1971 in the Vietnam War


January

; 1 January
U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam totaled 334,600 on 31 December 1970.
;1 January - May 1971
Project Copper was an unsuccessful operation to use three Central Intelligence Agency -trained Cambodian irregular force battalions to interdict the Sihanouk Trail. One battalion deserted, one mutinied during training the third suffered extensive casualties and had to be withdrawn to assist in the defense of Phnom Penh.
; 5 January
The United States Congress adopted the revised Cooper-Church Amendment which prohibited the introduction of U.S. ground troops or advisers into Cambodia and declared that U.S. aid to Cambodia should not be considered a commitment to the defense of Cambodia.
;5 January - 11 February
Operation Silver Buckle was a Royal Lao Army offensive staged in Military Region 4 of Laos and was the deepest RLA penetration to date of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Reaching the Trailside village of Moung Nong, the forward two companies attacked the rear of the 50,000 man People's Army of Vietnam garrison on 8 February 1971, just as Operation Lam Son 719 was launched by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and diverted at least six PAVN battalions away from the ARVN assault.
; 5 January to 30 May
The ARVN launched Operation Toàn Thắng TT02 which culminated in the Battle of Snuol against PAVN and Viet Cong forces in the Snuol District of Cambodia. The PAVN/VC lost 1,043 killed while the ARVN lost 37 killed, 74 missing and more than 300 captured. The operation rendered the ARVN 5th Division combat ineffective.
; 6 January
United States Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird said that the "Vietnamization" of the war was running ahead of schedule and that the combat mission of the U.S. troops would end in summer 1971.
; 7 January
The last herbicide spraying by the United States to defoliate forests in South Vietnam and kill crops used to feed communist soldiers and supporters was carried out in Ninh Thuan province. Operation Ranch Hand was finished.
; 17 January
300 ARVN paratroopers with U.S. air support and advisers raided a suspected camp holding American prisoners of war in Cambodia. No POWs were in the camp but 30 PAVN soldiers were captured.
; 13 to 25 January
The ARVN 4th Armor Brigade and 4th Ranger Group and the 2nd Marine Brigade together with Khmer National Armed Forces forces launched Operation Cuu Long 44-02 to reopen Route 4 in Cambodia. The operation results in 211 PAVN and 16 ARVN killed.
;21-2 January
PAVN sappers attack Pochentong Airfield near Phnom Penh and destroy or damage 69 Khmer National Aviation aircraft and kill 39 AVNK personnel, effectively destroying the AVNK.
;24 January
NBC reported that soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed at Landing Zone English were buying heroin from a Vietnamese house on the base and the South Vietnamese then proceeded to demolish the house.

February

;2 February - 30 April
Campaign 74B was a PAVN combined arms operation that recaptured the strategic Plain of Jars and brought the PAVN 316th Division within artillery range of the major RLA base at Long Tieng. The assault was stopped by Thai mercenary forces and U.S. air support and the PAVN withdrew as they exhausted their supplies.
;3 February - 10 March
In Operation Hoang Dien 103, units of III Marine Amphibious Force, Republic of Korea Marine Corps 2nd Marine Brigade, ARVN 51st Regiment, 146th PF Platoon, 39th RF Company and PSDF combed the Da Nang lowlands and lowland fringes, killing 330 PAVN/VC, while losing 46 killed, including two Americans.
;8 February- 25 March
Operation Lam Son 719 was an invasion by 20,000 soldiers of the armed forces of South Vietnam of southeastern Laos. The objective of the operation was the disruption of the Ho Chi Minh Trail which supplied PAVN and VC forces in South Vietnam. Although claiming victory, the ARVN withdrew from Laos in disorder and suffered 9,000 casualties. The U.S. supported the operation and had 253 soldiers killed and many helicopters destroyed.
;10 February
In Operation Lam Son 719, an armoured column of the ARVN reached Ban Dong, 20 kilometers inside Laos and one half the distance to Tchepone, the objective of the invasion. The route, Highway 9, was only barely passable and the advance stalled. The PAVN concentrated their resistance against a number of small bases established in Laos to support the operation.
An RVNAF UH-1 helicopter carrying photojournalists Larry Burrows, Henri Huet, Kent Potter and Keizaburo Shimamoto and seven others was shot down over Laos killing all on board.
;16 February - 3 April
Operation Desert Rat was an RLA operation intended to harass the PAVN as they fought off the ARVN in Operation Lam Son 719. The operation resulted in 121 PAVN killed and 39 trucks destroyed.
;23 February
New ARVN I Corps commander Lieutenant General Đỗ Cao Trí dies in a helicopter crash near Bien Hoa Air Base. Photojournalist François Sully leapt from the burning helicopter but later died of his injuries.

March

; 1 March
A bomb exploded in the United States Capitol building at 1:32 a.m., injuring nobody but causing $300,000 in damage. The Weather Underground took credit for the bombing which was in protest of the invasion of Laos.
; 6 March
In Operation Lam Son 719, an airborne operation began against Tchepone, Laos, this was the largest airborne assault of the Vietnam War utilizing 120 UH-1 helicopters to transport two battalions. Tchepone was captured without major resistance.
; 9 March
President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu of South Vietnam ordered the withdrawal of South Vietnamese troops from Laos. He ignored the recommendation of U.S. Commander General Creighton Abrams that South Vietnam reinforce its troops in Laos and hold its position. The withdrawal became a rout with South Vietnam suffering heavy casualties.
;10 March to 1 July
The 198th Light Infantry Brigade launched Operation Finney Hill to secure lines of communication and pacification operations in the coastal area of Quảng Ngãi Province. The operation resulted in 454 PAVN/VC killed and eight captured, U.S. losses were 32 killed.
;10 March to 1 July
The 196th Light Infantry Brigade launched Operation Middlesex Peak a security operation to prevent PAVN/VC infiltration into the coastal lowlands of Quảng Tín and Quảng Ngãi Provinces. The operation resulted in 463 PAVN/VC killed and 22 captured and U.S. losses of 50 killed.
; 15 March
PAVN artillery began to shell Khe Sanh Combat Base, the U.S.'s base for support of South Vietnam's invasion of Laos.
; 23 March
National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger admitted to President Richard Nixon that Lam Son 719 "comes out as clearly not a success." The failure of Lam Son 719 was called by one scholar "the military turning point of the war."
A PAVN sapper attack on Khe Sanh Combat Base resulted in three Americans killed and several aircraft and two ammunition dumps destroyed, PAVN losses were 14 killed and one captured.
; 25 March
In Operation Lam Son 719, most South Vietnamese soldiers had crossed the border back into South Vietnam and fighting in Laos ceased.
; 28 March
Several dozen PAVN sappers infiltrated Fire Support Base Mary Ann in Quảng Tín Province and killed 30 American soldiers. Mary Ann was scheduled to be turned over to the ARVN and the U.S. forces withdrawn. Several American officers were demoted or reprimanded for "substandard performance."
; 29 March
The jury at a military courts-martial convicted Lieutenant William Calley of the premeditated murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians during the My Lai massacre of 1968. Calley was the only soldier convicted for his role in the massacre.
PAVN/VC forces killed 103 South Vietnamese civilians and destroyed 1,500 homes in the Duc Duc massacre in Duc Duc District, Quảng Nam Province.
; 30 March
A confidential U.S. Army directive ordered the interception and confiscation of anti-Vietnam War and other dissident material being sent to U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam.
; 31 March
Lieutenant William Calley was sentenced to life imprisonment and hard labor at Fort Leavenworth for his role in the My Lai massacre.

April

;1 April to 5 September
The U.S. 101st Airborne Division and the ARVN 1st Division launch Operation Texas Star against PAVN forces in Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Provinces. The operatio results in 1,782 PAVN and 386 U.S. killed.
; 3 April
President Nixon ordered Calley to be transferred from Fort Leavenworth prison to house arrest.
; 7 April
Khe Sanh Combat Base, reactivated to support Operation Lam Son 719, was abandoned once again.
;7 April - 5 June
Operation Xieng Dong was a successful RLA operation to defend the capital Luang Prabang against a PAVN attack. RLA forces from across the country converged on the capital and forced the PAVN 335th Regiment to withdraw.
;22 April
John Kerry of Vietnam Veterans Against the War testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee stating: "Someone has to die so that President Nixon won't be - and these are his words - 'the first president to lose a war.' How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam? How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"
; 23 April
Members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War threw away over 700 medals on the west steps of the Capitol building in Washington to protest the war. The next day, antiwar organizers claimed that 500,000 marched, making this the largest demonstration since the November 1969 march.
; 29 April to 1 July
The 196th Light Infantry Brigade launched Operation Caroline Hill to locate and engage PAVN/VC forces, lines of communications and base areas and provide security for pacification programs in the area west and south of Da Nang following the departure of the III Marine Amphibious Force. The operation resulted in 161 PAVN/VC killed and 11 captured and U.S. losses of 15 killed.
; 30 April
Catholic Priest Philip Berrigan and seven others were indicted for planning to kidnap Henry Kissinger and to blow up government buildings.

May

; 3 May
15,000 soldiers and police arrested more than 7,000 persons protesting the war in Washington.
; 5 May
1,146 protesters against the war were arrested on the U.S. Capitol grounds trying to shut down the U.S. Congress. This brought the total arrested during the 1971 May Day Protests to over 12,000.
; 13 May
The Paris Peace Talks between North Vietnam, South Vietnam, the Viet Cong and the United States enter their fourth year. Little or no progress had been made.
;15 May - September
Operation Phoutah was an RLA defensive operation against a PAVN strike from Tchepone. The RLA failed in its attempts to capture Moung Phalane.
;21 May
30 U.S. infantrymen, many from Company A, 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment, were killed when a PAVN 122mm rocket hit their bunker at Charlie 2.
; 31 May
Henry Kissinger in secret peace negotiations with North Vietnam in Paris introduced a new proposal for a U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam, a ceasefire in place and an exchange of prisoners. The ceasefire in place was a key concession because it would allow PAVN soldiers to remain in South Vietnam at least temporarily.

June

;2 June
Brigadier General John W. Donaldson was charged with the murder of six Vietnamese civilians during operations in November 1968-January 1969 while flying in his helicopter over Quảng Ngãi Province. A colonel at the time of the alleged crimes, he was the first U.S. general charged with war crimes since 1902 and the highest ranking American to be accused of war crimes during the war. The charges were eventually dismissed due to lack of evidence.
;4-5 June
The PAVN attack Hill 950 a U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group operations base and United States Army Security Agency radio relay site overlooking the Khe Sanh plateau. Many of the personnel at the base were evacuated by helicopter, but approximately 22 remained to defend the base and destroy its secret communications system and were either captured or evaded into the surrounding area.
;6-7 June
In the Battle of Long Khánh the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment attacked a PAVN/VC base camp in Long Khánh Province. The battle resulted in five VC and three Australians killed.
;9-11 June
Operation Phiboonpol was an offensive by four RLA battalions to capture the Bolaven Plateau overlooking the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Faced with strong opposition from the PAVN the RLA only managed to secure a tenuous position on the edge of the plateau after suffering heavy losses.
;13 June
The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers.
; 24 June
The Mansfield Amendment, authored by Senator Mike Mansfield, was adopted by Congress. The amendment urged withdrawing American troops from South Vietnam at "the earliest practical date"—the first time in U.S. history that Congress had called for the end of a war.
; 27 June
North Vietnam negotiators Le Duc Tho and Xuan Thuy responded to Kissinger's 31 May proposal with a nine-point "bargaining proposal." This was the first time that the North Vietnamese had indicated a willingness to negotiate rather than presenting unilateral demands.

July

; 17 July
The Politburo of North Vietnam instructed its negotiators in Paris not to make any further concessions to the United States.
; 26 July
Kissinger announced that the United States was prepared to provide $7.5 billion in aid to Vietnam, of which $2.5 billion could go to North Vietnam, and to withdraw all American forces within nine months.
;26 July - 31 October
Operation Sayasila was an RLA operation to capture Salavan and Paksong. The RLA succeeded at heavy cost with eight battalions rendered combat ineffective.

August

;5 August - 21 September
Operation Phou Khao Kham was an RLA operation to clear PAVN/Pathet Lao forces from Routes 13 and 7 north of Vientiane and capture Muang Soui. The RLA succeeded in recapturing Muang Soui but fails to clear the approach routes.
; 12 August
ARVN General Duong Van Minh submitted evidence to the U.S. Embassy in Saigon that President Thiệu was rigging the Presidential election scheduled for October.
;17 August
The U.S. Embassy in Saigon informed Washington that if President Thiệu persisted in his efforts to make the upcoming Presidential election a charade, it might cause "growing political instability in South Vietnam."
; 20 August
General Minh withdrew as a candidate for president in the upcoming presidential election in South Vietnam. Minh said "I cannot put up with a disgusting farce that strips away all the people's hope of a democratic regime."
William Calley's life sentence for his role in the My Lai massacre was reduced to 20 years. Calley served three and one-half years of his sentence before being paroled.
;20 August - 3 December
Operation Chenla II was a major FANK military operation. The FANK failed to dislodge the PAVN/VC from Cambodian territory and suffered heavy casualties.
; 23 August
Nguyễn Cao Kỳ withdrew his candidacy for president in the upcoming election. Incumbent President Thiệu was the only candidate remaining in the election.
;25 August
A PAVN/VC sapper attack on the Cam Ranh Base tri-service ammunition storage area destroyed over 6000 tons of munitions with a value of more than US$10 million.

September

; 5 September 1970 - 8 October 1971
Operation Jefferson Glenn was the last major ground operation in which U.S. troops participated in the Vietnam War. Three battalions of the 101st Airborne Division patrolled the area west of the city of Huế, called the "rocket belt," to try to prevent PAVN/VC rocket attacks. The Americans were gradually replaced by ARVN forces. The Americans and South Vietnamese claimed to have inflicted 2,026 casualties on the PAVN/VC.
; 21 September
In the Battle of Nui Le the 4RAR/NZ Battalion engaged PAVN/VC forces at Núi Lé, Chau Duc District. The battle resulted in 14 PAVN/VC and five Australians killed.
;26 September
Marine Security Guard Sergeant Charles "Wayne" Turberville was killed in a Khmer Rouge grenade attack in Phnom Penh.
;September - 22 June 1972
Operation Sourisak Montry VIII was a Thai offensive against Pathet Lao forces along the Mekong River near Xieng Lom, Laos. The operation was indecisive with the Pathet Lao retaining control of the area.

October

; 2 October
The 1971 South Vietnamese presidential election was held. Incumbent President Thiệu garnered 94.3 percent of the vote. All of Thiệu's opponents had dropped out of the race.
; 11 October
Several U.S. soldiers at Firebase Pace near the Cambodian border refused to undertake a patrol outside the perimeter of the firebase. The combat refusal was widely reported by the media as was a letter signed by 65 American soldiers at Firebase Pace to U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy protesting that they were being ordered to participate in offensive combat operations despite U.S. policy to the contrary.
; 12 October
President Nixon announced that "American troops are now in a defensive position...the offensive activities of search and destroy are now being undertaken by the South Vietnamese"
; 16 October
Prime Minister Lon Nol of Cambodia suspended the Cambodian National Assembly and announced that he would run the country by executive decree. Lon Nol said that "the sterile game of democracy" was hindering the Cambodian government's fight against the communist forces of the Khmer Rouge and North Vietnamese.

November

;1-9 November
Operation Bedrock was an RLA offensive against the PAVN 46th Battalion near Salavan. The operation succeeded in securing the rice growing area near Salavan.
; 2 November
A U.S. Senate sub-committee issued a 300-page report "corruption, criminality, and moral compromise" at U.S. Post Exchanges in South Vietnam.
;21 November
Operation Thao La was an RLA dry season offensive to capture the Bolaven Plateau. The RLA secure Tha Theng and Ban Phong but lost Salavan and Paksong. The operation resulted in 1,204 PAVN and 399 RLA killed.

December

;7 December - May 1973
The Vinh wiretap was a CIA espionage operation to intercept North Vietnamese military telephone lines.
;17 December - 30 January 1972
Campaign Z was a PAVN combined arms operation against the RLA base at Long Tieng. The PAVN used T-34 tanks and 130mm field guns for the first time supported by VPAF fighter jets. The PAVN were able to temporarily seize high ground and shell Long Tieng before being pushed back.
;26 December
President Nixon ordered the initiation of Operation Proud Deep Alpha, an intensive five-day bombing campaign against military targets in North Vietnam just north of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone above the 17th parallel north.
;30 December - 16 March 1972
Operation Maharat was the RLA defense of the Route 7 and 13 intersection at Sala Phoun Khoun. After being initially pushed out the RLA counterattacked and seized the area.
; 31 December
The number of U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam totaled 156,800.

Year in numbers