August 15

This Day in History

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Lead Story
The Woodstock festival opens in Bethel, New York, 1969
American Revolution
"Swamp Fox" routs loyalists while Gates' men fall ill, 1780
Automotive
Henry Ford leaves Edison to start automobile company, 1899
Civil War
Anderson named Department of Kentucky commander, 1861
Cold War
Khrushchev announces he is ready to begin arms talks, 1964
Crime
Wife of slain minister released from jail, 2006
Disaster
Hurricane Alicia pounds Texas coast, 1983
General Interest
Malcolm slays Macbeth, 1057
Panama Canal open to traffic, 1914
India and Pakistan win independence, 1947
Berlin Wall built, 1961
Hollywood
Apocalypse Now released, 1979
Literary
Edna Ferber, author of Show Boat, is born, 1887
Old West
Indian captive William Wells is killed, 1812
Presidential
Hoover looks to combat drought and economic depression, 1930
Sports
Charles Comiskey born, 1859
Vietnam War
Heavy fighting erupts in and around the DMZ, 1968
Woodstock begins in upstate New York, 1969
Regional Forces victorious, 1970
North Vietnamese capture Vietnamese marine base, 1971
World War I
Japan gives ultimatum to Germany, 1914
World War II
The Japanese emperor speaks, 1945

Vietnam War

Aug 15, 1968:

Heavy fighting erupts in and around the DMZ

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Heavy fighting intensifies in and around the DMZ, as South Vietnamese and U.S. troops engage a North Vietnamese battalion. In a seven and a half hour battle, 165 enemy troops were killed. At the same time, U.S. Marines attacked three strategic positions just south of the DMZ, killing 56 North Vietnamese soldiers.

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This Week in History, Aug 15 - Aug 21

Aug 15, 1968
Heavy fighting erupts in and around the DMZ
Aug 15, 1969
Woodstock begins in upstate New York
Aug 15, 1970
Regional Forces victorious
Aug 15, 1971
North Vietnamese capture Vietnamese marine base
Aug 16, 1964
General Khanh ousts General Minh as chief of state
Aug 16, 1966
Congress investigates antiwar demonstrators
Aug 16, 1967
Tonkin Gulf Resolution challenged
Aug 16, 1972
Heavy air attacks on North Vietnam
Aug 17, 1968
117,000 combat missions flown over North Vietnam in three years
Aug 17, 1973
U.S. troops to withdraw from Thailand
Aug 18, 1965
Marines launch Operation Starlite
Aug 18, 1966
Australians defeat VC at Long Tan
Aug 18, 1968
Communists launch new offensive
Aug 18, 1971
Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw troops from Vietnam
Aug 19, 1968
Many Americans against a bombing halt
Aug 19, 1970
Cambodia and U.S. sign military aid pact
Aug 19, 1972
Democratic candidate McGovern attacks Nixon policy in Vietnam
Aug 20, 1954
United States decides to support Diem
Aug 20, 1971
Minh and Ky withdraw from presidential race
Aug 20, 1974
Military aid to Saigon slashed
Aug 21, 1963
Nhu's Special Forces attack the Buddhists
Aug 21, 1965
U.S. pilots given green light to go after anti-aircraft missiles in the North
Aug 21, 1969
Nixon meets with South Korean President
Aug 21, 1971
Antiwar protestors raid draft offices

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