List of allied military operations of the Vietnam War (1972)
Table:
Date Duration
Operation Name
Unit(s) – Description
Location
VC–PAVN KIA's
Allied KIA's

72
Operation Prek Ta[1]
FANK and ARVN operation against PAVN

72
Operation Seahawk[2]
US search and rescue operations in the Gulf of Tonkin, on the gun line off the coast, coming under enemy fire on 15 occasions
Gulf of Tonkin

Feb 1 – Apr 30
Operation Keystone Owl[3]
Redeployment of five infantry battalions, two cavalry squadrons and four air cavalry squadron from South Vietnam to the United States

Apr 1 – Sep 16
Operation Eastertide (Quảng Trị)[3]
ARVN 3rd Division reinforced by the 1st Division, VNMC and Airborne Division defense and counteroffensive against the PAVN 304th, 308th, 312th, 320th, 324B and 325th Divisions
Quảng Trị Province

Apr 2 – Jul 11
Operation Eastertide (An Loc)[3]
ARVN 5th Division, reinforced by TF 52 comprising the ARVN 18th Division, 21st Division, 35th Regiment and 1st Airborne Brigade defense and recapture of An Loc
An Loc

Apr 5 – May 10
Operation Freedom Train
Initial US bombing campaign in response to the PAVN Easter Offensive, later superseded by Operation Linebacker

Apr 12 – Jul 14
Operation Eastertide (Kon Tum)[3]
ARVN 23rd Division, reinforced by the 40th, 41st, 42nd and 47th Regiments, 22nd Division defense of Kon Tum against the PAVN 2nd, 3rd and 320th Divisions
Kon Tum

May 1 – Jun 30
Operation Keystone Pheasant[3]
Redeployment of 3/1 Cavalry, 196th Infantry Brigade and four infantry Battalions from South Vietnam to the United States

May 8
Operation Pocket Money[4]
Mining of Haiphong Harbour by A-7 Corsair IIs and A-6 Intruders from the USS Coral Sea
Haiphong Harbour

May 9 – Oct 23
Operation Linebacker I[5]
U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 strategic bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong, and mining of Haiphong harbor to turn back the Easter Offensive
Hanoi and Haiphong

May 17 - Oct
Operation Enhance[6]
US resupply of military equipment and consumables to South Vietnam

Jun 3 – 12
Operation Thunderhead[3]
US Navy SEAL Team One and Underwater Demolition Team (UDT)-11 operation to rescue 2 escaped US POWs
Red River basin

1

Jul 1 – Aug 31
Operation Keystone Wren[3]
Redeployment of two infantry battalions from South Vietnam to the United States

Sep 1 – Nov 30
Operation Keystone Pelican[3]
Redeployment of miscellaneous units from South Vietnam to the United States

20 Oct - Dec
Operation Enhance Plus
Transfer of equipment and bases from U.S. to South Vietnam

Dec 18 – 29
Operation Linebacker II[3]
U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 strategic bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong, and mining of Haiphong harbor to force North Vietnam to return to the Paris Peace Talks
Hanoi and Haiphong
1612

By analysing the tabular data as well as the supplementary paragraphs provided at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: What was the date duration of the largest offensive operation since 300,000 Chinese troops had crossed the Yalu River into North Korea during the Korean War ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state , or a non-state actor , in response to a developing situation . These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor 's favor . Operations may be of a combat or non-combat nature and may be referred to by a code name for the purpose of national security . Military operations are often known for their more generally accepted common usage names than their actual operational objectives .
Operation Prek Ta was a joint Cambodian-South Vietnamese offensive at the beginning of 1972 against Communist forces south of Route I . The result proved inconclusive , and the Khmer National Armed Forces was forced to pull back to Phnom Penh .
The Khmer National Armed Forces ( French : Forces armées nationales khmères , FANK ) were the official armed defense forces of the Khmer Republic , a short-lived state that existed from 1970 to 1975 , known today as Cambodia . The FANK was the successor of the Royal Khmer Armed Forces ( French : Forces armées royales khmères , FARK ) which had been responsible for the defense of the previous Kingdom of Cambodia since its independence in 1954 from France .
The Gulf of Tonkin ( Vietnamese : Vịnh Bắc Bộ , simplified Chinese : 北部湾 ; traditional Chinese : 北部灣 ; formerly known as 东京湾/東京灣 during ROC period ) is a body of water located off the coast of northern Vietnam and southern China . It is a northern arm of the South China Sea . The Gulf is defined in the west by the northern coastline of Vietnam , in the north by China 's Guangxi Province , and to the east by China 's Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Island .
The Easter Offensive , officially known as The 1972 Spring - Summer Offensive ( Vietnamese : Chiến dịch Xuân Hè 1972 ) by North Vietnam , or Red fiery summer ( Vietnamese : Mùa hè đỏ lửa ) as romanticized in South Vietnamese literature , was a military campaign conducted by the People 's Army of Vietnam ( PAVN , the regular army of North Vietnam ) against the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN , the regular army of South Vietnam ) and the United States military between 30 March and 22 October 1972 , during the Vietnam War . This conventional invasion ( the largest offensive operation since 300,000 Chinese troops had crossed the Yalu River into North Korea during the Korean War ) was a radical departure from previous North Vietnamese offensives . The offensive was not designed to win the war outright but to gain as much territory and destroy as many units of the ARVN as possible , to improve the North 's negotiating position as the Paris Peace Accords drew towards a conclusion . The U.S. high command had been expecting an attack in 1972 but the size and ferocity of the assault caught the defenders off balance , because the attackers struck on three fronts simultaneously , with the bulk of the North Vietnamese army . This first attempt by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( North Vietnam ) to invade the south since the Tet Offensive of 1968 , became characterized by conventional infantry-armor assaults backed by heavy artillery , with both sides fielding the latest in technological advances in weapons systems . In the I Corps Tactical Zone , North Vietnamese forces overran South Vietnamese defensive positions in a month-long battle and captured Quảng Trị city , before moving south in an attempt to seize Huế . PAVN similarly eliminated frontier defense forces in the II Corps Tactical Zone and advanced to seize the provincial capital of Kon Tum , which would have opened the way to the sea , splitting South Vietnam in two . North-east of Saigon , in the III Corps Tactical Zone , PAVN forces overran Lộc Ninh and advanced to assault the capital of Bình Long Province at An Lộc . The campaign can be divided into three phases : April was a month of PAVN advances ; May became a period of equilibrium ; in June and July the South Vietnamese forces counter-attacked , culminating in the recapture of Quảng Trị City in September . On all three fronts , initial North Vietnamese successes were hampered by high casualties , inept tactics and the increasing application of U.S. and South Vietnamese air power . One result of the offensive was the launching of Operation Linebacker , the first sustained bombing of North Vietnam by the U.S. since November 1968 . Although South Vietnamese forces withstood their greatest trial thus far in the conflict , the North Vietnamese accomplished two important goals : they had gained valuable territory within South Vietnam from which to launch future offensives and they had obtained a better bargaining position at the peace negotiations being conducted in Paris .
The 3rd Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) - the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975 - was part of the I Corps that oversaw the northernmost region of South Vietnam , the centre of Vietnam . The Division was initially raised in October 1971 in Quảng Trị and composed of 2nd Infantry Regiment ( from the 1st Division ) , 56th Infantry Regiment and 57th Infantry Regiment , the first commander was Brigadier General Vu Van Giai the former deputy commander of the 1st Division . The overburdened division collapsed in 1972 during the Easter Offensive , was reconstituted and finally destroyed at Da Nang in 1975 during the Hue-Da Nang Campaign .
The 1st Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) - the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975 - was part of the I Corps that oversaw the northernmost region of South Vietnam , the centre of Vietnam . The 1st Division was based in Huế , the old imperial city and one of two major cities in the region , which was also the corps headquarters . Until late 1971 the Division was also tasked with the defence of Quảng Trị , the closest town to the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) and among the first to be hit by the Tet Offensive .
The Republic of Vietnam Marine Division ( RVNMD , Vietnamese : Sư Đoàn Thủy Quân Lục Chiến [ TQLC ] ) was part of the armed forces of South Vietnam . It was established by Ngo Dinh Diem in 1954 when he was Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam , which became the Republic of Vietnam in 1955 . The longest-serving commander was Lieutenant General Le Nguyen Khang . In 1969 , the VNMC had a strength of 9,300 , 15,000 by 1973. , and 20,000 by 1975 . The Marine Division trace their origins to French-trained Commandos Marine divisions recruited and placed under the command of the French Navy but officially incorporated in 1960 . From 1970 onwards , the South Vietnamese marines and Airborne Division grew significantly , supplanting the independent , Central Highlands based Vietnamese Rangers as the most popular elite units for volunteers . Along with the Airborne , the Marine Division formed the General Reserve with the strategic transformation under Vietnamization , with elite and highly-mobile units meant to be deployed in People 's Army of Vietnam attacking points and incursions . By then , the level of training had improved considerably and U.S. General Creighton Abrams who oversaw Vietnamization stated that South Vietnam 's Airborne and Marines had no comparable units to match it in the PAVN . This division had earned a total of 9 U.S. presidential citations , with the 2nd Battalion Crazy Buffaloes earning two .
The Vietnamese Airborne Division was one of the earliest components of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces ( Vietnamese : Quân lực Việt Nam Cộng hòa - QLVNCH ) . The Vietnamese Airborne Division began as companies organised in 1948 , prior to any agreement over armed forces in Vietnam . After the partition of Vietnam , it became a part of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam . This division had its distinct origins in French-trained paratrooper battalions , with predecessor battalions participating in major battles including Dien Bien Phu and retained distinct uniforms and regalia . With the formation of an independent republic , the colonial paratroopers were dissolved , however regalia and aesthetics alongside the nickname Bawouans would be retained . The Airborne Division , alongside the Vietnamese Rangers and the Marine Division were often regarded as among the most effective units , with former airborne advisor General Barry McCaffrey noting that those of us privileged to serve with them were awe-struck by their courage and tactical aggressiveness . The senior officers and non-commissioned officers were extremely competent and battle hardened . Eight of nine battalions and three headquarters had earned US Presidential Unit Citation ( United States ) of which eight of these were earned by the Airborne between 1967-1968 which included the Tet Offensive period . Airborne commanders were often highly rated , with Airborne Commander Ngô Quang Trưởng once described by former Airborne-adviser and Gulf War commanding General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. as the most brilliant tactical commander I have ever known
The 308th Infantry Division is a division of the People 's Army of Vietnam , first formed in August 1950 in southern China from the previous Regimental Group 308.:150
The 320th Division or Đồng Bằng Division ( Vietnamese : Sư đoàn Đồng Bằng , Delta Division ) is a formation and one of the six original Steel and Iron Divisions of the Vietnam People 's Army . It was established in January 1951.:149
The 324th Division ( named as 324th-B Division during Vietnam War ) is an infantry division of the 4th Military Region ( Vietnam People 's Army ) .
Quảng Trị ( Vietnamese : [ kwa᷉ːŋ ʈîˀ ] ( listen ) ) is a province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam , north of the former imperial capital of Huế .
The Fifth Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) - the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975 - was part of the III Corps that oversaw the region of the country surrounding the capital , Saigon . The Fifth Division was based in Biên Hòa , a town on the northern outskirts of Saigon , and due to the Division 's close proximity to the capital Saigon was a key factor in the success or failure of the various coup attempts in the nation 's history . As a result , the loyalty of the commanding officer of the Division was crucial in maintaining power .
The 18th Division was an infantry division in the III Corps of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) . The U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam considered the 18th as undisciplined and was well known throughout the ARVN for its cowboy reputation . In 1975 the 18th was made famous for its tenacious defense of Xuân Lộc , the last major battle before the Fall of Saigon .
The 21st Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) - the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1959 to 1975 , was part of the IV Corps that oversaw the southernmost region of South Vietnam , the Mekong Delta . The 21st Division was based in Chương Thiện Province , the southernmost province in the whole country , in an area dominated by jungles and swamps .
An Lộc is a ward ( phường ) of Bình Long town , Bình Phước Province in the Southeast region of Vietnam .
Operation Linebacker was the codename of a U.S . Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 air interdiction campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( North Vietnam ) from 9 May to 23 October 1972 , during the Vietnam War . Its purpose was to halt or slow the transportation of supplies and materials for the Nguyen Hue Offensive ( known in the West as the Easter Offensive ) , an invasion of the Republic of Vietnam ( South Vietnam ) by forces of the People 's Army of Vietnam ( PAVN ) that had been launched on 30 March . Linebacker was the first continuous bombing effort conducted against North Vietnam since the end of Operation Rolling Thunder in November 1968 .
The 23rd Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) - the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975 - was part of the II Corps that oversaw the Central Highlands .
The 22nd Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) was part of the II Corps that oversaw the region of the Central Highlands north of the capital Saigon . The 22nd Division was based in Ba Gi near the south central coast .
Kon Tum is the capital city of Kon Tum Province in Vietnam . It is located inland in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam , near the borders with Laos and Cambodia .
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team , 1st Cavalry Division ( Third Grey Wolf Brigade , 1st Cavalry Division ) is a combined arms armored brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division . Its major equipment includes M1A2SEP Tanks , M2A3 & M3A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles , M109A6 Paladin howitzers , and M1114 up-armored Humvees .
The 196th Infantry Brigade ( Chargers ) , also known as the Charger Brigade was first formed on 24 June 1921 as part of the United States Army Reserve 's 98th Division with the responsibility of training soldiers .
Haiphong ( Vietnamese : Hải Phòng , IPA : [ ha᷉ːj fâwŋ͡m ] ( listen ) ) is a major industrial city , the second largest city in the northern part of Vietnam . Hai Phong is also the center of technology , economy , culture , medicine , education , science and trade in the northern coast of Vietnam . Hai Phong city traces its origin to its 1887 founding as a seaport province by colonist of the French Colonial Empire . In 1888 , the president of the French Third Republic Sadi Carnot promulgated a decree to establish Hai Phong city . From 1954 to 1975 , Hai Phong served as the most important maritime city of North Vietnam , and it became one of direct-controlled municipalities of a reunified Vietnam with Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh city in 1976 . In the 21st century , Hai Phong has emerged as a trading gateway , modern , green industrial city of Vietnam , oriented to become the third special-class city of Vietnam in 2030 or by 2050 at the latest .
The LTV A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by American conglomerate Ling-Temco-Vought ( LTV ) . The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk . Its design is derived from the Vought F-8 Crusader ; in comparison with the F-8 , the A-7 is both smaller and restricted to subsonic speeds , its airframe being simpler and cheaper to produce . Following a competitive bid by Vought in response to the United States Navy 's ( USN ) VAL ( Heavier-than-air , Attack , Light ) requirement , an initial contract for the type was issued on 8 February 1964 . Development was rapid , first flying on 26 September 1965 and entering squadron service with the USN on 1 February 1967 ; by the end of that year , A-7s were being deployed overseas for the Vietnam War . Initially adopted by USN , the A-7 proved attractive to other services , soon being adopted by the United States Air Force ( USAF ) and the Air National Guard ( ANG ) to replace their aging Douglas A-1 Skyraider and North American F-100 Super Sabre fleets . Improved models of the A-7 would be developed , typically adopting more powerful engines and increasingly capable avionics . American A-7s would be used in various major conflicts , including the Invasion of Grenada , Operation El Dorado Canyon , and the Gulf War . The type was also used to support the development of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk . The A-7 was also exported to Greece in the 1970s and to Portugal in the late 1980s . The USAF and USN opted to retire their remaining examples of the type in 1991 , followed by the ANG in 1993 and the Portuguese Air Force in 1999 . The A-7 was largely replaced by newer generation fighters such as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet .
The Grumman A-6 Intruder is a twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace . The A-6 was developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s in response to a requirement issued by the United States Navy for an all-weather jet-powered carrier-based attack aircraft . It was designed as a successor for multiple existing medium-sized attack aircraft , such as the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider . Unlike its predecessors , and even some contemporaries , the A-6 made extensive use of interconnected avionics . Operated by a crew of two in a side-by-side seating configuration , the workload were divided between the pilot and weapons officer . In addition to conventional munitions , the type was also compatible with the Navy 's air-based nuclear weapons , which were deployable via a toss bombing techniques . On 19 April 1960 , the prototype performed the type 's maiden flight . The A-6 was in service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997 , multiple variants of the type being introduced during this time . From the A-6 , a specialized electronic warfare derivative , the EA-6B Prowler , was developed . It was deployed during various overseas conflicts , including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War . The A-6 was intended to be succeeded by the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II , but this program was ultimately terminated canceled , allegedly due to cost overruns . Thus , when the A-6E was scheduled for retirement , its precision strike mission was taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod .
USS Coral Sea ( CV/CVB/CVA-43 ) , a Midway-class aircraft carrier , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea . She earned the affectionate nickname Ageless Warrior through her long career . Initially classified as an aircraft carrier with hull classification symbol CV-43 , the contract to build the ship was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News , Virginia on 14 June 1943 . She was reclassified as a Large Aircraft Carrier with hull classification symbol CVB-43 on 15 July 1943 . Her keel was laid down on 10 July 1944 in Shipway 10 . She was launched on 2 April 1946 sponsored by Mrs. Thomas C. Kinkaid and commissioned on 1 October 1947 with Captain A.P . Storrs III in command . Before 8 May 1945 , the aircraft carrier CVB-42 had been known as USS Coral Sea ; after that date , CVB-42 was renamed in honor of Franklin D. Roosevelt , the late President , and CVB-43 was named the Coral Sea . Coral Sea was one of the last U.S Navy carriers to be completed with a straight flight deck , with an angled flight deck added on during later modernizations . All subsequent newly-built U.S Navy carriers have had the angled deck included as part of the ship 's construction .
Operation Linebacker was the codename of a U.S . Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 air interdiction campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( North Vietnam ) from 9 May to 23 October 1972 , during the Vietnam War . Its purpose was to halt or slow the transportation of supplies and materials for the Nguyen Hue Offensive ( known in the West as the Easter Offensive ) , an invasion of the Republic of Vietnam ( South Vietnam ) by forces of the People 's Army of Vietnam ( PAVN ) that had been launched on 30 March . Linebacker was the first continuous bombing effort conducted against North Vietnam since the end of Operation Rolling Thunder in November 1968 .
United States Air Forces Korea and USAFK redirect here .
The United States Navy ( USN ) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States . It is the largest and most capable navy in the world and it has been estimated that in terms of tonnage of its active battle fleet alone , it is larger than the next 13 navies combined , which includes 11 U.S. allies or partner nations . It has the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world 's largest aircraft carrier fleet , with eleven in service , two new carriers under construction , and five other carriers planned . With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve , the U.S. Navy is the third largest of the U.S. military service branches in terms of personnel . It has 290 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of June 2019 [ update ] , making it the third-largest air force in the world , after the United States Air Force and the United States Army . The U.S. Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy , which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter . After suffering significant loss of goods and personnel at the hands of the Barbary pirates from Algiers , the U.S. Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794 for the construction of six heavy frigates , the first ships of the U.S. Navy . The U.S. Navy played a major role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy and seizing control of its rivers . It played the central role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan . The U.S. Navy emerged from World War II as the most powerful navy in the world . The 21st century U.S. Navy maintains a sizable global presence , deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific , the Mediterranean , and the Indian Ocean . It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world , engage in forward deployments during peacetime and rapidly respond to regional crises , making it a frequent actor in U.S. foreign and military policy .
For decades , Task Force 77 was the aircraft carrier battle/strike force of the United States Seventh Fleet in the United States Navy ( USN ) since the U.S . Seventh Fleet was formed .
Hanoi ( UK : / ( ˌ ) hæ- , həˈnɔɪ/ ha- , hə-NOY or US : /hɑː-/ hah-NOY ; Vietnamese : Hà Nội [ hàː nôjˀ ] ( listen ) ) is the capital of Vietnam . It covers an area of 3,328.9 square kilometres ( 1,285 sq mi ) . With an estimated population of 7.7 million as of 2018 , it is the second largest city in Vietnam . The metropolitan area , encompassing nine additional neighbouring provinces , has an estimated population of 16 million . Located in the central area of the Red River Delta , Hanoi is the commercial , cultural , and educational centre of Northern Vietnam . Having an estimated nominal GDP of US $ 32.8 billion , it is the second most productive economic centre of Vietnam , following Ho Chi Minh City . Originally a small settlement along the banks of the Red River , the city was founded as Thăng Long , the capital of Imperial Vietnam , in 1010 by monarch Lý Thái Tổ . Thăng Long would remain the most important political and cultural centre of Vietnam until 1802 , when the Nguyễn dynasty , the last imperial dynasty of Vietnam , moved the capital to Huế . Thăng Long renamed to its current name Hanoi in 1831 . In 1873 , Hanoi was conquered by the French , and from 1883 to 1945 , the city was the administrative centre of French Indochina . The French colonisation left a lasting impact on the city 's architecture that is visible today , as showcased through the juxtaposition of French-styled avenues , bridges , buildings , and traditional Vietnamese architecture . From 1940 to 1945 , Hanoi was occupied by the Japanese forces .
Operations Enhance and Enhance Plus in the Vietnam War transferred large quantities of United States military equipment and bases to the South Vietnamese government in advance of the Paris Peace Accords which ended American involvement in the war . The two operations were conducted between May and December 1972 .
South Vietnam , officially the Republic of Vietnam ( RVN ; Vietnamese : Việt Nam Cộng Hòa ; French : République du Viêt Nam ) , was a country that existed from 1955 to 1975 , the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of the Cold War . It received international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam ( a self-governing entity in the French Empire ) , which was a constitutional monarchy ( 1949-1955 ) . The country was renamed the Republic of Vietnam in 1955 . Its capital was Saigon ( now Ho Chi Minh City ) . South Vietnam was bordered by North Vietnam to the north , Laos to the northwest , Cambodia to the southwest , Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest , and the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei , and Indonesia across the South China Sea to the east and southeast . The Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed on 26 October 1955 , with Ngô Đình Diệm as its first president , after having briefly served as premier under Emperor Bảo Đại who was exiled . Its sovereignty was recognized by the United States and 87 other nations . It had membership in several special committees of the United Nations , but its application for full membership was rejected in 1957 because of a Soviet veto ( neither South nor North Vietnam were members of the UN during the Vietnam War , but the united Vietnam became a member state in 1977 ) . South Vietnam 's origins can be traced to the French colony of Cochinchina , which consisted of the southern third of Vietnam which was Cochinchina [ Nam Kỳ ] , a subdivision of French Indochina , and the southern half of Central Vietnam or Annam [ Trung Kỳ ] which was a French protectorate . After the Second World War , the anti-Japanese Việt Minh guerrilla forces , led by Ho Chi Minh , proclaimed the establishment of a Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi in September 1945 , issuing a Declaration of Independence modeled on the US one from 1776 . In 1949 , anti-communist Vietnamese politicians formed a rival government in Saigon led by former emperor Bảo Đại . Bảo Đại was deposed by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm in 1955 , who proclaimed himself president after a referendum .
Operation Thunderhead was a highly classified combat mission conducted by U.S. Navy SEAL Team One and Underwater Demolition Team 11 ( UDT-11 ) in 1972 . The mission was conducted off the coast of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War to rescue two U.S. airmen said to be escaping from a prisoner of war prison in Hanoi . The prisoners , including Air Force Colonel John A. Dramesi were planning to steal a boat and travel down the Red River to the Gulf of Tonkin . Lieutenant Melvin Spence Dry was killed on the mission . He was the last SEAL lost during the Vietnam War . His father , retired Navy Captain Melvin H. Dry , spent the rest of his life trying to learn the circumstances surrounding his son 's death . The details , however , were long shrouded in secrecy .
The United States Navy Sea , Air , and Land ( SEAL ) Teams , commonly known as Navy SEALs , are the U.S. Navy 's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command . Among the SEALs ' main functions are conducting small-unit special operation missions in maritime , jungle , urban , arctic , mountainous , and desert environments . SEALs are primarily tasked with surveilling , capturing , or killing of high priority targets , and gathering intelligence behind enemy lines on enemy forces , locations , and activities for future military actions . As of 2020 , all active SEALs are male and members of the U.S. Navy . [ Note 1 ] The CIA 's highly secretive and elite Special Operations Group ( SOG ) recruits operators from SEAL Teams , with joint operations going back to the MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War . This cooperation still exists today , as evidenced by military operations in Iraq , and Afghanistan .
The Red River ( simplified Chinese : 红河 ; traditional Chinese : 紅河 ; pinyin : Hóng Hé ; Vietnamese : Sông Hồng ) , also known as the Hồng Hà and Sông Cái ( lit . Mother River ) in Vietnamese [ citation needed ] and the Yuan River ( 元江 , Yuán Jiāng Nguyên Giang ) in Chinese , is a river that flows from Yunnan in Southwest China through northern Vietnam to the Gulf of Tonkin . According to C. Michael Hogan , the associated Red River Fault was instrumental in forming the entire South China Sea at least as early as 37 million years before present .
Operation Linebacker II was a US Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign , conducted against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( North Vietnam ) during the final period of US involvement in the Vietnam War . The operation was conducted from 18 to 29 December 1972 , leading to several informal names such as The December Raids and The Christmas Bombings . Unlike the Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Linebacker interdiction operations , Linebacker II was to be a maximum effort bombing campaign to destroy major target complexes in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas , which could only be accomplished by B-52s . It saw the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World War II . Linebacker II was a modified extension of the Operation Linebacker bombings conducted from May to October , when the emphasis of the new campaign shifted to attacks by B-52s rather than smaller tactical fighter aircraft .
The Paris Peace Accords , ( Vietnamese : Hiệp định Paris về Việt Nam ) officially titled the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam ( Hiệp định về chấm dứt chiến tranh , lập lại hòa bình ở Việt Nam ) , was a peace treaty signed on January 27 , 1973 , to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War . The treaty included the governments of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( North Vietnam ) , the Republic of Vietnam ( South Vietnam ) , and the United States , as well as the Provisional Revolutionary Government ( PRG ) that represented indigenous South Vietnamese revolutionaries . US ground forces up to that point had been sidelined with deteriorating morale and gradually withdrawn to coastal regions , not partaking in offensive operations or much direct combat for the preceding two-year period . The Paris Agreement Treaty would in effect remove all remaining US Forces , including air and naval forces in exchange for Hanoi 's POWs . Direct U.S. military intervention was ended , and fighting between the three remaining powers temporarily stopped for less than a day . The agreement was not ratified by the United States Senate . The negotiations that led to the accord began in 1968 , after various lengthy delays . As a result of the accord , the International Control Commission ( ICC ) was replaced by the International Commission of Control and Supervision ( ICCS ) to fulfill the agreement . The main negotiators of the agreement were United States National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese politburo member Lê Đức Thọ ; the two men were awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts , although Lê Đức Thọ refused to accept it . The agreement 's provisions were immediately and frequently broken by both North and South Vietnamese forces with no official response from the United States . The North Vietnamese accused the United States of conducting bombing operations in the North of Vietnam during this time . Open fighting broke out in March 1973 , and North Vietnamese offenses enlarged their control by the end of the year .