Vietnam Conflict

Vietnam Conflict. The 1954 Geneva Accords divided the southeast Asian country of Vietnam into North and South Vietnam. Soon thereafter, communist North Vietnam began a guerrilla war against South Vietnam. The United States advisory effort, which grew rapidly in the early 1960's, led to full scale deployment of American armed forces by 1965., The Vietnam War increased in intensity to a limited conventional war involving more than 9,000,000 Americans who saw active military service in Southeast Asia. The United States never formally declared war, and the resulting political nature of this conflict created uncertainty at home, as well as in Vietnam. The public and the Congress, though initially supportive, became increasingly confused and frustrated after the Tet offensive in 1968., Kentuckians serving in Vietnam included the 2nd Battalion of the 138th Artillery of the Kentucky National Guard. While providing valuable artillery support, these Kentucky soldiers endured casualties in mortar attacks and assaults on Firebase Tomahawk by North Vietnam Troops., The 101st Airborne division, usually based at Kentucky's Fort Campbell, served in South Vietnam from 1965 until 1972. The division preformed countless parachute, helicopter and ground missions in the combat zones. As a result of negotiations in Paris, France in 1973, a peace accord was signed between North Vietnam and the United States which permitted a gradual withdrawal of American forces. Without the continuation of American advice and assistance, South Vietnam fell in 1975., Approximately 125,000 of Kentucky's sons and daughters served in the United States armed forces during this period, of these, 1062 Kentuckians gave their lives or are still missing in action.