A force of 824 soldiers, the last of Thailand's 12,000 troops serving in South Vietnam, departs. The Thai contingent, which had first arrived in country in the fall of 1967, had been part of the Free World Military Forces, an effort by President Lyndon B. Johnson to enlist allies for the United States and South Vietnam. By securing support from other nations, Johnson hoped to build an international consensus behind his policies in Vietnam. The effort was also known as the "many flags" program. In all, 44 countries responded to Johnson plea for military aid to South Vietnam, but only Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and Thailand provided combat troops. In the end, the program never achieved the widespread international support that Johnson sought.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Patty Hearst kidnapped, 1974
- American Revolution
- Washington unanimously elected by Electoral College to first and second terms, 1789
- Automotive
- Ford buys Lincoln, 1922
- Civil War
- Provisional Confederate Congress convenes, 1861
- Cold War
- Yalta Conference foreshadows the Cold War, 1945
- Crime
- The Symbionese Liberation Army abducts Patty Hearst, 1974
- Disaster
- Earthquake rocks Guatemala City, 1976
- General Interest
- First U.S. president elected, 1789
- States meet to form Confederacy, 1861
- PLO is founded, 1969
- Hollywood
- Disney releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1938
- Literary
- The Last of the Mohicans is published, 1826
- Music
- Karen Carpenter dies of anorexia, 1983
- Old West
- The Misfits released by United Artists, 1961
- Presidential
- George Washington is elected president, 1789
- Sports
- Football great Lawrence Taylor born, 1959
- Vietnam War
- First U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam., 1962
- Rumors fly about U.S.-Soviet pressure on allies in Vietnam, 1965
- Last Thai contingent departs South Vietnam, 1972
- World War I
- Germany declares war zone around British Isles, 1915
- World War II
- The Yalta Conference commences, 1945
Feb 4, 1972:
Last Thai contingent departs South 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, Feb 4 - Feb 10
- Feb 04, 1962
- First U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam.
- Feb 04, 1965
- Rumors fly about U.S.-Soviet pressure on allies in Vietnam
- Feb 04, 1972
- Last Thai contingent departs South Vietnam
- Feb 05, 1960
- South Vietnam requests more support
- Feb 05, 1975
- North Vietnamese begin preparations for offensive
- Feb 06, 1966
- Johnson meets with South Vietnamese Premier
- Feb 06, 1973
- ICCS take up positions
- Feb 07, 1965
- U.S. jets conduct retaliatory raids
- Feb 07, 1971
- Operation Dewey Canyon II ends
- Feb 08, 1962
- MACV established
- Feb 08, 1971
- Operation Lam Son 719 begins
- Feb 09, 1965
- U.S. sends first combat troops to South Vietnam
- Feb 09, 1972
- USS Constellation arrives off coast of Vietnam.
- Feb 10, 1965
- Viet Cong blow up U.S. barracks
- Feb 10, 1971
- Journalists killed in helicopter crash
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