The White House confirms reports that, at the request of South Vietnam, the United States is sending two battalions of U.S. Marines for security work at the Da Nang air base, which will hopefully free South Vietnamese troops for combat. On March 1, Ambassador Maxwell Taylor informed South Vietnamese Premier Phan Huy Quat that the United States was preparing to send 3,500 U.S. Marines to Vietnam. Three days later, a formal request was submitted by the U.S. Embassy, asking the South Vietnamese government to "invite" the United States to send the Marines. Premier Quat, a mere figurehead, had to obtain approval from the real power, Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu, chief of the Armed Forces Council. Thieu approved, but asked that the Marines be "brought ashore in the most inconspicuous way feasible." The Marines began landing near Da Nang on March 8.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Bayer patents aspirin, 1899
- American Revolution
- New York demands Sandy Hook lighthouse be dismantled, 1776
- Automotive
- Auto pioneer Gottlieb Daimler dies, 1900
- Civil War
- Supreme Court rules in Dred Scott case, 1857
- Cold War
- Georgi Malenkov succeeds Stalin, 1953
- Crime
- The Rosenberg trial begins, 1951
- Disaster
- Sloppy safety procedures lead to ferry sinking, 1987
- General Interest
- Michelangelo born, 1475
- Supreme Court rules in Dred Scott case, 1857
- Kohl elected West German chancellor, 1983
- Hollywood
- Rob Reiner born, 1947
- Literary
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez is born, 1928
- Music
- The death spiral of Napster begins, 2001
- Old West
- Georgia O'Keefe dies, 1986
- Presidential
- Monroe signs the Missouri Compromise, 1820
- Sports
- Real Madrid founded, 1902
- Vietnam War
- U.S. is sending Marines to South Vietnam, 1965
- Operation Lam Son 719 continues, 1971
- World War I
- New German attacks at Verdun: Battle of the Flanks, 1916
- World War II
- Dutch Resistance ambushes SS officer—unwittingly, 1945
U.S. is sending Marines to 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, Mar 6 - Mar 12
- Mar 06, 1965
- U.S. is sending Marines to South Vietnam
- Mar 06, 1971
- Operation Lam Son 719 continues
- Mar 07, 1966
- U.S. jets launch heaviest air raids of the war
- Mar 07, 1967
- Republic of Korea forces operation launch
- Mar 07, 1972
- Jets engage in aerial combat
- Mar 08, 1965
- U.S. Marines land at Da Nang
- Mar 08, 1975
- Thieu orders force withdrawal
- Mar 09, 1965
- Marines continue to land at Da Nang
- Mar 09, 1970
- Marines hand over control of I Corps region
- Mar 10, 1970
- Army captain charged with My Lai war crimes
- Mar 10, 1975
- Communists surround Ban Me Thuot
- Mar 11, 1967
- Heavy battle rages during Operation Junction City
- Mar 12, 1968
- McCarthy does well in the Democratic primary
- Mar 12, 1972
- Australians withdraw from South Vietnam
Related Topics
What Happened on Your Birthday?
Pick a DateEditor’s Picks
-
Ultimate History Quiz
Play solo or challenge your friends.
-
Memorial Day
Explore the history of America's most solemn holiday.
-
Civil War 150
Explore the people, events and technology that shaped America's bloodiest conflict.
-
History Lists: Royal Pretenders
Meet seven people who posed as monarchs.
Bio.com
-
On This Day
Read about notable birthdays and celebrity deaths at On This Day.
Shop HISTORY
-
Vietnam War DVD Set
America's first televised war comes starkly and comprehensively alive in this sweeping documentary collection.
-
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 -
The Doomsday Clock
Learn the history of the clock - developed in 1947 as an image to symbolize urgency in the Cold War and the threat of nuclear disaster.
$19.99
Buy Now
