1961–1963Reputable sourceWell documented
Kennedy's War: The Advisers
On the timeline · around 1961–1963 ·
What happened
President John F. Kennedy sharply expanded the U.S. commitment, sending thousands of military 'advisers' — over 16,000 by 1963 — along with helicopters and the flawed 'Strategic Hamlet' program to relocate peasants away from the Viet Cong.
Why it matters
Short of a declared war, the United States was now fighting in Vietnam in all but name, its prestige committed to South Vietnam's survival.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Vietnam War · Reputable source
Related timelines
- American History → — The U.S. slides toward war