NORTH VIETNAM On Mar. 2, 1965, the USAF instituted its famous "Rolling Thunder" campaign, the systematic bombing of North Vietnam, starting at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam. Its planes flew from bases in South Vietnam and Thailand.

By slowly advancing the target areas northward across North Vietnam, it was hoped the North Vietnamese leaders would eventually be convinced to sit down at the peace table. However, Washington imposed stringent controls upon these operations, lest Red China or the Soviet union actively enter the conflict.