Timeline, August 14th

[David]

PREBELLUM:
August 1940 (Year of the Dragon [Canh Thin]): Japan formally recognizes French sovereignty in Indochina in return for access to military facilities, transit rights, and the right to station occupation troops in Tonkin.

August 14, 1945 (Year of the Rooster [At Dau]) (August 15th in Washington): Japan agrees to surrender; last Japanese ships sunk during World War II.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
August 14, 1961 (Year of the Ox [Tau Suu]): Ambassador Nolting notes that the number of VC has doubled in recent months (an estimated 14,000 as compared 7,000 in September of 1960) and discusses likely VC activities in the near future, the state of the South Vietnamese forces, including ARVN and Special Forces, training programs for them, a recent increase in US advisors, and a pacification program.

August 14, 1964 (Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): The RAAF Transport Flight begins operations with three De Havilland Caribou aircraft. These three Caribou's were initially on a ferry delivery flight from Canada and originally scheduled to go to Australia, but by the time they arrive at Butterworth in Malaysia, they receive instructions to proceed direct to Vung Tau, where the Transport Flight is stationed under control of the US 834th Air Division, and form the first portion of the RAAF Transport Flight. At the end of the month three more Caribous will be sent to Vietnam. Known later as the No. 35 Squadron, or the Wallaby Flight, members of this air transport unit will fly many times into remote airstrips to move Vietnamese civilians and military units out of dangerous situations and carry out regular services between Saigon, Nui Dat and Vung Tau.

August 14, 1964 (Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): New intelligence photos of Chinese nuclear facilities raise a question as to whether they are near to testing a nuclear weapon.

August 14, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Cochise update.

August 14, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V): B/7/17th Cavalry's actions during the first half of the month.

August 14, 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Summer-Fall 1969): A difficult extraction of a split reconnaissance team in Kontum Province.