2.  1965: Sustained bombing of North Vietnam  Operation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965) › 1966-68: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years! Esp. targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail.  Downed Pilots: P.O.W.s

3.  N. Vietnamese Army + Viet Cong attack South simultaneously (67,000 attack 100 cities, bases, and the US embassy in Saigon)  Vietnamese New Year  Take every major southern city  U.S. + ARVN beat back the offensive  Viet Cong destroyed  N. Vietnamese army debilitated  BUT…it’s seen as an American defeat by the media

4.  President Lyndon Johnson is blamed for the failure of American forces and his popularity plummets › American public had been told repeatedly that the enemy was close to defeat  Mainstream media now openly criticized the war

5.  “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”  Democratic party became split on the issue of war

6.  MLK assassinated  Robert Kennedy assassinated  Major war demonstrations spread across America

7.  Mai Lai Massacre  U.S. platoon executed over 150 innocent Vietnamese women and children in the village of Mai Lai  “We huddled them up…and I poured about four clips into the group…the mothers were hugging their children and we just kept on firing.” - 22 year old Private Paul Meadlo  U.S. citizens are outraged and the evacuation of Vietnam speeds up

8.  Democrat: Herbert Humphrey (LBJ’S VP) › Several riots erupted amongst Democratic party  Republican: Richard Nixon › Promised to restore law and order & end Vietnam War  Nixon wins election (eventually ends war in Vietnam