This is the Vietnam War Marker in the Texas Panhandle Veterans War Memorial and it reads " America's involvement in its most controversial war had its beginning in the early1960's as the country sought to protect south Vietnam from attack by north Vietnam. The U.S. Role for most of the first half of the 1960's consisted of advising south Vietnamese troops in their battle against north Vietnam, but in august 1964, two north Vietnamese gunboats reportedly opened fire on two u.s. destroyers in the gulf of Tonkin, prompting president Lyndon Johnson to ask congress for support in a stepped-up military campaign. congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin in resolution on August 7, 1964, and in March 1965. First Marine division landed in Da Nang, Signaling the start of America's full-scale military involvement. The wars major battle began on Jan. 30, 1968 with the viet congs tet offensive. By the spring of 1969, President Richard Nixon began a phased withdraw of U.S. troops from the fighting. The united states and northern Vietnam signed a cease-fire accord on jan. 27, 1973. However fighting between south and north Vietnam continued until the fall od Saigon on april 30, 1975. Total U.S. involvement included 3,140,000, with 47,393 hostile deaths, 10,800 non-hostile deaths, and 153,363 wounded. Willis Granite is proud to be a part of helping create most of the monuments at this Veterans Memorial. See more at www.Willisgranite.com