United States Air Force in South Vietnam What began as a military aid program by the United States in 1950 to assist the French in subduing communist rebels in French Indochina , became , by 1965 an all - out war between South Vietnam and North Vietnam in which the United States was deeply involved . The United States Air Force was deployed to South Vietnam as part of this effort . Throughout the war in Vietnam , subordinate USAF commands there operated under the jurisdiction of United States Pacific Air Forces in Hawaii . Chronology of the USAF involvement in Vietnam . What began as a small US military assistance program to South Vietnam , grew into a wider regional conflict . American efforts focused on four major areas of combat : South Vietnam , North Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia . The first USAF personnel assigned to South Vietnam arrived in August 1950 , when the United States established Military Assistance Advisory Group , Vietnam ( MAAG - V ) , with headquarters in Saigon . To enable military supplies and equipment to be transferred , the US signed a Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement on 23 December 1950 with France , Vietnam , Cambodia and Laos . Indochina , being a French colony at the time meant that American aid went first to the French forces in Vietnam , with limited aid to the Vietnamese auxiliary units in existence . Subsequently much of the military aid , mostly C - 47 transports went to reinforce French Air Force units . Other aircraft supplied to the French in Indochina in 1950 - 51 were Martin B - 26 Marauders that went to Bomber Group 1 / 25 " Tunisie " , Douglas B - 26 Invaders , Bell P - 63 Kingcobas , Douglas C - 47 Dakotas that went to Transport Group 1 / 64 , 2 / 64 , 2 / 63 which had both C - 47s and C - 119th Packets ( but these were only operated by US civilian pilots of Civil Air Transport ) , former U . S . Navy Grumman F6F Hellcats that went to 11th Carrier Assault Flotilla ( on Arromanches until April 30 , 1954 ) , Curtiss SB - 2C Helldivers that went to 3rd Carrier Assault Flotilla ( on Arromanches until April 30 , 1954 ) , Grumman F8F - 1B Bearcats that went to Fighter Group 1 / 22 " Saintonge " and Fighter Group 2 / 22 " Languedoc " , PB4Y2 Privateers that went to 28th Bomber Flotilla and Vought F4U Corsairs that went to 14th Carrier Fighter Flotilla ( on Belleau Wood on May 1 , 1954 ) . On the beginning of April 1954 , Lt . General Earle E . ( " Pat " ) Partridge , Commander of the U . S . Far Eastern Air Force ( FEAF ) , had arrived in Saigon and begun talks with his French counterpart , Gen . Lauzin , as well as with Gen . Navarre . He had brought with him Brigadier General Joseph D . Caldara , then the chief of the FEAF Bomber Command — the man who would fly and command the " Vulture " missions ( bombing the area around Dien Bien Phu with 98 B - 29 Superforts ) . The Americans had arrived at Saigon ' s Tan Son Nhut airport in a discreet Boeing B - 17 , so as not to alert hostile eyes to the unfamiliar configuration of the B - 29 Superforts . From the beginning , the Americans were appalled at the total lack of French preparedness for anything like the control of a major saturation bombardment operation . French Col . Brohon later said that this project involved the use of " several A - bombs " in the Dien Bien Phu area . Caldara decided to judge the situation for himself . On April 4 , 1954 , in the dead of the night , he flew his B - 17 with an American crew over the valley of Dien Bien Phu , repeated the mission later with a French C - 47 Dakota ; and then once more with the B - 17 . The overall plan was simple enough ; the two wings of B - 29s from Okinawa and the one from Clark ( Philippines ) would rendez - vous east of the Laotian capital of Vientiane , head for their target ; and exit from Indochina via the Gulf of Tonkin . The French at the highest levels seemed to have no idea of the awful destructive power of the 98 Superforts . This bombing mission died a slow death as Winston Churchill was against it , but LBJ was Called Scuttler of this 1954 Bombing . Late that month on 29 April 1954 giant C - 124 Globemasters from the 322nd Air Division were in the process of air - lifting into Indochina the brand - new 7th BPC ( Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux ) , en route from Europe to Vietnam via Colombo , Ceylon . Thus U . S . Air Force aircraft and personnel were actively involved in Vietnam in 1954 . With the withdrawal of the French in 1955 , the South Vietnamese Air Force came into existence and inherited much of the former French aircraft . American support continued though the 1950s , with additional B - 26s , Douglas A - 1 Skyraiders and North American T - 28 Trojans for pilot training . Advisory Years ( 1961 - 1964 ) . Late in 1961 the U . S . began sending USAF and U . S . Army personnel to South Vietnam to train and advise its personnel . U . S . personnel were not to engage in combat operations , but sometimes did . Known as the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam or the Viet Cong , the guerrillas shot down four U . S . Army helicopters . As the Viet Cong became more active and as more Americans became casualties , the U . S . stepped up the training and the supply of equipment . The goal was it could finish training as soon as possible and withdraw . In South Vietnam , the Viet Cong usually operated at night , and as a response , the USAF developed night tactics using SC - 47 s to drop flares . Early in 1962 tests began for defoliating the jungle to deny the enemy cover . As Viet Cong activity increased , so did the response and U . S . personnel were given permission to engage the enemy under certain conditions . Also in 1962 the 2d Air Division was assigned as the command - and - control authority for USAF units ; this arrangement would last until 1966 . Much of the U . S . buildup consisted of Army and Marine helicopter units to increase support to South Vietnamese troops in the field . However , U . S . strategy still called for the buildup of South Vietnamese units to the point where they could handle their own battles , with the U . S . to remove its forces as soon as possible In what is now referred to as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident , North Vietnam carried out its first overt hostile action specifically against the U . S . on August 5 , 1964 when three of its Soviet - built torpedo boats attacked the 28 miles off the North Vietnamese coast . Two nights later , other attacks ( now known not to have occurred ) were reported against the USS " C . Turner Joy " . In response , President Lyndon B . Johnson ordered the U . S . Navy to send planes on a bombing mission against the torpedo boat bases and an oil storage depot . On August 7 , Congress adopted the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution giving President Johnson authority to use all measures , including armed forces , to assist South Vietnam . It was then that the USAF sent jet aircraft into South Vietnam for the first time . The Buildup ( 1965 - 1968 ) . The tempo of the conflict increased in 1965 . The Viet Cong intensified its guerrilla activity and began direct attacks on U . S . forces in South Vietnam . When the VC scored some impressive victories over South Vietnamese troops , the U . S . increased its forces even more . Officials in Washington , D . C . no longer spoke of withdrawing U . S . personnel ; rather , they talked of additional U . S . forces for South Vietnam and the president generally approved their recommendations . On March 2 , 1965 , the USAF instituted its famous Operation Rolling Thunder campaign , the systematic bombing of North Vietnam , starting at the Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) between North and South Vietnam . Its planes flew from bases in South Vietnam and Thailand . By slowly advancing the target areas northward across North Vietnam , it was hoped the North Vietnamese leaders would eventually be convinced to sit down at the peace table . However , Washington imposed stringent controls upon these operations , lest Red China or the Soviet union actively enter the conflict . On July 23 , 1965 , the U . S . lost its first plane to a Soviet - built SAM . SAM ( Surface - to - Air Missile ) sites were first detected in North Vietnam on Apr . 5 , 1965 . The next month a U . S . Navy plane was lost to a SAM and the U . S . began a series of special missions named " Iron Hand " against the rapidly expanding missile sites . Most were near the Hanoi – Haiphong area , but Washington had exempted these from air attack , fearing large civilian casualties . However , sites in other areas were fair game . By the end of the year , 56 SAM sites had been located by U . S . reconnaissance aircraft . During the last half of 1965 , Viet Cong activity inside South Vietnam continued to increase . Several large scale attacks were launched against U . S . and South Vietnamese positions and in each instance , airpower was used to thwart the enemy efforts . Still , the Viet Cong retained its ability to move from place to place at night , almost at will , and sever any line of communication it desired . By 1966 , U . S . strength had grown to 385 , 000 personnel , bolstered by additional forces from South Korea , Thailand , the Philippines , Australia , and New Zealand . Viet Cong successes were greatly diminished and their only significant victory was in March when their forces overran a Special Forces camp in the A Shau Valley . Because of heavy Viet Cong losses during the year , it was estimated that North Vietnam had to commit more than 58 , 000 of its regular troops to assume a greater share of the conflict . On December 24 , 1965 , President Johnson declared a bombing halt over North Vietnam to try to persuade Hanoi to discuss a political settlement . It lasted until January 30 . This halt followed one of six days the preceding May . Hanoi responded to neither , but used the time to rebuild its strength , repair previous damage , and send more troops and supplies southward . So , Rolling Thunder began again and U . S . aircrews not only had to attack the new targets , but also those they had already destroyed which had been rebuilt or repaired . In February , the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom attempted to get a peace dialog going between the United States and North Vietnam , but were unable to do so since Johnson had resumed the air strikes . Acting against the advice of the Pentagon , the Johnson Administration chose not to escalate the Rolling Thunder attacks under the belief that the Communist Chinese and North Vietnamese would charge that the pause over Tet was just a prelude to more drastic actions . On September 3 , 1966 , North Vietnam sent up its Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 21 s in force for the first time from five air bases which had not previously been attacked because they had been hidden in underground bases . By the end of the year , Rolling Thunder had progressed northward , reaching the Hanoi area , and the B - 52 Operation Arc Light missions started over North Vietnam . By the same time , the Seventh Air Force had assumed command - and - control responsibilities from the 2d Air Division . U . S . strength in the South Vietnam war zone grew to 486 , 000 personnel in 1967 . A new plan was instituted - South Vietnamese troops were to pacify the countryside , while U . S . and Allied forces were to battle Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops . The plan scored several major successes and by the end of the year the not a single engagement had been won by the Viet Cong . The guerrillas , however , retained great tactical flexibility . North Vietnam then decided to build - up its forces in Cambodia and Laos . Early in 1967 , Washington approved " Rolling Thunder " targets even closer to Hanoi . North Vietnam reacted by throwing almost 100 MiGs into the air to turn back the USAF attacks . USAF and Navy aircraft losses began to mount and in April , Washington finally approved attacks on four of the five MiG airfields as part of Operation Bolo , whose purpose was to destroy the North Vietnamese Air Force . By the end of 1967 , the year ' s score was 178 MiGs downed at a cost of 25 U . S . aircraft in air - to - air combat . 1968 was the midpoint of the Vietnam War . The American public was well - informed about the ground war in South Vietnam , but the air war in Laos , North Vietnam and soon Cambodia was still in the background . Late in January 1968 , the Communists launched their famous Tet Offensive throughout South Vietnam . They hoped to spark a national uprising . The Viet Cong attacked throughout the country , striking numerous installations , cities and airfields simultaneously . Initially , the enemy made some gains but under a withering assault from both air and ground , the offensive failed by late February . However , the Tet Offensive had a devastating effect upon the U . S . Many people at home , watching the nightly TV news , were appalled and confused by the carnage they saw . Some even believed the Communists had won and the U . S . had lost . As a consequence , the U . S . sent even more troops to South Vietnam in an attempt to accelerate the time when responsibility for the war could be turned over to South Vietnam and the U . S . could withdraw its forces . The Tet Offensive damaged the presidency of Lyndon B . Johnson beyond repair . He announced that he would not run for re - election . It also highlighted a growing credibility gap and increasing public skepticism about the outcome of the war . On March 31 , President Johnson ordered a bombing halt north of the 20th parallel . He hoped once again to induce North Vietnam ' s leaders to return to the peace table . Although Hanoi agreed to begin discussions , it continued to pour 22 , 000 troops into South Vietnam every month . So the U . S . doubled its air operations south of the 20th parallel , concentrating on enemy troops and supplies crossing the DMZ . After several months of discussions at Paris , on October 31 President Johnson ordered a complete halt of all air , naval , and military artillery bombardment of North Vietnam and the " Rolling Thunder " campaign came to an end . America ' s entire political and military establishment was under harsh criticism on all fronts by the end of the year for being unable to produce a victory against a poor third - world country like North Vietnam . The prevailing mood in the United States at the time of the November presidential election was to get out now and cut our losses while we can . The Long Withdrawal ( 1969 - 1973 ) . Shortly after President Richard Nixon took office in January 1969 , the " Vietnamization " program was accelerated . Vietnamization was the training and equipping of South Vietnamese forces to fight their own war so the U . S . could withdraw its forces as had been planned since 1962 . The first U . S . troops departed in July and by the end of the year , 69 , 000 had been withdrawn . President Nixon ordered the bombing resumed . During the rainy season which began in May , North Vietnam began stockpiling supplies and equipment inside its border with Laos , and it built an oil pipeline into the Laotian panhandle . These supplies were shipped to North Vietnam either by rail from China or by sea from China or the Soviet Union through its ocean ports , primarily Haiphong . In 1970 the North Vietnamese changed their strategy . They built up modern , conventional forces as the Viet Cong guerrilla forces they had previously relied on to fight in the south had been decimated over the past two years . Also there was decreased support from villagers who resettled in refugee camps rather than risk being bombed by the USAF for having Viet Cong in them . Also Phoenix Program actions by the Central Intelligence Agency to kill communist insurgents was becoming more and more successful . As the South Vietnamese Air Force ( VNAF ) capability was expanded , the first USAF units were withdrawn . Inside South Vietnam , enemy activity was at a low during the year . Even then , the USAF flew more than 48 , 000 sorties , flying strike missions against North Vietnamese forces that had infiltrated into South Vietnam . In response , North Vietnam chose to emphasize technical development and modernize its armed forces . Officials in Hanoi realized that this would be necessary to counteract the improvements in the armed forces of South Vietnam . Conventional forces could also capture and hold more real estate than the guerrilla units . North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops had long operated along the Cambodian border with South Vietnam . This violated Cambodia ' s neutrality . President Nixon ordered Operation Menu , the secret bombing of Cambodia . The bombing lasted for 14 months . More bombs were dropped on Cambodia than the total dropped by the Allies during World War II . On May 1 U . S . and South Vietnamese troops crossed the border and struck the enemy ' s sanctuaries . They withdrew into South Vietnam by the end of June . The invasion of Cambodia sparked large anti - war demonstrations . Four students were killed by National Guardsmens at Kent State University . The bombing of Cambodia and the subsequent invasion , destabilized the country . Support for the Khmer Rouge increased after a U . S . backed military coup by Lon Nol . The Khmer Rouge made substantial territorial gains . The U . S . withdrawal from South Vietnam continued during 1971 and by December the USAF was down to 277 fighter and strike aircraft and 28 , 791 personnel from a 1968 high of 737 aircraft and 54 , 434 personnel . The VNAF was now responsible for 70 % of all air combat operations . Enemy guerrilla activity continued to be sporadic . From February through September , USAF fighter - bombers attacked SAM sites , enemy road construction through the DMZ , and oil - storage facilities . Most of these missions were into southern North Vietnam , leaving Hanoi to continue its build - up in the north . By October the North Vietnamese AF had about 250 MiGs which had become a significant threat to U . S . flyers . As a result , Washington authorized the USAF and Navy to bomb the three MiG airfields in southern North Vietnam and on November 7 – 8 , the U . S . " neutralized " these three bases with Operation Proud Deep . It was the most extensive air campaign within North Vietnam in three years . Khmer Rouge activity continued within Cambodia and eventually the road from the capital , Phnom Penh , to its seaport , Kompong Som was cut . Supplies then had to be flown in or carried on ships up the Mekong River from South Vietnam . USAF and U . S . Army aircraft provided aerial escort to river convoys and aerial support to ground operations of the Cambodian Army which nevertheless suffered repeated setbacks . In January captured North Vietnamese documents revealed a plan for a large offensive in mid - February , during the Tet holiday on the 17th , and President Nixon ' s visit to the People ' s Republic of China . The Pentagon and officials from PACAF and MACV formulated responses to the planned invasion , which included the use of Tactical Air and naval gunfire , the deployment of additional carriers , rapid troop augmentation via tactical airlift and more Arc Light missions . In February USAF and VNAF aircraft conducted concentrated preemptive strikes against North Vietnamese positions , attempting to thwart the anticipated invasion . On March 30 , the North Vietnamese launched a large , three - pronged invasion of South Vietnam , using tanks and mobile armored units . The biggest battle was at An Lộc where , by the end of June , the North Vietnamese had lost most of its tanks and artillery . The offensive was halted mainly due to the intervention of US airpower . It demonstrated how reliant South Vietnam had become on American air support . During the year , Cambodian forces were able to win localized victories against the Kmer Rouge . On the other hand , the Khmer Rouge were unable to capture their primary target , the capital , Phnom Penh . During these ground operations , U . S . airpower , including B - 52 s , continued to hammer the enemy , but there was a limit to what air power could accomplish . Because of the North Vietnamese offensive , President Nixon on May 8 suspended peace talks and ordered Operation Linebacker , the renewed bombing of North Vietnam and the aerial mining of its harbors and rivers . When North Vietnam appeared ready to talk peace in October , yet another bombing halt was directed . North Vietnam then balked for two months over some of the cease - fire provisions , so President Nixon ordered on December 18 , 1972 the heaviest bombing of the war against Hanoi and Haiphong , Operation Linebacker II . Also known as the Christmas Bombings , Operation Linebacker II sparked international condemnation and a fresh wave of anti - war protests . For 11 days , the USAF pounded every possible military and transportation target with B - 52s and tactical fighters . This brought a North Vietnamese agreement on December 29 to return to the peace table . After North Vietnam agreed on December 29 , 1972 to return to the peace table in Paris , the U . S . restricted its air attacks on North Vietnam to the area south of the 20th parallel . On January 15 , 1973 , the U . S . announced an end of all mining , bombing , and other offensive operations against North Vietnam . The Paris Peace Accords , a nine - point cease - fire agreement , was signed in Paris on January 23 , 1973 , to become effective on January 28 . It called for the U . S . to remove all of its forces from South Vietnam and for all POWs to be returned within 60 days . On March 28 , 1973 , the last U . S . military personnel departed South Vietnam . March the 28th is not true date that the last U . S . military personnel departed South Vietnam . Air Bases Used by the USAF in South Vietnam . During the Vietnam War , the United States Air Force ( USAF ) operated 10 major air bases in South Vietnam ' :