Which US president sent the first combat Marines to South Vietnam in 1965?

Lyndon B. Johnson sent the first combat Marines to South Vietnam in 1965. On March 8, 1965, about 3,500 US Marines came ashore at Da Nang, marking the first deployment of American ground combat troops to South Vietnam.

The landing followed a major escalation in the US commitment. American personnel had already been serving in Vietnam as military advisers, and US aircraft had begun Operation Rolling Thunder against North Vietnam on March 2. Johnson’s administration presented the Marine deployment as a measure to protect the Da Nang air base and other US installations, although it marked a decisive shift toward direct American ground combat.

The Marines came from the 3rd Marine Division and formed part of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Their arrival began the rapid expansion of US combat operations. By 1969, the American military presence in Vietnam would peak at roughly 543,000 personnel.

The common mix-up is with John F. Kennedy, who increased advisers and special-operations involvement before 1965. Kennedy was president during the earlier advisory phase, but Johnson authorized the first combat Marine landing.