh province and lands near a large NLF banner set out to guide them in. They are there to take the North Vietnamese up on an offer earlier in the month to release three American POWs, but it does not come to pass.

December 25, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): ANZAC's C Squadron Centurion tanks defend FSB Julia.

December 25, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): In the evening, after the Christmas truce has ended, gunship crews of the 1st Cavalry spot three enemy personnel a little over 40 miles northwest of Phuoc Vinh. In the resulting engagement, one of the enemy is killed.

December 1971 (Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Consolidation II): The USAF is down to 277 fighter and strike aircraft and 28,791 personnel from a high of 737 aircraft and 54,434 personnel in 1968. The VNAF is responsible for 70% of all air combat missions, and guerrilla activity remains low.

December 25, 1972 (Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: Operation Linebacker II Christmas pause.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
December 25, 1978 (Year of the Horse [Mau Ngo]): Cambodia: In the north, PAVN's 3 and 5 Divisions, with bridging equipment, are moving toward Kratie and the Mekong River. In the south, there is tough resistance from the Khmer Rouge, but PAVN forces advance and try to seal the coastline to block Chinese supplies to the Cambodian forces. The 12 Division hits Kampot City on the 25th, but is driven back. PAVN begins the first in a series of amphibious landings when a battalion of the 126 Marine Brigade establishes a blocking force west of Kampot.

December 25, 1985 (Year of the Ox [At Suu]): PAVN's biggest dry season offensive to date begins with the 9 Division destroying the KPNLF border camp at Rythisen.

POSTBELLUM:
December 25, 1998 (Year of the Tiger [Mau Dan]): Khieu Samphan and another Khmer Rouge official surrender to the newly elected government of Hun Sen in Phnom Penh and are treated not as criminals but as guests. Khieu Samphan was the Cambodian Secretary of State for Commerce, joined Khmer Rouge, 1967-70; named Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense in government-in-exile of Norodom Sihanouk, 1970; Commander in Chief, Khmer Rouge High Command, from 1973; Head of State, 1976-79; Prime Minister of Khmer Rouge Opposition Government fighting Vietnamese forces, from December 1979.