U.S. weekly casualty figures of five dead and three wounded are the lowest recorded since record keeping began in January 1965. These numbers reflected the fact that there were less than 40,000 American troops left in South Vietnam by this time and very few of these were involved in actual combat. U.S. troop withdrawals had begun in the fall of 1969 following President Richard Nixon's announcement at the Midway conference on June 8, 1972, that he would begin reducing the number of American troops in Vietnam as the war was turned over to the South Vietnamese as part of his "Vietnamization" policy. Once the troop withdrawals began, they continued on a fairly regular basis, steadily reducing the troop level from the 1969 high of 543,400.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Polish government signs accord with Gdansk shipyard workers , 1980
- American Revolution
- Sam Mason survives Indian attack, 1777
- Automotive
- William Cobb demonstrates first solar-powered car, 1955
- Civil War
- Battle of Jonesboro leads to fall of Atlanta, 1864
- Cold War
- William O. Douglas calls for recognition of PRC, 1951
- Crime
- Los Angeles mob attacks Night Stalker, 1985
- Disaster
- Earthquake shakes Charleston, South Carolina, 1886
- General Interest
- Jack the Ripper claims first victim, 1888
- Edison patents the Kinetograph, 1897
- Germany prepares for invasion of Poland, 1939
- Hollywood
- Actor Richard Gere born, 1949
- Literary
- William Saroyan is born, 1908
- Music
- Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera premieres in Berlin, 1928
- Old West
- Sam Mason survives Indian attack, 1777
- Presidential
- FDR signs Neutrality Act, 1935
- Sports
- Sandy Koufax strikes out 18, 1959
- Vietnam War
- Dulles supports Diem's decision not to hold national election, 1955
- Ky refuses to negotiate with the Communists, 1965
- Senate Committee calls for stepped-up bombing, 1967
- Thieu government maintains control of Senate, 1970
- U.S. weekly casualty figures hit new low, 1972
- World War I
- American soldier Harry Butters killed in the Battle of the Somme, 1916
- World War II
- The British cross the Gothic Line, 1944
Aug 31, 1972:
U.S. weekly casualty figures hit new low
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Aug 31 - Sep 6
- Aug 31, 1955
- Dulles supports Diem's decision not to hold national election
- Aug 31, 1965
- Ky refuses to negotiate with the Communists
- Aug 31, 1967
- Senate Committee calls for stepped-up bombing
- Aug 31, 1970
- Thieu government maintains control of Senate
- Aug 31, 1972
- U.S. weekly casualty figures hit new low
- Sep 01, 1966
- De Gaulle urges the United States to get out of Vietnam
- Sep 01, 1968
- Fighter pilot nominated for Medal of Honor
- Sep 01, 1970
- McGovern-Hatfield amendment defeated in the Senate
- Sep 02, 1969
- Ho Chi Minh dies
- Sep 02, 1972
- 47th North Vietnamese MiG shot down
- Sep 03, 1950
- U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group arrives in Saigon
- Sep 03, 1967
- Thieu-Ky ticket wins national election
- Sep 04, 1967
- Marines in heavy fighting
- Sep 04, 1969
- Radio Hanoi announces the death of Ho Chi Minh
- Sep 05, 1969
- Calley charged for My Lai massacre
- Sep 05, 1970
- U.S. forces launch last major American operation of the war
- Sep 06, 1969
- Ho Chi Minh to be succeeded by committee
- Sep 06, 1972
- Thieu abolishes popular elections
Related Topics
What Happened on Your Birthday?
Pick a DateEditor’s Picks
-
Ultimate History Quiz
Play solo or challenge your friends.
-
Swamp People: After the Hunt
Find out what happens after the season ends.
-
Mountain Men
The men define what living in nature means to them.
-
Medgar Evers
Explore the life of the slain civil rights leader.
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 -
Dogfights Season 2 DVD
Chocks up! Jump in the cockpit and fly every exhilarating mission from the second season of this breakthrough series.
$49.95
Buy Now
