The Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War began in December 1956 and lasted until April 1975. The war was between the United States and Vietnam. This war was a very horrible and tragic war. In Vietnam, their leader Ho Chi Minh returned after a 30-year journey exploring the world. When he returned, his country was occupied by two major countries, Japan and France. Ho Chi Minh had a plan to drive them out of his country, but he needed the United States to make it work. The United States was still in a Cold War with Russia and communism was feared. So the United States decided not to help Vietnam and to send military aid to French and Japanese forces, in order to stop communism. Thus began the Vietnam War! The first major battle of the war was the Battle of AP Bac. It all started on January 2, 1962. AP Bac was a village in Dinh Toung province. The battle resulted in a ton of deaths and a much stronger group of South Vietnamese troops with American help with weapons and planning. The next major battle was the Battle of La Drang Valley. The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major battle between regular American troops and those of the Vietnamese People's Army. It began on October 6, 1965. The Battle of La Drang Valley was considered pivotal because it set the tactical pattern for both sides during the conflict. This battle ended on November 27, 1965. The third major battle of the Vietnam War was the Battle of Khe Sahn. The Battle of Khe Sahn began on January 21, 1968. It was on this date that Vietnamese troops began a heavy artillery bombardment on the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh. This battle was the longest and bloodiest of the Vietnam War. This battle ended on April 9, 1968 after 77 long days of combat. The next battle was the Tet Offensive. It started at the end of July...in the middle of the diary......I had suffered post-traumatic stress after the war. Under these conditions, soldiers would have nightmares about the war. The war lasted from 1956 to 1975 after North Vietnam was defeated by South Vietnam and the United States. The Vietnam War was very bad and everyone will do everything to prevent it from happening again. PBS. Internet. April 30, 2014. Barr, Roger. The Vietnam War. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1991. Print. “Vietnam War Facts – The Vietnam War.” The Vietnam War. Internet. May 1, 2014. “Vietnam War Highlights.” CNN. Cable News Network, January 1, 1970. Web. April 28, 2014. “Soldiers of the Vietnam War.” Conflict in Vietnam. Internet. April 30. 2014. .