Responding to questions from reporters about the situation in Vietnam, President Johnson says, "I know of no far-reaching strategy that is being suggested or promulgated." Early in the month, Johnson had sent 3,500 Marines to Da Nang to secure the U.S. airbase there. These troops were ostensibly there only for defensive purposes, but Johnson, despite his protestations to the contrary, was already considering giving the authorization for the U.S. troops to go from defensive to offensive tactics. This was a sensitive area, since such an authorization could (and did) lead to escalation in the war and a subsequent increase in the American commitment to it.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Eiffel Tower opens, 1889
- American Revolution
- Abigail Adams urges husband to "remember the ladies", 1776
- Automotive
- Knute Rockne, Studebaker namesake, dies, 1931
- Civil War
- North and South skirmish near Dinwiddie Court House, 1865
- Cold War
- Warsaw Pact ends, 1991
- Crime
- Evidence of murder is uncovered in New Mexico, 1999
- Disaster
- Mississippi River reaches peak flood level, 1973
- General Interest
- Jews to be expelled from Spain, 1492
- Treaty of Kanagawa signed with Japan, 1854
- Dalai Lama begins exile, 1959
- Hollywood
- The Matrix released, 1999
- Literary
- First installment of The Pickwick Papers, Dickens' first novel, 1836
- Music
- Oklahoma! premieres on Broadway, 1943
- Old West
- Western novelist Vardis Fisher born, 1895
- Presidential
- Abigail Adams asks her husband to "remember the ladies", 1776
- Sports
- Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden wins 10th national title, 1975
- Longest strike in Major League Baseball history ends, 1995
- Vietnam War
- Johnson publicly denies actions contemplated in Vietnam, 1965
- Johnson announces bombing halt, 1968
- Fighting intensifies with North Vietnamese offensive, 1972
- World War I
- The First Moroccan Crisis, 1905
- World War II
- Germany's Atlantis launches, 1940
Mar 31, 1965:
Johnson publicly denies actions contemplated in Vietnam
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Mar 31 - Apr 6
- Mar 31, 1965
- Johnson publicly denies actions contemplated in Vietnam
- Mar 31, 1968
- Johnson announces bombing halt
- Mar 31, 1972
- Fighting intensifies with North Vietnamese offensive
- Apr 02, 1972
- North Vietnamese troops capture part of Quang Tri
- Apr 02, 1975
- South Vietnamese evacuation begins at Qui Nhon.
- Apr 03, 1969
- Nixon administration will "Vietnamize" the war
- Apr 03, 1972
- Nixon orders response to North Vietnamese invasion
- Apr 04, 1967
- Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks out against the war
- Apr 04, 1975
- Operation Baby Lift aircraft crashes
- Apr 05, 1969
- Antiwar demonstrations held across United States
- Apr 05, 1972
- North Vietnamese launch second front of Nguyen Hue Offensive
- Apr 06, 1965
- U.S. ground combat troops to take offensive measures
- Apr 06, 1972
- U.S. forces respond to North Vietnamese offensive
Related Topics
What Happened on Your Birthday?
Pick a DateEditor’s Picks
-
Ultimate History Quiz
Play solo or challenge your friends.
-
Grand Canyon
Get the facts on this geological wonder of the world.
-
Civil War 150
Explore the people, events and technology that shaped America's bloodiest conflict.
-
History Lists: Ridiculous Wars
Discover six of history's most preposterous conflicts.
Bio.com
-
On This Day
Read about notable birthdays and celebrity deaths at On This Day.
Shop HISTORY
-
Civil War: Rebellion to Reconstruction DVD Set
Experience the turbulent events that ignited the bloodiest, most divisive war this country has known.
$53.99
Buy Now -
The American Civil War DVD Set
Experience for yourself the historical and personal impact of the Civil War.
$81.99
Buy Now -
Vietnam in HD DVD Set
Their story is in danger of being lost to history. This six-hour miniseries spans the massive initial troop build-up in 1965 to the fall of Saigon a decade later.
$24.95
Buy Now
