Warfare in Vietnam

At 8:35 am on April 30, 1975, the last remaining Marines left the embassy in Vietnam. By 11:00 am, the North Vietnamese troops have overrun Saigon and the red and blue flag of the Viet Cong was flown over the presidential palace. Getting all American troops out of Vietnam was far from an easy task. The first of the Americans (then known as the Military Assistance Advisory Group) arrived in September of 1950. The war in Vietnam lasted over 30 years and 5 different presidents had a hand in shaping what would become the first definitive war loss for America. What happened in those years is still a source of controversy and it is only now that people are beginning to understand it on a larger scale. Focusing on the war itself, is too broad of a topic, instead this breakout will focus on specific tactics (Tet Offensive, Agent Orange, and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution) and take a look at key leaders during the time.