Refine your search

The results of your search are listed below alongside the search terms you entered on the previous page. You can refine your search by amending any of the parameters in the form and resubmitting it.

Yasunari Kawabata (11 June 1899 – 16 April 1972) was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award.<br/><br/> 

His works have enjoyed broad international appeal and are still widely read.
Yasunari Kawabata (11 June 1899 – 16 April 1972) was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award.<br/><br/> 

His works have enjoyed broad international appeal and are still widely read.
Yasunari Kawabata (11 June 1899 – 16 April 1972) was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award.<br/><br/> 

His works have enjoyed broad international appeal and are still widely read.
Chen was born in Lezhi, near Chengdu, Sichuan, into a moderately wealthy magistrate's family. A comrade of Lin Biao from their guerilla days, Chen was a commander of the New Fourth Army during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), spearheaded the Shandong counter-offensive during the Chinese Civil War, and later commanded the Communist armies that defeated the KMT forces at Huai-Hai and conquered the lower Yangtze region in 1948-49.<br/><br/>

He was made a Marshal of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1955. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen became mayor of Shanghai. He also served as vice premier from 1954 to 1972 and foreign minister from 1958 to 1972 and president of the China Foreign Affairs University from 1961 to 1969. During the Cultural Revolution, he was purged in 1967, but not officially dismissed, so Zhou Enlai performed the duties of foreign minister in his place. After Marshal Lin Biao's death in 1971, he was restored to favor, although not to his former power.
Jiang Qing (Chiang Ch'ing, March 1914 – May 14, 1991) was the pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong's last wife and major Communist Party of China power figure.<br/><br/>

She went by the stage name Lan Ping during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life. She married Mao in Yan'an in November 1938, and is sometimes referred to as Madame Mao in Western literature, serving as Communist China's first first lady.<br/><br/>

Jiang Qing was most well-known for playing a major role in the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and for forming the radical political alliance known as the 'Gang of Four'. When Mao died in 1976, Jiang lost the support and justification for her political activities. She was arrested in October 1976 by Hua Guofeng and his allies, and was subsequently accused of being counter-revolutionary.<br/><br/>

Though initially sentenced to death, her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1983, however, and in May 1991 she was released for medical treatment. Before returning to prison, she committed suicide.
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the 33rd President of the United States (1945–53), an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a United States Senator from Missouri (1935–45) and briefly as Vice President (1945) before he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945 upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.<br/><br/> 

He was president during the final months of World War II, making the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Truman was elected in his own right in 1948. He presided over an uncertain domestic scene as America sought its path after the war, and tensions with the Soviet Union increased, marking the start of the Cold War.
Jane Fonda visited Hanoi in July 1972. Among other statements, she repeated the North Vietnamese claim that the United States had been deliberately targeting the dike system along the Red River. In fact the dike system suffered bomb damage, but was not strategically targeted.<br/><br/>

In North Vietnam, Fonda was photographed seated on an anti-aircraft battery. In her 2005 autobiography, she writes that she was manipulated into sitting on the battery, and was immediately horrified at the implications of the pictures. After the release of the pictures of Fonda seated behind the anti-aircraft gun, she was dubbed 'Hanoi Jane' by opponents of the anti-war movement in the United States.
Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States (1963–1969) after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States (1961–1963). He is one of only four people who served in all four elected federal offices of the United States: Representative, Senator, Vice President and President.<br/><br/> 

Johnson, a Democrat, served as a United States Representative from Texas, from 1937–1949 and as United States Senator from 1949–1961, including six years as United States Senate Majority Leader, two as Senate Minority Leader and two as Senate Majority Whip. After campaigning unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 1960, Johnson was asked by John F. Kennedy to be his running mate for the 1960 presidential election.<br/><br/> 

After becoming president in 1963, Johnson greatly escalated direct American involvement in the Vietnam War. As the war dragged on, Johnson's popularity as President steadily declined. After the 1966 mid-term Congressional elections, his re-election bid in the 1968 United States presidential election collapsed as a result of turmoil within the Democratic Party related to opposition to the Vietnam War. He withdrew from the race amid growing opposition to his policy on the Vietnam War and a worse-than-expected showing in the New Hampshire primary.<br/><br/> 

Despite the failures of his foreign policy, Johnson is ranked favorably by some historians because of his domestic policies.
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972) was King of Nepal from 1955 to 1972.<br/><br/>

Mahendra was crowned on 2 May 1956. He succeeded Tribhuvan as King of Nepal. On 15 December 1960 he suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament, dismissed the cabinet, imposed direct rule and imprisoned then prime minister Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala and his closest government colleagues.  Mahendra instituted a Panchayat hierarchical system of village, district and national councils, a variant of guided democracy. He pursued a foreign policy of neutrality between China and India.
There were heavy aircraft losses during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of U.S. fixed-wing aircraft were lost to ground fire of anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and fighter interceptors (MiG)s. The great majority of U.S. combat losses in all areas of Southeast Asia were to AAA.<br/><br/>

In 1972, Following the bombing of Hanoi and the North during Operations Linebacker 1 and Linebacker 2, North Vietnam announced that the 4,000 USAF planes had been shot down during the Second Indochina War / Vietnam War to date.<br/><br/>

The USA disputes this figure but concedes that during the course of the war the US Air Force flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia, losing 2,251 aircraft: 1,737 to hostile action, and 514 to operational causes. 110 of the losses were helicopters and the rest fixed-wing.
There were heavy aircraft losses during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of U.S. fixed-wing aircraft were lost to ground fire of anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and fighter interceptors (MiG)s. The great majority of U.S. combat losses in all areas of Southeast Asia were to AAA.<br/><br/>

In 1972, Following the bombing of Hanoi and the North during Operations Linebacker 1 and Linebacker 2, North Vietnam announced that the 4,000 USAF planes had been shot down during the Second Indochina War / Vietnam War to date.<br/><br/>

The USA disputes this figure but concedes that during the course of the war the US Air Force flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia, losing 2,251 aircraft: 1,737 to hostile action, and 514 to operational causes. 110 of the losses were helicopters and the rest fixed-wing.
There were heavy aircraft losses during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of U.S. fixed-wing aircraft were lost to ground fire of anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and fighter interceptors (MiG)s. The great majority of U.S. combat losses in all areas of Southeast Asia were to AAA.<br/><br/>

In 1972, Following the bombing of Hanoi and the North during Operations Linebacker 1 and Linebacker 2, North Vietnam announced that the 4,000 USAF planes had been shot down during the Second Indochina War / Vietnam War to date.<br/><br/>

The USA disputes this figure but concedes that during the course of the war the US Air Force flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia, losing 2,251 aircraft: 1,737 to hostile action, and 514 to operational causes. 110 of the losses were helicopters and the rest fixed-wing.
The Druk Gyalpo (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་; Wylie: brug rgyal-po; 'Dragon King') is the head of state of Bhutan. He is also known in English as the King of Bhutan. Bhutan, in the local Dzongkha language, is known as Dryukyul which translates as 'The Land of Dragons'. Thus, while Kings of Bhutan are known as Druk Gyalpo ('Dragon King'), the Bhutanese people call themselves the Drukpa, meaning 'Dragon people'.<br/><br/>

The current ruler of Bhutan is the 5th Hereditary King His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is the 5th Druk Gyalpo. He wears the Raven Crown which is the official Crown worn by the Monarchs of Bhutan. He is correctly styled 'Mi'wang 'Ngada Rimboche' ('His Majesty') and addressed ''Ngada Rimboche' ('Your Majesty').
The Druk Gyalpo (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་; Wylie: brug rgyal-po; 'Dragon King') is the head of state of Bhutan. He is also known in English as the King of Bhutan. Bhutan, in the local Dzongkha language, is known as Dryukyul which translates as 'The Land of Dragons'. Thus, while Kings of Bhutan are known as Druk Gyalpo ('Dragon King'), the Bhutanese people call themselves the Drukpa, meaning 'Dragon people'.<br/><br/>

The current ruler of Bhutan is the 5th Hereditary King His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is the 5th Druk Gyalpo. He wears the Raven Crown which is the official Crown worn by the Monarchs of Bhutan. He is correctly styled 'Mi'wang 'Ngada Rimboche' ('His Majesty') and addressed ''Ngada Rimboche' ('Your Majesty').
The Druk Gyalpo (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་; Wylie: brug rgyal-po; 'Dragon King') is the head of state of Bhutan. He is also known in English as the King of Bhutan. Bhutan, in the local Dzongkha language, is known as Dryukyul which translates as 'The Land of Dragons'. Thus, while Kings of Bhutan are known as Druk Gyalpo ('Dragon King'), the Bhutanese people call themselves the Drukpa, meaning 'Dragon people'.<br/><br/>

The current ruler of Bhutan is the 5th Hereditary King His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is the 5th Druk Gyalpo. He wears the Raven Crown which is the official Crown worn by the Monarchs of Bhutan. He is correctly styled 'Mi'wang 'Ngada Rimboche' ('His Majesty') and addressed ''Ngada Rimboche' ('Your Majesty').
The Druk Gyalpo (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་; Wylie: brug rgyal-po; 'Dragon King') is the head of state of Bhutan. He is also known in English as the King of Bhutan. Bhutan, in the local Dzongkha language, is known as Dryukyul which translates as 'The Land of Dragons'. Thus, while Kings of Bhutan are known as Druk Gyalpo ('Dragon King'), the Bhutanese people call themselves the Drukpa, meaning 'Dragon people'.<br/><br/>

The current ruler of Bhutan is the 5th Hereditary King His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is the 5th Druk Gyalpo. He wears the Raven Crown which is the official Crown worn by the Monarchs of Bhutan. He is correctly styled 'Mi'wang 'Ngada Rimboche' ('His Majesty') and addressed ''Ngada Rimboche' ('Your Majesty').
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China.<br/><br/>

Between February 21-28, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon traveled to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. Almost as soon as the American president arrived in the Chinese capital he was summoned for a quick meeting with Chairman Mao who, unknown to the Americans, had been ill nine days earlier but was at that point feeling strong enough to meet Nixon. Although Nixon was in China for a week, this would be his sole meeting with the top Chinese leader.<br/><br/>

Nixon held many meetings with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai during the trip, which included visits to the Great Wall, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. At the conclusion of his trip, the United States and the PRC Governments issued the Shanghai Communiqué, a statement of their foreign policy views and a document that has remained the basis of Sino-American bilateral relations.
The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>

The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>

U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
Operation Linebacker II was a US Seventh Air Force and US Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) during the final period of US involvement in the Vietnam War. <br/><br/>

The operation was conducted from 18–29 December 1972, leading to several informal names such as 'The December Raids' and 'The Christmas Bombings'. It saw the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the US Air Force since the end of World War II.<br/><br/>

Linebacker II was a resumption of the Operation Linebacker bombings conducted from May to October, with the emphasis of the new campaign shifted to attacks by B-52 Stratofortress bombers rather than tactical fighter aircraft. 1,600 civilians died in Hanoi and Haiphong in the raids.<br/><br/>

During operation Linebacker II a total of 741 B-52 sorties were dispatched to bomb North Vietnam. 15,237 tons of ordnance were dropped on 18 industrial and 14 military targets (including eight SAM sites) while fighter-bombers added another 5,000 tons of bombs to the tally. The US admitted to ten B-52s  shot down over the North and five others damaged and crashed in Laos or Thailand. North Vietnamese air defense forces claim that 34 B-52s and four F-111s were shot down during the campaign.
The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>

The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>

U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 – June 9, 1972) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well-known for his role in the Vietnam War, especially in the Central Highlands and around Kontum.<br/><br/>

Vann was killed in a helicopter crash in the Central Highlands and  buried on June 16, 1972 in Arlington National Cemetery. His funeral was attended by such notables as Gen. William Westmoreland, Maj. Gen. Edward Lansdale, Lt. Col. Lucien Conein, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Daniel Ellsberg.<br/><br/>

On June 18, President Richard Nixon posthumously awarded Vann the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian citation, for his ten years of service as a top American in South Vietnam. For his actions from April 23–24, 1972, Vann, ineligible for the Medal of Honor as a civilian, was also awarded (posthumously) the Distinguished Service Cross, the only civilian so honored in Vietnam.<br/><br/>

Journalist Neil Sheehan wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnam history and biography of Vann, A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. In 1998, HBO made a film adapted from the book, with Bill Paxton playing the role of Vann.
John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 – June 9, 1972) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well-known for his role in the Vietnam War, especially in the Central Highlands and around Kontum.<br/><br/>

Vann was killed in a helicopter crash in the Central Highlands and buried on June 16, 1972 in Arlington National Cemetery. His funeral was attended by such notables as Gen. William Westmoreland, Maj. Gen. Edward Lansdale, Lt. Col. Lucien Conein, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Daniel Ellsberg.<br/><br/>

On June 18, President Richard Nixon posthumously awarded Vann the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian citation, for his ten years of service as a top American in South Vietnam. For his actions from April 23–24, 1972, Vann, ineligible for the Medal of Honor as a civilian, was also awarded (posthumously) the Distinguished Service Cross, the only civilian so honored in Vietnam.<br/><br/>

Journalist Neil Sheehan wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnam history and biography of Vann, A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. In 1998, HBO made a film adapted from the book, with Bill Paxton playing the role of Vann.
Jane Fonda visited Hanoi in July 1972. Among other statements, she repeated the North Vietnamese claim that the United States had been deliberately targeting the dike system along the Red River. In fact the dike system suffered bomb damage, but was not strategically targeted.<br/><br/>

In North Vietnam, Fonda was photographed seated on an anti-aircraft battery. In her 2005 autobiography, she writes that she was manipulated into sitting on the battery, and was immediately horrified at the implications of the pictures. After the release of the pictures of Fonda seated behind the anti-aircraft gun, she was dubbed "Hanoi Jane" by opponents of the anti-war movement in the United States.
Jane Fonda visited Hanoi in July 1972. Among other statements, she repeated the North Vietnamese claim that the United States had been deliberately targeting the dike system along the Red River. In fact the dike system suffered bomb damage, but was not strategically targeted.<br/><br/>

In North Vietnam, Fonda was photographed seated on an anti-aircraft battery. In her 2005 autobiography, she writes that she was manipulated into sitting on the battery, and was immediately horrified at the implications of the pictures. After the release of the pictures of Fonda seated behind the anti-aircraft gun, she was dubbed "Hanoi Jane" by opponents of the anti-war movement in the United States.
USAF B-52s flying out of Guam and various air bases in Thailand did tremendous damage in terms of infrastructure and human life, especially during Arclight strikes over South Vietnam and during the Christmas Offensive against Hanoi in 1972.<br/><br/>

The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>

The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>

U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented by merchant ships from the Middle East, Persia, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. The islands were known to the first European explorers of South Asia and settled by many groups of Arab and Malay merchants.<br/><br/>

A Portuguese colonial mission arrived on the island in 1505 headed by Lourenço de Almeida, the son of Francisco de Almeida. At that point the island consisted of three kingdoms, namely Kandy in the central hills, Kotte at the Western coast, and Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north. The Dutch arrived in the 17th century. The British East India Company took over the coastal regions controlled by the Dutch in 1796, and in 1802 these provinces were declared a crown colony under direct rule of the British government, therefore the island was not part of the British Raj. The annexation of the Kingdom of Kandy in 1815 by the Kandyan convention, unified the island under British rule.<br/><br/>

European colonists established a series of cinnamon, sugar, coffee, indigo cultivation followed by tea and rubber plantations and graphite mining. The British also brought a large number of indentured workers from Tamil Nadu to work in the plantation economy. The city of Colombo was developed as the administrative centre and commercial heart with its harbor, and the British established modern schools, colleges, roads and churches that introduced Western-style education and culture to the Ceylonese.<br/><br/>

On 4 February 1948 the country gained its independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. It changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972.
A B-52D Stratofortress aircraft waits beside the runway as a B-52G approaches for landing after completing a bombing mission over North Vietnam during Operation Linebacker.  The aircraft are from the Strategic Air Command.<br/><br/>

The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>

The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>

U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
Operation Linebacker was the title of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial interdiction campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War.<br/><br/>

Its purpose was to halt or slow the transportation of supplies and materials for the Nguyen Hue Offensive (known in the West as the Easter Offensive), an invasion of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), by forces of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), that had been launched on 30 March. Linebacker was the first continuous bombing effort conducted against North Vietnam since the bombing halt instituted by President Lyndon B. Johnson in November 1968.
Rightist Hmong General Vang Pao  is pictured holding hands with Thai Army Chief of Staff Surakij Mayalab at a site overlooking Hmong–CIA headquarters in Long Tien, Laos. To the left of Mayalab is CIA case officer Burr Smith (with shaven head). The rest of the men in the photo are Thai soldiers who served in Laos with Lao-Hmong forces.<br/><br/>

Vang Pao (Hmong: Vaj Pov; 8 December 1929 – 6 January 2011) was a Lieutenant General in the Royal Lao Army and leading figure in the American 'Secret War' in Laos (1964-1973). He was a leader in the Hmong American community in the United States.
The coat of arms features a gold lion passant, holding a sword in its right fore paw (the same lion from the flag of Sri Lanka) in the centre on a maroon background surrounded by golden petals of a Blue Lotus the national flower of the country. This is placed on top of a traditional grain vase that sprouts sheaves of rice grains that circle the border reflecting prosperity. The crest is the Dharmacakra, symbolizing the country's foremost place for Buddhism and just rule. Traditional Sinhalese heraldic symbols for the sun and the moon form the supporters.<br/><br/>

Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented by merchant ships from the Middle East, Persia, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. The islands were known to the first European explorers of South Asia and settled by many groups of Arab and Malay merchants.<br/><br/>

A Portuguese colonial mission arrived on the island in 1505 headed by Lourenço de Almeida, the son of Francisco de Almeida. At that point the island consisted of three kingdoms, namely Kandy in the central hills, Kotte at the Western coast, and Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north. The Dutch arrived in the 17th century. The British East India Company took over the coastal regions controlled by the Dutch in 1796, and in 1802 these provinces were declared a crown colony under direct rule of the British government, therefore the island was not part of the British Raj. The annexation of the Kingdom of Kandy in 1815 by the Kandyan convention, unified the island under British rule.<br/><br/>

European colonists established a series of cinnamon, sugar, coffee, indigo cultivation followed by tea and rubber plantations and graphite mining. The British also brought a large number of indentured workers from Tamil Nadu to work in the plantation economy. The city of Colombo was developed as the administrative centre and commercial heart with its harbor, and the British established modern schools, colleges, roads and churches that introduced Western-style education and culture to the Ceylonese.<br/><br/>

On 4 February 1948 the country gained its independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. It changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972.
Operation Linebacker II was a US Seventh Air Force and US Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) during the final period of US involvement in the Vietnam War. <br/><br/>

The operation was conducted from 18–29 December 1972, leading to several informal names such as 'The December Raids' and 'The Christmas Bombings'. It saw the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the US Air Force since the end of World War II.<br/><br/>

Linebacker II was a resumption of the Operation Linebacker bombings conducted from May to October, with the emphasis of the new campaign shifted to attacks by B-52 Stratofortress bombers rather than tactical fighter aircraft. 1,600 civilians died in Hanoi and Haiphong in the raids.<br/><br/>

During operation Linebacker II a total of 741 B-52 sorties were dispatched to bomb North Vietnam. 15,237 tons of ordnance were dropped on 18 industrial and 14 military targets (including eight SAM sites) while fighter-bombers added another 5,000 tons of bombs to the tally. The US admitted to ten B-52s  shot down over the North and five others damaged and crashed in Laos or Thailand. North Vietnamese air defense forces claim that 34 B-52s and four F-111s were shot down during the campaign.
NVA Artillerymen fire their newly acquired Russian M46 (or Type 59 if built China) 130mm guns.<br/><br/>

These guns were capable of providing deadly support for attacking infantry to a range of 27,000 meters, outranging the US 155mm and 8 inch  howitzers.
The Flag of Sri Lanka, also called the Lion Flag, consists of a gold lion, holding a sword in its right fore paw, in front of a crimson background.<br/><br/>

Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented by merchant ships from the Middle East, Persia, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. The islands were known to the first European explorers of South Asia and settled by many groups of Arab and Malay merchants.<br/><br/>

A Portuguese colonial mission arrived on the island in 1505 headed by Lourenço de Almeida, the son of Francisco de Almeida. At that point the island consisted of three kingdoms, namely Kandy in the central hills, Kotte at the Western coast, and Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north. The Dutch arrived in the 17th century. The British East India Company took over the coastal regions controlled by the Dutch in 1796, and in 1802 these provinces were declared a crown colony under direct rule of the British government, therefore the island was not part of the British Raj. The annexation of the Kingdom of Kandy in 1815 by the Kandyan convention, unified the island under British rule.<br/><br/>

European colonists established a series of cinnamon, sugar, coffee, indigo cultivation followed by tea and rubber plantations and graphite mining. The British also brought a large number of indentured workers from Tamil Nadu to work in the plantation economy. The city of Colombo was developed as the administrative centre and commercial heart with its harbor, and the British established modern schools, colleges, roads and churches that introduced Western-style education and culture to the Ceylonese.<br/><br/>

On 4 February 1948 the country gained its independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. It changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972.
Operation Linebacker was the title of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial interdiction campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War. Its purpose was to halt or slow the transportation of supplies and materials for the Nguyen Hue Offensive (known in the West as the Easter Offensive), an invasion of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), by forces of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), that had been launched on 30 March. Linebacker was the first continuous bombing effort conducted against North Vietnam since the bombing halt instituted by President Lyndon B. Johnson in November 1968.
The Flag of Sri Lanka, also called the Lion Flag, consists of a gold lion, holding a sword in its right fore paw, in front of a crimson background with four golden bo leaves in each corner. Around the background is a yellow border, and to its left are two vertical stripes of equal size in saffron and green, with the saffron stripe closest to the lion. The lion represents bravery, and the four bo leaves represent meththa, karuna, muditha and upeksha. The orange stripe represents the Sri Lankan Tamils, the green stripe represents Sri Lankan Moors, the crimson background represents European Burghers  and is also a reference to the rich colonial background of the country and the yellow border represents other ethnic groups such as Sri Lankan Malays etc.<br/><br/>

Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented by merchant ships from the Middle East, Persia, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. The islands were known to the first European explorers of South Asia and settled by many groups of Arab and Malay merchants.<br/><br/>

A Portuguese colonial mission arrived on the island in 1505 headed by Lourenço de Almeida, the son of Francisco de Almeida. At that point the island consisted of three kingdoms, namely Kandy in the central hills, Kotte at the Western coast, and Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north. The Dutch arrived in the 17th century. The British East India Company took over the coastal regions controlled by the Dutch in 1796, and in 1802 these provinces were declared a crown colony under direct rule of the British government, therefore the island was not part of the British Raj. The annexation of the Kingdom of Kandy in 1815 by the Kandyan convention, unified the island under British rule.<br/><br/>

European colonists established a series of cinnamon, sugar, coffee, indigo cultivation followed by tea and rubber plantations and graphite mining. The British also brought a large number of indentured workers from Tamil Nadu to work in the plantation economy. The city of Colombo was developed as the administrative centre and commercial heart with its harbor, and the British established modern schools, colleges, roads and churches that introduced Western-style education and culture to the Ceylonese.<br/><br/>

On 4 February 1948 the country gained its independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. It changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972.
Chen was born in Lezhi, near Chengdu, Sichuan, into a moderately wealthy magistrate's family. A comrade of Lin Biao from their guerilla days, Chen was a commander of the New Fourth Army during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), spearheaded the Shandong counter-offensive during the Chinese Civil War, and later commanded the Communist armies that defeated the KMT forces at Huai-Hai and conquered the lower Yangtze region in 1948-49. He was made a Marshal of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1955. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen became mayor of Shanghai. He also served as vice premier from 1954 to 1972 and foreign minister from 1958 to 1972 and president of the China Foreign Affairs University from 1961 to 1969. During the Cultural Revolution, he was purged in 1967, but not officially dismissed, so Zhou Enlai performed the duties of foreign minister in his place. After Marshal Lin Biao's death in 1971, he was restored to favor, although not to his former power.
Edgar Snow (17 July 1905 in Kansas City, Missouri – 15 February 1972 in Geneva) was an American journalist known for his books and articles on Communism in China and the Chinese Communist revolution. He is believed to be the first Western journalist to interview Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong, and is best known for Red Star Over China (1937) an account of the Chinese Communist movement from its foundation until the late 1930s.
The Long Bien Bridge was built in 1903 by the architects of Daydé & Pillé, a French company. Before North Vietnam's independence in 1954, it was called Doumer Bridge, named after Paul Doumer - The Governor-General of French Indochina and then French president. It was, at that time, one of the longest bridges in Asia with the length of 2,500 m. For the French colonial government, the construction was of strategic importance in securing control of northern Vietnam. From 1899 to 1902, more than 3,000 Vietnamese took part in the construction.<br/><br/>

It was heavily bombarded during the Vietnam War due to its critical position (the only bridge at that time across the Red River and connecting Hanoi to the main port Haiphong). The first attack took place in 1967, and the center span of the bridge was felled in an attack by 20 USAF (United States Air Force) F-105 fighter-bombers. The defence of Long Bien Bridge continues to play a large role in Hanoi’s self-image and is often extolled in poetry and song. It was rendered unusable for a year when, in May 1972, it fell victim to one of the first co-ordinated attacks using laser-guided 'smart bombs'.<br/><br/>

The bridge now stands like a patched-up war veteran. Some parts of the original structure remain intact, while large sections have clearly been built later to repair the damaged sections. In this way the bridge offers a strong visual expression of North Vietnam's determined resistance to USAF attack. A project with the support of the French government is in progress to restore the bridge to its original appearance.
The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>

The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>

U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>

The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>

U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
The S-75 Dvina (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Since its first deployment in 1957, it has become the most widely-deployed and -used air defense missile in history, scoring the first successful engagement of an enemy aircraft by a SAM ever, shooting down a Taiwanese RB-57D over China, on October 7, 1959 by hitting it with three V-750 (1D) missiles at an altitude of 20 km (65,600 ft).<br/><br/>

This system first gained international fame when an S-75 battery, using the newer, longer range and higher altitude V-750VN (13D) missile shot down the U-2 of Francis Gary Powers overflying the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. The system was also deployed in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where on October 27, 1962, it shot down the U-2 flown by Rudolf Anderson, almost precipitating a nuclear war.<br/><br/>

Later, North Vietnamese forces used the S-75 extensively during the Vietnam War to defend Hanoi and Haiphong with some considerable success, especially during Operations Linebacker 1 and 2 in 1972. During these operations the PAVN claim 755 USAF aircraft destroyed including 34  B52 bombers, while the US admits to 159 aircraft lost including 16 B 52 bombers.
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China.<br/><br/>

Between February 21-28, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon traveled to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. Almost as soon as the American president arrived in the Chinese capital he was summoned for a quick meeting with Chairman Mao who, unknown to the Americans, had been ill nine days earlier but was at that point feeling strong enough to meet Nixon. Although Nixon was in China for a week, this would be his sole meeting with the top Chinese leader.<br/><br/>

Nixon held many meetings with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai during the trip, which included visits to the Great Wall, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. At the conclusion of his trip, the United States and the PRC Governments issued the Shanghai Communiqué, a statement of their foreign policy views and a document that has remained the basis of Sino-American bilateral relations.
The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>


The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>


U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations. The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment.<br/><br/>


The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations spanned borders, with Laos and Cambodia heavily bombed. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.<br/><br/>


U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army in April 1975 marked the end of the US-Vietnam War.
Chen was born in Lezhi, near Chengdu, Sichuan, into a moderately wealthy magistrate's family. A comrade of Lin Biao from their guerilla days, Chen was a commander of the New Fourth Army during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), spearheaded the Shandong counter-offensive during the Chinese Civil War, and later commanded the Communist armies that defeated the KMT forces at Huai-Hai and conquered the lower Yangtze region in 1948-49. He was made a Marshal of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1955. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen became mayor of Shanghai. He also served as vice premier from 1954 to 1972 and foreign minister from 1958 to 1972 and president of the China Foreign Affairs University from 1961 to 1969. During the Cultural Revolution, he was purged in 1967, but not officially dismissed, so Zhou Enlai performed the duties of foreign minister in his place. After Marshal Lin Biao's death in 1971, he was restored to favor, although not to his former power.