French Defeated in Dien Bien Phu (3:46)
Secretary of State John Foster Dulles delivers a statement of support for France after its defeat by the Vietnamese in the 55-day battle of Dien Bien Phu, which ended on May 7, 1954.
Speeches & Audio (31)
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French Defeated in Dien Bien Phu
French Defeated in Dien Bien PhuAudio Clip (3:46)
Audio Clip (3:46)
Secretary of State John Foster Dulles delivers a statement of support for France after its defeat by the Vietnamese in the 55-day battle of Dien Bien Phu, which ended on May 7, 1954.
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Widow of Assassinated South Vietnamese Leader Speaks Out
Widow of Assassinated South Vietnamese Leader Speaks OutAudio Clip (0:32)
Audio Clip (0:32)
On November 2, 1963, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and his closest adviser, his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu, were killed in a U.S.-instigated military coup. Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu speaks out about the assassinations.
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John F. Kennedy on Coup in South Vietnam
John F. Kennedy on Coup in South VietnamAudio Clip (6:06)
Audio Clip (6:06)
On October 29, 1963, President John F. Kennedy meets with the National Security Council to discuss whether to support the overthrow of South Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem. During the secretly recorded conversation, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and the president craft a detailed plan involving Henry Cabot Lodge, ambassador to South Vietnam, Gen. Paul D. Harkins and the general of the South Vietnamese military, hoping to avoid setting off a civil war in the country.
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Robert F. Kennedy Questions South Vietnam Coup
Robert F. Kennedy Questions South Vietnam CoupAudio Clip (4:44)
Audio Clip (4:44)
On October 29, 1963, in a recorded meeting with President John F. Kennedy and the National Security Council, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy voices his concern about supporting the impending South Vietnamese coup to overthrow Ngo Dinh Diem. Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Gen. Maxwell Taylor, and CIA Director John McCone echo RFK’s doubts.
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McNamara Briefs President Johnson on Tonkin Gulf
McNamara Briefs President Johnson on Tonkin GulfAudio Clip (1:00)
Audio Clip (1:00)
On August 4, 1964, as events in the Tonkin Gulf unfold, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara apprised President Lyndon B. Johnson of the situation in a series of phone calls. In the third secretly recorded phone call of the day, McNamara reports that two U.S. destroyers deployed in the Gulf east of Vietnam are under attack. While McNamara did not know it at the time, the information he relayed was later determined to be false.
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Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Gulf of Tonkin IncidentAudio Clip (2:12)
Audio Clip (2:12)
An NBC special report describes a second night of North Vietnamese torpedo boat attacks on two U.S. naval destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin on August 4, 1964.
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Arthur Sylvester on the Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Arthur Sylvester on the Gulf of Tonkin IncidentAudio Clip (1:08)
Audio Clip (1:08)
On August 4, 1964, Arthur Sylvester, assistant secretary of defense, makes a press statement about North Vietnam's attack on two U.S. destroyers that were on patrol in the Tonkin Gulf.
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Westmoreland on the Vietnam War
Westmoreland on the Vietnam WarAudio Clip (2:01)
Audio Clip (2:01)
On April 28, 1967, Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. operations in Vietnam, describes to a joint session of Congress the challenges of fighting a relentless enemy.
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South Vietnamese Forces at the Battle of An Loc
South Vietnamese Forces at the Battle of An LocAudio Clip (1:09)
Audio Clip (1:09)
A mid-battle war report describes the frustration of South Vietnamese forces as they struggle to take control of Highway 13, the main artery into the city of An Loc, in April 1972.
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LBJ on Resumption of Air Strikes in North Vietnam
LBJ on Resumption of Air Strikes in North VietnamAudio Clip (1:16)
Audio Clip (1:16)
In a broadcast from the White House on January 31, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson informs the nation that U.S. airstrikes on Vietnam have resumed after a 37-day pause in bombing.
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Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara Plan Airstrikes in Vietnam
Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara Plan Airstrikes in VietnamAudio Clip (3:31)
Audio Clip (3:31)
In a recorded phone call on February 26, 1965, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and President Lyndon B. Johnson discuss possible airstrikes in Vietnam.
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U.S. Forces Surprised by Tet Offensive
U.S. Forces Surprised by Tet OffensiveAudio Clip (1:23)
Audio Clip (1:23)
A war report describes an attack by the Viet Cong on the Presidential Palace. On January 30, 1968, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched a massive surprise attack on key cities in South Vietnam. It was a major turning point in the war.
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McNamara on Instability in South Vietnam
McNamara on Instability in South VietnamAudio Clip (2:19)
Audio Clip (2:19)
Robert McNamara, the U.S. secretary of defense since 1961, testifies at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings in February 1966 on escalating U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.
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McNamara on the Bombing of North Vietnam
McNamara on the Bombing of North VietnamAudio Clip (1:44)
Audio Clip (1:44)
The secretary of Defense Robert McNamara appeared before the press to defend the bombing of the Major North Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. The bombings were supposed to deprive the military of essential supplies.
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Prospects for Peace in Vietnam
Prospects for Peace in VietnamAudio Clip (1:06)
Audio Clip (1:06)
Despite North Vietnam's violation of the New Year ceasefire in 1967, Secretary of State Dean Rusk expresses hope for a peaceful resolution in Vietnam.
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Senator Morse Calls for Vietnam Withdrawal
Senator Morse Calls for Vietnam WithdrawalAudio Clip (1:38)
Audio Clip (1:38)
In an address before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 10, 1968, Sen. Wayne Morse, a vehement critic of the war in Vietnam, attacks President Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam policy after Gen. William Westmoreland requested that 200,000 more troops be sent in response to the Tet Offensive.
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Lyndon Johnson Considers Troop Increase in Vietnam
Lyndon Johnson Considers Troop Increase in VietnamAudio Clip (5:02)
Audio Clip (5:02)
In June 1965, shortly after a coup in South Vietnam led to the 10th change of government in the war torn country, an attack by the North Vietnamese destroyed three U.S. aircraft at Danang. During a recorded telephone conversation with Defense Secretary Robert McNamara on July 2, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson contemplates whether the war can be won.
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Lyndon Johnson Expresses Doubts About Vietnam War
Lyndon Johnson Expresses Doubts About Vietnam WarAudio Clip (1:13)
Audio Clip (1:13)
Speaking to his special assistant for national security, McGeorge Bundy, in a May 27, 1964, recorded telephone conversation, President Lyndon B. Johnson expresses his worry that the war in Vietnam is turning into another Korea.
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Adlai Stevenson on Vietnam War
Adlai Stevenson on Vietnam WarAudio Clip (4:10)
Audio Clip (4:10)
As permanent U.S. representative to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson is interviewed in early 1965 about his view on the developing situation in Vietnam.
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USS Pueblo Commander Released by North Korea
USS Pueblo Commander Released by North KoreaAudio Clip (1:40)
Audio Clip (1:40)
The Navy spy ship USS Pueblo was captured off the coast of North Korea in January, 1968. Imprisoned and tortured for 11 months, Cmdr. Lloyd "Pete" Bucher and his crew were released only after he signed a statement conceding that the ship was spying on North Korea. Cmdr. Bucher, who returned to a critical nation, speaks publicly about the experience.
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Johnson Will Not Seek Reelection
Johnson Will Not Seek ReelectionAudio Clip (0:38)
Audio Clip (0:38)
Facing a country sharply divided over the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson announces in a national television and radio broadcast on March 31, 1968, that he will not seek reelection to the presidency.
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Nixon Orders Invasion of Cambodia
Nixon Orders Invasion of CambodiaAudio Clip (1:02)
Audio Clip (1:02)
On April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon asks the American people to support his decision to send troops into Cambodia in response to North Vietnam’s invasion of the country.
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Nixon on the Vietnam War
Nixon on the Vietnam WarAudio Clip (1:06)
Audio Clip (1:06)
While campaigning for reelection in 1972, President Richard M. Nixon promises to end the war in Vietnam in such a way as to ensure a "a full generation of peace."
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Nixon on Vietnam War
Nixon on Vietnam WarAudio Clip (3:34)
Audio Clip (3:34)
On March 26, 1971, President Richard Nixon holds a meeting in the Oval Office with his National Security Council to discuss the war in Vietnam. The meeting is secretly recorded. Among the many topics he raises, Nixon recounts a prior conversation with House majority leader Hale Boggs on setting a date for the final withdrawal of U.S. forces.
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North Vietnam Disregards Ceasefire Agreement
North Vietnam Disregards Ceasefire AgreementAudio Clip (4:44)
Audio Clip (4:44)
In an October 12, 1973, interview, Col. Le Gran, U.S. deputy director of intelligence, discusses the discovery that North Vietnam installed SA-2 missiles in the southern city of Khe Sanh shortly after a ceasefire agreement prohibiting military incursion in South Vietnam was signed on January 27 of that year.
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Nixon Announces Vietnam Peace Agreement
Nixon Announces Vietnam Peace AgreementAudio Clip (3:39)
Audio Clip (3:39)
On January 23, 1973, President Richard Nixon announces that Henry Kissinger and North Vietnam's chief negotiator, Le Duc Tho, signed an agreement to end U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. The official cease-fire, along with the release of all American prisoners of war, is to go into effect on January 28, though troops would remain in Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975.
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U.S. Army Prepares South Vietnam for American Withdrawal
U.S. Army Prepares South Vietnam for American WithdrawalAudio Clip (2:04)
Audio Clip (2:04)
From his station in Saigon, Vietnam, on October 25, 1973, Col. Gerald M. Steinberg reflects on the difficulties encountered as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepared to transfer jurisdiction to ARVN, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, following the Vietnam War ceasefire signed on January 27.
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Impact of U.S. Withdrawal on South Vietnam
Impact of U.S. Withdrawal on South VietnamAudio Clip (2:47)
Audio Clip (2:47)
Following the January 27, 1973 signing of a ceasefire agreement to end the Vietnam War and the subsequent departure of U.S. troops, the U.S. military prepared the South Vietnamese to take over operations. A U.S. officer who remained in Vietnam to help with the transition is interviewed on October 11, 1973, about the process of bolstering South Vietnam's economy and self-sufficiency.
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U.S. Troops Leave Vietnam
U.S. Troops Leave VietnamAudio Clip (1:13)
Audio Clip (1:13)
After the Vietnam War ceasefire was signed on January 27, 1973, the United States had 60 days to withdraw its troops from Vietnam. In an interview on October 9, 1973, Col. Frago, chief of the Army Division of the Defense Attaché, comments on the problems encountered while drawing down the U.S. forces.
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Gerald Ford on Resignation of South Vietnam's President
Gerald Ford on Resignation of South Vietnam's PresidentAudio Clip (0:34)
Audio Clip (0:34)
In April 1975, when North Vietnamese forces reached Xuan Loc, Saigon's last line of defense, President Nguyen Van Thieu announced his resignation. In an interview, President Gerald Ford denies that the U.S. government influenced Thieu's decision.
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Vietnam POWs Return Home
Vietnam POWs Return HomeAudio Clip (1:07)
Audio Clip (1:07)
On February 14, 1973, 18 days after the Vietnam peace agreement was signed, the first American prisoners of war returned home from Vietnam. The first man off the plane, Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., calls for U.S. citizens to unify.
Videos (19)
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A Soldier's Story: Khe Sanh
A Soldier's Story: Khe SanhVideo Clip (3:06)
Video Clip (3:06)
Amid a siege that would last 77 days, medic Raymond Torres was dropped into central Vietnam.
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Tet Offensive
Tet OffensiveVideo Clip (4:53)
Video Clip (4:53)
This massive North Vietnamese surprise attack during the 1968 Tet holiday was a crucial turning point in the war.
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A Soldier's Story: Hamburger Hill
A Soldier's Story: Hamburger HillVideo Clip (4:41)
Video Clip (4:41)
In 1969, Arthur Wiknik found himself in one of the Vietnam War's most notorious battles.
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The Seawolves
The SeawolvesVideo Clip (4:56)
Video Clip (4:56)
A surprise phone call reunites two Vietnam war veterans, George Heady and Al Billings, with films of their service in the Navy Seawolves helicopter unit.
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Arthur Wiknik
Arthur WiknikVideo Clip (3:42)
Video Clip (3:42)
As an 18-year-old draftee, Arthur Wiknik was rushed through officer candidate's school. After one month in Vietnam he found himself in the middle of the battle of "Hamburger Hill"--one of the most notorious battles of the war.
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Vietnam
VietnamVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Whether they volunteered or were drafted, 1 out of 10 soldiers did not survive Vietnam.
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Search and Destroy
Search and DestroyVideo Clip (3:01)
Video Clip (3:01)
Search and Destroy missions were a crucial part of the American war strategy in Vietnam.
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Karl Marlantes
Karl MarlantesVideo Clip (3:26)
Video Clip (3:26)
Marine Karl Marlantes left behind a Rhodes scholarship to volunteer for service in Vietnam.
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Bob Clewell
Bob ClewellVideo Clip (3:35)
Video Clip (3:35)
Bob Clewell dropped out of college to join the Army, and arrive in Vietnam just weeks after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964. During his third tour, he was trained as a helicopter pilot, providing air support for ground troops during the Lam Son 719 offensive.
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Keith Connolly
Keith ConnollyVideo Clip (4:31)
Video Clip (4:31)
Air Force pilot Keith Connolly was among the first USAF units to be stationed within South Vietnam. During his second tour, he flew F-4 Phantoms targeting the Ho Chi Minh Trail and witnessed two of his men go missing after his plane had been hit.
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Raymond Torres
Raymond TorresVideo Clip (2:52)
Video Clip (2:52)
Navy medic Raymond Torres joined the Navy to attend medical school and was assigned to a Marine Corps company. While tending to wounded Marines during the Khe Sanh battle, Torres was critically injured when a grenade exploded near him.
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Gery Benedetti
Gery BenedettiVideo Clip (3:18)
Video Clip (3:18)
Gery Benedetti was a member of the "Brown Water River Rats," whose missions were a crucial but dangerous component of the American combat operation in Vietnam.
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Joe Galloway
Joe GallowayVideo Clip (3:49)
Video Clip (3:49)
Reporter Joe Galloway covered the Vietnam War from the frontlines while embedded with the Command Unit of the 1st Cavalry Division.
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Barry Romo
Barry RomoVideo Clip (3:24)
Video Clip (3:24)
Fresh out of high school, Barry Romo enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve in Vietnam. Romo was awarded a bronze star for his efforts but grew disillusioned with the war and later joined a controversial group called Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
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Donald Devore
Donald DevoreVideo Clip (3:22)
Video Clip (3:22)
in the summer of 1968, Donald Devore was drafted and sent off to basic training. Devore was assigned to an artillery unit in Vietnam and after four months, was granted leave to attend the birth of his first child.
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Veteran's Home Movies
Veteran's Home MoviesVideo Clip (2:44)
Video Clip (2:44)
Find out why more veterans came home with home movies from Vietnam and how they helped give Vietnam in HD a unique perspective of the war.
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Elizabeth Allen
Elizabeth AllenVideo Clip (3:11)
Video Clip (3:11)
Psychiatric nurse Elizabeth Allen volunteered for the Army and requested frontline duty in Vietnam.
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Vietnam War Tactics
Vietnam War TacticsVideo Clip (3:24)
Video Clip (3:24)
The guerilla warfare tactics of the North Vietnamese required U.S. military leaders to modify their combat strategy during the Vietnam War.
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The Road to War
The Road to WarVideo Clip (2:40)
Video Clip (2:40)
Over 25 years, the Vietnam conflict escalated from an attempt to stop the spread of communism into a full-scale war.
Photo Galleries (5)
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Vietnam War: Leaders
Vietnam War: Leaders(15 Photos)
15 Photos
View images of the Presidents, politicians, and military leaders who influenced American involvement in the Vietnam War.
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Vietnam War
Vietnam War(14 Photos)
14 Photos
The Vietnam War lasted longer than any other war in U.S. history and cost 58,000 American lives
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Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson(19 Photos)
19 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.
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Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon(18 Photos)
18 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of Richard Nixon.
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John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy(20 Photos)
20 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy.
Interactives (1)
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Infographic
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: InfographicInteractive
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