Vietnam War: Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the war, takes place.

Operation Chopper, conducted on January 12, 1962, marked the first major combat operation involving U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. This mission signaled the beginning of America’s deeper military engagement in Vietnam. It involved the deployment of over 1,000 South Vietnamese paratroopers in a joint U.S.-South Vietnamese effort to counter Viet Cong forces near Saigon. Utilizing U.S. Army helicopters, the operation demonstrated the growing reliance on air mobility and the helicopter’s strategic role in modern warfare. While Operation Chopper was deemed a tactical success, inflicting casualties on the Viet Cong, it also symbolized the escalation of American involvement in Vietnam, foreshadowing the protracted conflict that would follow.