FROM THE PAST PAGES OF DAWN: 1968: Fifty years ago: Chronology of bombing
SAIGON: The U.S. bombing campaign against North Viet-Nam began on Feb 7, 1965. It had been halted or curtailed on 10 previous occasions —
May 13-17, 1965, in hope of a reciprocal move from North Viet-Nam; there was no such move.
Dec 24, 1965, the beginning of the usual Christmas truce to Jan 31, 1966.
Dec 24-25, 1966, Christmas truce.
Dec 31, 1966, Jan 1, 1967, new year’s truce.
Feb 8-14, 1967, observance of Tet. Viet-Nam’s lunar new year festival.
May 23, 1967, observance of Buddha’s birth anniversary.
Dec 25, 1967, Christmas truce.
Dec 31, 1967, Jan 1, 1968 new year’s truce.
Jan 29, 1968, U.S. Command ordered 36-hour bombing pause for Tet. Pause cancelled next morning because of Viet-Cong attacks on South Viet-Namese cities and towns.
March 31, 1908, President Johnson announced a bombing halt in an area north of the 20th Parallel including 90 per cent of North Viet-Nam’s population and most of its territory. This curtailment was followed by the agreement or the Paris peace talks.
April 7, 1968, U.S. military sources in Saigon said U.S. units had been ordered to bomb no further north than the 19th Parallel.
Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2018