1965Reputable sourceWell documented
Americanization: The Ground War Begins
On the timeline · around 1965 ·
What happened
In 1965 President Johnson launched Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam, and landed the first U.S. combat troops at Da Nang. By year's end nearly 200,000 Americans were in Vietnam, fighting a war of attrition under General Westmoreland.
Why it matters
This was the moment the conflict became an American war — a massive commitment of firepower and manpower measured grimly in enemy 'body counts.'
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Vietnam War · Reputable source