# data[].attributes.body
When Richard Nixon takes office in 1969 he began to build up the military strength of South Vietnam in order to slowly remove US troops. In 1973 Nixon negotiated a treaty with the North and officially ended US involvement in the Vietnam War. Two years later in 1975, South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam, making Vietnam a unified communist country.

# data[].attributes.body
By 1970 US citizens were actively protesting the Vietnam War. The reasons for the protests included: president Johnson misleading the public by telling them that the situation was handled in Vietnam, the drafting of college students, keeping the North Vietnamese from transferring goods along the Ho Chi Minh trail by bombing in Cambodia, and the increasing number of US casualties. These protests were usually peaceful, although they occasionally turned violent. The most well know protest of the Vietnam War was at Kent State University on May, 1970. It started as a peaceful protest, until students started to throw things at police and loot stores. As protesting continued, the major of Kent sent in the National Guard, believing that they were in a state of emergency. The Guard, trying to reestablish order, dispersed tear gas. The protesters continued to throw things at the soldiers, apparently fearing for their life they threatened the protesters with guns and began to open fire killing four and injuring six, two of the casualties were innocent bystanders. The public outcry lead to Vietnamization.

# data[].attributes.body
The Tet Offensive began when the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese People's Army attacked the South Vietnamese and US forces. This was a shock to the US public who had been told that the situation was handled in Vietnam and we were winning against the North. The attacks at the beginning surprised the South and US, although they quickly regrouped and began to inflict heavy casualties on the North. The US defeated the North, however the US support for the war reduced drastically and they sought to end the war.

# data[].attributes.body
This was an incident between North Vietnam and the US. The US was performing a signals intelligence patrol and three North Vietnamese torpedo boats approached the USS Maddox. The US fired a few warning shots as the North Vietnamese continued on to attack with torpedoes and machine gun fire. It was reported that the US aircraft was damaged and all three of the North Vietnamese torpedo boats were damaged. Four Vietnamese sailors were killed, as well as six wounded. There were no US casualties and only a single bullet hole from North Vietnamese machine gun fire. On August 7, 1964 there was a resolution. This allowed President Lyndon B. Johnson to send troops to Southeast Asia for conventional military force.

# data[].attributes.body
In response to the Buddhist crisis, a military coup attacks the South Vietnamese government in Saigon. Diem is assassinated on November, 1st and the government is overthrown. It is believed that the US secretly were in support of the overthrow of Diems government.

# data[].attributes.body
Diem, who was pro-catholic began to show favoritism to high ranking officers who were also catholic. Giving them the best positions and thinking that they were the only ones to be trusted. Many of them converted to catholicism to advance their careers. Diem began to pass discriminatory laws that persecuted Buddhists. One of these laws was Decree Number 10, which outlawed any flags to be shown that were not catholic. In order to protest, more than 500 Buddhist monks gathered in front of the National Assembly in Saigon. Harsh treatment of protesting Buddhist monks continued so  Thích Quảng Đức burned himself to death at a public saigon road intersection. When the US hears of the discriminatory acts by Diem, they withdraw their support.

# data[].attributes.headline
1955 Ngo Dinh Diem Becomes Prime Minister of South Vietnam 

# data[].attributes.subject
1955 Ngo Dinh Diem Becomes Prime Minister of South Vietnam 

# data[].attributes.body
Bao Dai must turn over his rule of South Vietnam to the newly elected anti- Communist leader Ngo Dinh Diem. With the support of the United States, Ngo Dinh Diem won a fraudulent election where he refused to consult with North Vietnamese leaders. In October of 1955, Ngo Dinh Diem would become the figure head of the new anti-communist republic government of South Vietnam. President Eisenhower promised the newly appointed Prime Minister, that the U.S. would help stop the spread of communism. In 1955 training began for the South Vietnamese military. Ngo Dinh Diem was doing everything he could to stop communism in the south and thousands were arrested and killed.

# data[].attributes.body
After the French lost to the Viet Minh forces, the Geneva Accords are signed by France and Ho Chi Minh. Vietnam is divided at the 17th Parallel into North and South Vietnam. The U.S. and South Vietnamese refuse to sign the accords, although they agree to abide by the agreement.

# data[].attributes.body
The French had a plan to draw out the Viet Minh forces and demolish them with superior firepower. However, this was not the case, when the Viet Minh brought in heavy artillery and surrounded the French with weapons inside mountains overlooking them from above. The French commander committed suicide because of this devastating blow. They were unable to put in any effective counter-battery fire or receive any air resupply, this forced most of the French to surrender. The French Prime Minister supported the withdrawal from Indochina and signed the 1954 Geneva Accords.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sep 1950 US Military Advisors in Saigon 

# data[].attributes.subject
Sep 1950 US Military Advisors in Saigon 

# data[].attributes.body
It started as a humble mission, to help the French and to stop the spread of communism. In 1950 the US sent over military advisors to support the French and to help the French with the combat against the Viet Minh forces. The U.S believed that the French were helping to prevent the spread of communism.