From 1884, Vietnam was a French colony until Japan conquered it in 1944 but lost control to the Vietnamese in 1945. After an eight-year battle, the Vietnamese defeated the French in 1954, and Vietnam was divided into two parts, North and South Vietnam. The Vietnam War began November 1, 1955, when communist North Vietnam tried to gain power in South Vietnam (“Vietnam War”).

     In 1957 communist supporters, called the Viet Cong, rebelled against the South Vietnamese government. The Viet Cong took control of part of South Vietnam in the early 1960s. In 1963, the South Vietnamese army took control of the government (“Vietnam War”). ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"We will not be defeated. We will not grow tired. We will not withdraw either openly or under the cloak of a meaningless agreement."

~ U.S President Lyndon Johnson- 1963-1969

      In August 1964, North Vietnamese attacked a U.S. warship in the Gulf of Tonkin.  In 1965, the U.S. entered the war and dropped bombs in North Vietnam. On November 15, 1969, the largest U.S. anti-war protest broke out, with over 250,000 citizens (“Vietnam War”). ​​​​​​​

“They sent kids home from Vietnam during the night because we had protestors at most of the major airports.” 

~ Dwight Frideres- Vietnam veteran and Vietnamese refugee sponsor

     In 1969, President Nixon removed some troops from Vietnam and began bombing North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In January 1973, the Viet Cong and North Vietnam along with the U.S. and South Vietnam signed a cease-fire  (“Vietnam War”). ​​​​​​​