August 5

This Day in History

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Lead Story
Divers recover U.S.S. Monitor turret, 2002
American Revolution
DeLancey and Hull battle for the Bronx, 1779
Automotive
First electric traffic signal installed, 1914
Civil War
Union scores a victory at the Battle of Mobile Bay, 1864
Cold War
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed, 1963
Crime
Mother charged with smothering her eight children, 1998
Disaster
Earthquake causes deadly landslides in Ecuador, 1948
General Interest
First transatlantic telegraph cable completed, 1858
Marilyn Monroe is found dead, 1962
Reagan fires 11,359 air-traffic controllers, 1981
Hollywood
Risky Business debuts, launches Cruise to stardom, 1983
Literary
Guy de Maupassant's birthday, 1850
Music
American Bandstand goes national, 1957
Old West
Texas Ranger Ira Aten dies, 1953
Presidential
Lincoln imposes first federal income tax, 1861
Sports
NBA merges with ABA, 1976
Vietnam War
Navy flies retaliatory strikes against North Vietnam, 1964
Congress cuts military aid to South Vietnam, 1974
World War I
German assault on Liege begins first battle of World War I, 1914
World War II
Hundreds of Jews are freed from forced labor in Warsaw, 1944

Vietnam War

Aug 5, 1964:

Navy flies retaliatory strikes against North Vietnam

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F-8 Crusaders, A-1 Skyraiders, and A-4 Skyhawks, from the carriers USS Ticonderoga and USS Constellation stationed in the South China Sea, fly 64 sorties against North Vietnamese coastal targets as part of Operation Pierce Arrow in retaliation for the Tonkin Gulf incidents of August 2 and 4. The U.S. warplanes destroyed or damaged 25 North Vietnamese PT boats (claimed by U.S. officials to be about one-half of the North Vietnamese Navy) at bases at Hon Gai, Loc Ghao, Phuc Loi, and Quang Khe; destroyed seven anti-aircraft installations at Vinh; and severely damaged an oil storage depot at Phuc Loi. Two U.S. planes were shot down. One pilot, Lieutenant j.g. (or "junior grade") Everett Alvarez, parachuted to safety, but broke his back in the process and was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. He was the first of some 600 U.S. airmen who would be captured during the war and not released until the cease-fire agreement was signed in 1973.

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This Week in History, Aug 5 - Aug 11

Aug 05, 1964
Navy flies retaliatory strikes against North Vietnam
Aug 05, 1974
Congress cuts military aid to South Vietnam
Aug 06, 1964
Johnson Administration officials argue for resolution
Aug 06, 1969
Green Berets are charged with murder
Aug 06, 1971
First U.S. Army troops deployed to Vietnam stand-down for withdrawal
Aug 07, 1964
Tonkin Gulf Resolution is passed
Aug 07, 1967
North Vietnam and People's Republic of China sign aid agreement
Aug 08, 1968
Nixon and Agnew receive the Republican Party nomination
Aug 08, 1973
Vice President Agnew under attack
Aug 08, 1974
Nixon announces that he will resign the Presidency
Aug 09, 1967
Marines launch Operation Cochise
Aug 09, 1974
Nixon leaves office
Aug 10, 1955
Diem refuses to negotiate with Communists
Aug 10, 1966
Marines fight bitter battle in Quang Tin Province
Aug 10, 1972
North Vietnamese forces attempt to cut off Saigon
Aug 11, 1967
U.S. pilots cleared to bomb Hanoi-Haiphong area
Aug 11, 1970
South Vietnamese troops assume responsibility for guarding border
Aug 11, 1972
Last U.S. ground combat unit departs South Vietnam

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