Vietnam, 1965. North Vietnam rapidly increase its infiltration of men and supplies to support the Viet Cong's growing influence over rural South Vietnam.

After a series of post-WW2 communist aggressions, western democracies are afraid. In 1948, Stalin seals off West Berlin, leading to the Berlin air lift. In 1949, communists overrun China. In 1950 North Korea launches the Korean War, a bloody three-year war leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Communists overrun French force at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, and the US becomes more involved. At this point, fearing the piece-by-piece elimination of the free world, most US citizens, as well as congress, favor intervention.

The US initiates Operation Rolling Thunder, a bombing campaign over North Vietnam. Army and Marine troops begin ground operations, seeking to find and destroy enemy forces.

US involvement in the Vietnam war escalates to a full boil.