Museum Audio Tour 38: Modern Flight Gallery: SEA War Linebacker and Linebacker II

DAYTON, OHIO, UNITED STATES

12.31.1969

Audio by NMUSAF PA 

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

In response to the North Vietnamese’s Easter Offensive into South Vietnam in 1972, President Nixon suspended peace talks on May the 8, and ordered OPERATION LINEBACKER, the renewed bombings of North Vietnam and the aerial mining of its harbors and rivers. When North Vietnam seemed ready to talk peace in October, Nixon directed yet another bombing halt. North Vietnam then balked for two months over the cease-fire provisions. Nixon eliminated the sanctuaries, authorized another bombing campaign called OPERATION LINEBACKER II, and ordered the heaviest bombing of the entire war against Hanoi and Haiphong. Beginning on December 18, the U.S. Air Force pounded military and transportation targets with B-52s and tactical fighters. After eleven days of intensive bombing, the North Vietnamese finally agreed to return to the peace table in Paris. Consequently, the U.S. restricted its air attacks on North Vietnam to the area south of the 20th parallel. On January 15, 1973, the U.S. announced an end to all mining, bombing and other offensive operations against North Vietnam. A peace agreement, initialed on January 23rd, and officially signed on January 27th, took effect on the 28th. The communists agreed to a cease-fire and to peaceful reconciliation and reunification with South Vietnam, and the agreement brought an end to U.S. combat operations over North Vietnam.

• Date Taken: 12.31.1969
• Date Posted: 09.02.2015 13:24
• Category: Newscasts
• Audio ID: 41956
• Filename: 1509/DOD_102704338.mp3
• Length: 00:01:32
• Album: Museum Audio Tour
• Track #: 38
• Location: DAYTON, OHIO, US