Has genuine original Major's rank Patches on it's shoulders (is rare) and small tears in the right places (the butt/see pics) from it's typical use.
1964 in the Vietnam War
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
US: 23,310 (31 Dec 1964)
South Vietnam: 514,000 (includes militia)[1]NVA/VC:100,000 [2]
Casualties and losses
US: 216 killed
South Vietnam: 7,457 killed[3]North Vietnam: casualties
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Military engagementsduring the Vietnam War
South Vietnam was in political chaos during much of the year, as generals competed for power and Buddhists protested against the government. The Viet Cong communist guerrillas expanded their operations and defeated the South Vietnamese army(ARVN) in many battles. North Vietnam made a definitive judgement in January to assist the Viet Cong insurgency with men and material. In November, North Vietnam ordered the North Vietnamese Army to infiltrate units into South Vietnam and undertake joint military operations with the Viet Cong.
The new President of the United States, Lyndon Johnson, and his civilian and military advisers wrestled with the problem of a failing government in South Vietnam and military gains by the communists. In August, an attack on American navy vessels caused Johnson to seek and gain U.S. congressional approval of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which authorized him to use military force if necessary to defend South Vietnam. Throughout the year, there were calls from many quarters — American, foreign, and South Vietnamese — for the United States to negotiate an agreement for the neutralization of South Vietnam, which they refused to consider.
Many of President Johnson's advisers advocated an air war against North Vietnam and the introduction of U.S. combat troops into South Vietnam. By year's end, the 23,000 U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam were still technically "advisers" (although they participated in many air and ground operations with the ARVN), but Johnson was contemplating U.S. ground troops.
At the time, most of the reports and conversations mentioned below were secret; they were not made public for many years.
November[edit]
1 November
The Viet Cong attacked the Bien Hoa Air Base, 15 miles north of Saigon, with mortars. Four Americans and two Vietnamese were killed and 27 American aircraft were destroyed or damaged. U.S. Ambassador Taylor reported that the Viet Cong "had changed the ground rules" by targeting a U.S. installation. He advocated a reprisal.[72]
3 November
President Lyndon Johnson won a landslide victory over his Republican opponent, Barry Goldwater, in the Presidential election. Johnson was perceived as the more moderate candidate on issues including the use of U.S. military forces in Vietnam.
10 November
From Saigon, Ambassador Maxwell Taylor cabled Washington with his views. Perhaps former President Kennedy's most influential adviser on Vietnam, Taylor favored the U.S. expanding its participation in the war against the Viet Cong and expanding the war to North Vietnam, even if the government of South Vietnam never became competent — advocating the removal of a previous U.S. prerequisite for participation in the war: the existence of a stable and efficient South Vietnamese government.[73]
19 November
A Vietnam working group of mid-level officials from the Departments of State and Defense and the CIA presented its analysis to the senior policymakers of the Johnson Administration. The working group identified three U.S. policy options: Option A was to continue the present policy and reject negotiations with North Vietnam until the situation in South Vietnam improved; Option B was much increased military pressure against North Vietnam until the insurgency in the South was defeated; Option C called for a continuation of present policy but with gradually increased military pressure against the North with no firm position for or against negotiations. Option C was favored by the policymakers.[74]
20 November
Three regiments (the first full units) of the North Vietnamese Army to be sent to South Vietnam, to assist the Viet Cong, departed from North Vietnam to march south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. (Other NVA troops may have left North Vietnam in October.)[75]
28 November
U.S. Army Capt. Norman W. Heck, in his last letter home before being killed, said that winning the war would be difficult, but that "A fairly effective program of improving the economic and political situation [of South Vietnam] is... the whole key to success in winning the whole hearted support of the people, and not in the number of Viet Cong killed."[76]