Sau khi Ma(.t Tra^.n Da^n To^.c Gia?i Pho'ng Mie^`n Nam (MTDTGPMN) ddu+o+.c cha'nh phu? Ha` No^.i cha'nh thu+'c cho ra ddo+`i va`o cuo^'i na(m 1960, ti`nh hi`nh chi'nh tri. o+? mie^`n Nam Vie^.t Nam trong na(m 1961 la.i ca`ng the^m so^i ddo^.ng. Nhie^`u vie^n chu+'c Vie^.t Nam Co^.ng Ho`a (VNCH) bi. Vie^.t Co^.ng (VC) ba('t co'c va` thu? tie^u. Nhu+~ng ddo^`n bo't le? loi ca'ch xa ddo^ thi. hay bi. Vie^.t Co^.ng (VC) qua^'y pha'. Co^.ng qua^n tuy kho^ng da'm tru+.c die^.n dda'nh nhau vo+'i Qua^n DDo^.i VNCH, nhu+ng ca'c vie^.c ta^'n co^ng le? te? do chu'ng ga^y ne^n dda~ ta.o ddu+o+.c mo^.t tie^'ng vang nho nho? trong lo`ng vi. to^?ng tho^'ng tre? tuo^?i cu?a Hoa Ky`: O^ng John F. Kennedy. Tha'ng 11 na(m 1960, Thu+o+.ng Nghi. Si~ John F. Kennedy cu?a DDa?ng Da^n Chu? dda('c cu+? To^?ng Tho^'ng, va` tha'ng 1 na(m 1961, o^ng tuye^n the^. va` tro+? tha`nh vi. to^?ng tho^'ng thu+' 35 cu?a Hoa Ky`.

Khi tha^'y Vie^.t Co^.ng gia ta(ng ca'c chie^'n di.ch khu?ng bo^' o+? mie^`n Nam Vie^.t Nam, nhie^`u gio+'i chu+'c qua^n su+. Hoa Ky` dda~ co' y' nghi~ ddu+a lu+.c lu+o+.ng bo^. chie^'n Hoa Ky` sang Nam Vie^.t Nam dde^? giu'p o^?n ddi.nh ti`nh hi`nh. DDo^'i vo+'i ngu+o+`i My~, vie^.c nga(n cha^.n su+. lan tra`n cu?a la`n so'ng Co^.ng Sa?n o+? A' Cha^u la` mo^.t vie^.c ra^'t quan tro.ng. Ho^`i cuo^'i tha^.p nie^n 1950, Nam Trie^`u Tie^n dda~ may ma('n ddu+o+.c cu+'u thoa't kho?i na.n Co^.ng Sa?n. Nay la.i dde^'n Nam Vie^.t Nam, mo^.t ddie^?m no'ng tre^n the^' gio+'i ma` ca'c nu+o+'c Co^.ng Sa?n nhu+ Nga, Ta`u, va` Ba('c Vie^.t, dde^`u co' y' muo^'n chie^'m la^'y dde^? thu+.c hie^.n mu+u ddo^` nhuo^.m ddo? DDo^ng Du+o+ng.

Co' nhie^`u du+ lua^.n cho ra(`ng To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy ra^'t muo^'n ddu+a qua^n va`o Vie^.t Nam dde^? giu'p ddo+~ cha'nh phu? Vie^.t Nam Co^.ng Ho`a cho^'ng la.i mo^'i ho.a xa^m la(ng do Co^.ng Sa?n ta.o ne^n tu+` mie^`n Ba('c. Du+ lua^.n na`y chi? ddu'ng pha^n nu+?a. Tha^.t su+. thi` To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy ra^'t muo^'n giu'p Vie^.t Nam Co^.ng Ho`a, nhu+ng o^ng kho^ng co' y' muo^'n ddu+a mo^.t lu+.c lu+o+.ng qua^n su+. kho^?ng lo^` cu?a Hoa Ky` va`o Vie^.t Nam dde^? chie^'n dda^'u. Ly' do ra^'t ddo+n gia?n: To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy cu~ng bie^'t lo xa va` so+. Hoa Ky` se~ bi. lu'n sa^u va`o vu~ng la^`y chi'nh tri. ta.i Vie^.t Nam.

Tha'ng 4 na(m 1961, To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy tha`nh la^.p co+ quan dda(.c bie^.t "Interagency Task Force" (ITF). Nhie^.m vu. cu?a co+ quan na`y la` tha^?m ddi.nh ti`nh hi`nh chi'nh tri. ta.i Vie^.t Nam, va` se~ tru+.c tie^'p dde^` nghi. vo+'i To^?ng Tho^'ng ve^` nhu+~ng gi` ca^`n pha?i la`m dde^? giu'p ddo+~ mie^`n Nam thoa't kho?i la`n so'ng ddo?. Trong ba?n phu'c tri`nh dda^`u tie^n, co+ quan ITF dde^` nghi. ra(`ng "ne^n ddu+a mo^.t so^' i't qua^n My~ sang Vie^.t Nam" dde^? giu'p cha'nh phu? VNCH cho^'ng la.i qua^n phie^'n Co^.ng. To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy ba'c bo? dde^` nghi. na`y. Tuy nhie^n, o^ng cu~ng dda~ tham kha?o y' kie^'n cu?a ca'c vi. tu+o+'ng la~nh trong Bo^. Tham Mu+u Lie^n Qua^n (BTMLQ - Join Chiefs of Staff). La. lu`ng thay, lo+`i dde^` nghi. cu?a BTMLQ cu~ng gio^'ng pha^`n na`o nhu+ lo+`i dde^` nghi. cu?a co+ quan ITF tru+o+'c dda^y: "Ne^'u cha'nh sa'ch cu?a Hoa Ky` la` muo^'n ba?o ve^. DDo^ng Nam A', thi` ca^`n pha?i ne^n gu+?i qua^n My~ sang Vie^.t Nam" (Phillip Davison: Vietnam at War, tr.292). Tuy nhie^n, To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy cu~ng chu+a co' mo^.t quye^'t ddi.nh ga^'p ru't gi` ve^` vie^.c na`y. O^ng muo^'n co' the^m nhie^`u tho+`i gian ho+n dde^? suy nghi~.

Tha'ng 5, Pho' To^?ng Tho^'ng Hoa Ky`, o^ng Lyndon B. Johnson sang Vie^.t Nam dde^? vie^'ng tha(m va` tha^?m ddi.nh ti`nh hi`nh. Trong mo^.t buo^?i ho.p nga`y 12 tha'ng 5, o^ng Johnson co' ho?i To^?ng Tho^'ng Die^.m ra(`ng VNCH co' muo^'n nha^.n su+. giu'p ddo+~ cu?a Hoa Ky` ba(`ng ca'ch cho phe'p Hoa Ky` ddo^? qua^n va`o Vie^.t Nam hay kho^ng. To^?ng Tho^'ng Die^.m tha(?ng tha('n tra? lo+`i o^ng cha^'p nha^.n qua^n bo^. chie^'n Hoa Ky` tre^n la~nh tho^? Vie^.t Nam, nhu+ng chi? trong tru+o+`ng ho+.p duy nha^'t la` ne^'u qua^n Co^.ng Sa?n Ba('c Vie^.t (CSBV) mo+? cuo^.c xa^m la(ng dda.i quy mo^ va`o la~nh tho^? cu?a VNCH ma` tho^i. Nhu+ng ngoa`i tru+o+`ng ho+.p ddo' ra, o^ng Die^.m cha(?ng bao gio+` muo^'n ngu+o+`i My~ mang qua^n va`o Vie^.t Nam dde^? chie^'n dda^'u ca? (Phillip Davison: Vietnam at War, tr.293).

Theo ta`i lie^.u cu?a Trung Tu+o+'ng Phillip Davison, ca? hai vi. To^?ng Tho^'ng ddu+o+ng tho+`i John F. Kennedy va` Ngo^ DDi`nh Die^.m dde^`u co' chung mo^.t cha'nh sa'ch la` kho^ng muo^'n binh si~ Hoa Ky` chie^'n dda^'u ta.i Vie^.t Nam. To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy so+. Hoa Ky` se~ ca`ng nga`y ca`ng lu'n sa^u va`o cuo^.c chie^'n, va` to^?n tha^'t sanh ma.ng li'nh My~ se~ ca`ng nga`y ca`ng gia ta(ng. To^?ng Tho^'ng Die^.m thi` la.i nghi~ kha'c. O^ng chi? muo^'n da`nh cho nu+o+'c Vie^.t Nam Co^.ng Ho`a co' ddu+o+.c mo^.t ne^`n mo'ng ddo^.c la^.p vo+'i chu? quye^`n rie^ng tu+. Ke^? ca? chu? quye^`n tra'ch nhie^.m trong cuo^.c chie^'n cho^'ng Co^.ng. No'i mo^.t ca'ch kha'c, To^?ng Tho^'ng Die^.m nghi~ ra(`ng vie^.c dda'nh la.i qua^n CSBV dde^? ba?o ve^. mie^`n Nam Vie^.t Nam se~ pha?i la` tra'ch nhie^.m cu?a mo.i ngu+o+`i co^ng da^n VNCH, chu+' kho^ng pha?i la` tra'ch nhie^.m cu?a nhu+~ng binh si~ cu?a ba^'t cu+' mo^.t dde^. tam quo^'c gia na`o kha'c.

Na(m 1961 la` mo^.t na(m vo+'i nhie^`u chuye^.n "DDo^ng Du+o+ng nhu+'c dda^`u" cho To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy. O^ng ddi tu+` lu+o+~ng lu+. dde^'n pha^n va^n, cha(?ng bie^'t la`m the^' na`o dde^? dde^? giu'p cha'nh phu? VNCH cho^'ng la.i qua^n Co^.ng Sa?n mo^.t ca'ch hu+~u hie^.u ma` kho?i pha?i gu+?i qua^n My~ sang Vie^.t Nam. Tha'ng 10 na(m ddo', To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy cu+? mo^.t pha'i ddoa`n ngoa.i giao sang Vie^.t Nam. Da^~n dda^`u pha'i ddoa`n la` o^ng Maxwell Taylor, mo^.t vi. tu+o+'ng trong qua^n ddo^.i, va` cu~ng la` vie^n co^' va^'n qua^n su+. tha^n ti'n cu?a To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy.

Sau khi quan sa't ti`nh hi`nh chi'nh tri. ta.i dda^y, o^ng Taylor dda~ vie^'t mo^.t ba?n phu'c tri`nh gu+?i dde^'n To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy. Trong ba?n phu'c tri`nh, o^ng cho bie^'t ti`nh hi`nh chie^'n su+. ta.i Vie^.t Nam hie^.n ddang tuo^.t da^`n va`o giai ddoa.n ba^'p be^n nguy hie^?m. O^ng vie^'t, "Vie^.c mang qua^n My~ va`o Vie^.t Nam la` mo^.t vie^.c la`m co' nhie^`u lo+.i ho+n ha.i. To^i nghi~ ra(`ng cha'nh sa'ch cu+'u giu'p Nam Vie^.t Nam cu?a chu'ng ta se~ tha^'t ba.i ne^'u kho^ng co' su+. tham gia cu?a qua^n ddo^.i Hoa Ky`" (Phillip Davison: Vietnam at War, tr.296). Va` o^ng cu~ng dda~ xin To^?ng Tho^'ng cung ca^'p ca'c loa.i tru+.c tha(ng va^.n ta?i CH-21 Shawnee cho qua^n ddo^.i Nam Vie^.t Nam dde^? giu'p ddo+~ the^m phu+o+ng tie^.n thuye^n chuye^?n binh si~ ngoa`i chie^'n tru+o+`ng.

Ba?n phu'c tri`nh cu?a Tu+o+'ng Maxwell Taylor dda~ kho^ng giu'p gi` ddu+o+.c cho To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy trong vie^.c quye^'t ddi.nh "gu+?i hay kho^ng gu+?i" qua^n My~ sang Vie^.t Nam. Tuy nhie^n, lo+`i dde^` nghi. vie^.n tro+. ca'c tru+.c tha(ng CH-21 thi` kho^ng ga(.p tro+? nga.i na`o ca?. Vie^.c na`y dda~ ddu+o+.c To^?ng Tho^'ng cha^'p thua^.n ngay. DDo^'i vo+'i To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy thi` vie^.c gu+?i li'nh My~ sang Vie^.t Nam dde^? chie^'n dda^'u la` mo^.t vie^.c kho^ng ne^n la`m. Nhu+ng dde^? cu+'u va~n ti`nh hi`nh, o^ng dda~ cha^'p thua^.n vie^.c duy tri` cha'nh sa'ch "vie^.n tro+. nho? gio.t" ca'c vu~ khi' va` co^' va^'n qua^n su+. cho Nam Vie^.t Nam. Va`o nga`y 11.12.1961, chie^'c ta`u va^.n ta?i cu?a My~ mang te^n "USS Core" ca^.p be^'n Saigon mang theo mo^.t pha^`n na`o cha'nh sa'ch vie^.n tro+. cu?a To^?ng Tho^'ng Kennedy. DDo' la` 33 chie^'c tru+.c tha(ng CH-21, mo^.t va`i phi co+ T-28, va` 400 nha^n vie^n ky~ thua^.t.

20 tha'ng 1	O^ng John F. Kennedy tuye^n the^. nha^.m chu+'c To^?ng Tho^'ng Hoa Ky`.
1 tha'ng 4	Khoa?ng 400 ngu+o+`i ta^'n co^ng mo^.t ngo^i la`ng o+? ti?nh Kie^'n Phong. Ca'c binh si~ Nam Vie^.t Nam dda~ kha'ng cu+. ma~nh lie^.t va` dda^?y lui cuo^.c ta^'n co^ng na`y. Hai nga`y sau ddo', trong mo^.t tra^.n dda'nh ta.i Be^'n Ca't ga^`n Saigon, qua^n cha'nh phu? tie^u die^.t 100 VC (John Bowman: Vietnam War Almanac, tr.50).
4 tha'ng 5	Trong mo^.t cuo^.c ho.p ba'o, Bo^. Tru+o+?ng Ngoa.i Giao la` o^ng Dean Rusk cho bie^'t lu+.c lu+o+.ng chu? lu+.c VC ta.i mie^`n Nam dda~ gia ta(ng le^n dde^'n 12,000 ngu+o+`i, va` co' ho+n 3,000 ngu+o+`i dda~ bi. ho. ba('c co'c hoa(.c gie^'t ha.i. O^ng tuye^n bo^' the^m Hoa Ky` se~ co^' ga('ng giu+'p ddo+~ cha'nh phu? Nam Vie^.t Nam (John Bowman: Vietnam War Almanac, tr.51).
12 tha'ng 5	Pho' To^?ng Tho^'ng Lyndon Johnson vie^'ng tha(m Nam Vie^.t Nam. Sau khi ho.p ma(.t vo+'i To^?ng Tho^'ng Ngo^ DDi`nh Die^.m, o^ng dda~ khen ngo+.i va` no'i ra(`ng vi. nguye^n thu? cu?a nu+o+'c VNCH la` mo^.t "Churchill cu?a A' Cha^u". O^ng Johnson co' nha('c dde^'n dde^` nghi. ddu+a qua^n bo^. chie^'n My~ va`o Vie^.t Nam. Nhu+ng To^?ng Tho^'ng Die^.m dda~ tu+` cho^'i. O^ng no'i ra(`ng Nam Vie^.t Nam ca^`n dde^'n su+. giu'p ddo+~ cu?a qua^n ddo^.i My~ chi? khi na`o Ba('c Vie^.t mo+? mo^.t cuo^.c xa^m la(ng dda.i quy mo^ (open invasion) ma` tho^i. Ngoa`i ra, o^ng Die^.m kho^ng muo^'n li'nh My~ sang Vie^.t Nam chie^'n dda^'u (John Bowman: Vietnam War Almanac, tr.51).
28 tha'ng 6	Trong mo^.t cuo^.c ha`nh qua^n va`o ma^.t khu To^ Ha.p, Qua^n DDo^.i Vie^.t Nam Co^.ng Ho`a (VNCH) dda~ giao chie^'n vo+'i khoa?ng 1,500 VC, ha. 200 te^n, trong ddo' co' mo^.t Thu+o+.ng Ta' (Vu~ DDi`nh Hoa.t: Vie^.t Nam To^n Gia'o Chi'nh Tri. Quan, tr.760).
16 tha'ng 7	Sau 6 tie^'ng ddo^`ng ho^` giao chie^'n ta.i xa~ My~ Quy', ti?nh Kie^'n Phong, mo^.t tie^?u ddoa`n Nha?y Du` dda'nh tan Tie^?u DDoa`n 502 VC, ha. 182 VC, ba('t so^'ng 9, ti.ch tha^u 80 su'ng ddu? loa.i (Vu~ DDi`nh Hoa.t: Vie^.t Nam To^n Gia'o Chi'nh Tri. Quan, tr.761).
18 tha'ng 9	Ba (3) tie^?u ddoa`n VC khoa?ng 1,000 ngu+o+`i ta^'n co^ng thi. xa~ Phu+o+'c Bi`nh (thuo^.c ti?nh Phu+o+'c Long) ca'ch Saigon 90 km. Lu+o+.c lu+o+.ng pho`ng thu? thi. xa~ chi? go^`m 50 binh si~ Da^n Ve^. ne^n kho^ng cho^'ng ddo+~ no^?i (William Rust: Kennedy in Vietnam, p.37). Thie^'u Ta' Ti?nh Tru+o+?ng Nguye^~n Minh Ma^~n, Pho' Ti?nh Tru+o+?ng Nguye^~n Tha`nh Tie^'t, cu`ng mo^.t so^' nha^n vie^n ha`nh cha'nh bi. sa't ha.i (Vu~ DDi`nh Hoa.t: Vie^.t Nam To^n Gia'o Chi'nh Tri. Quan, tr.761). Nga`y ho^m sau, Qua^n DDo^.i Co^.ng Ho`a ta'i chie^'m ti?nh ly., ha. 100 VC. Trong 2 nga`y giao tranh, be^n cha'nh phu? co' co' 75 binh si~ va` thu+o+`ng da^n tu+? thu+o+ng (Ray Bonds: The Vietnam War, tr.64).
12 tha'ng 5	Pho' To^?ng Tho^'ng Lyndon B. Johnson sang Vie^.t Nam tha(m vie^'ng va` tha^?m ddi.nh ti`nh hi`nh chi'nh tri.. O^ng Johnson ho?i To^?ng Tho^'ng Die^.m co' muo^'n nha^.n su+. giu'p ddo+~ cu?a Hoa Ky` qua vie^.c ddu+a qua^n va`o Vie^.t Nam kho^ng. O^ng Die^.m tra? lo+`i ra(`ng ne^'u Co^.ng Sa?n Ba('c Vie^.t co^ng khai mo+? mo^.t cuo^.c xa^m la(ng dda.i quy mo^, thi` o^ng Die^.m mo+'i cha^'p nha^.n su+. giu'p ddo+~ cu?a Hoa Ky` qua vie^.c ddu+a qua^n bo^. chie^'n va`o Vie^.t Nam. Ngoa`i tru+o+`ng ho+.p na`y, o^ng Die^.m kho^ng cha^'p nha^.n vie^.c Hoa Ky` mang qua^n sang Vie^.t Nam. (John Bowman: Vietnam War Almanac, tr.51).
18-24 tha'ng 10	Tu+o+'ng Maxwell Taylor vie^'ng tha(m Vie^.t Nam. Trong chuye^'n co^ng du na`y o^ng dde^` nghi. gu+?i tu+` 6 dde^'n 8,000 qua^n My~ sang Nam Vie^.t Nam. To^?ng Tho^'ng Die^.m tu+` cho^'i. O^ng chi? xin Hoa Ky` vie^.n tro+. ca'c phi co+, tru+.c tha(ng, chie^'n ddi?nh, va` xe va^.n ta?i qua^n ddo^.i (John Bowman: Vietnam War Almanac, tr.53).
11 tha'ng 12	Chie^'c ta`u va^.n ta?i USS Core ca^.p be^'n Saigon, mang theo mo^.t so^' tru+.c tha(ng CH-21, phi co+ T-28, cu`ng khoa?ng 400 co^' va^'n qua^n su+. do Hoa Ky` vie^.n tro+. cho Nam Vie^.t Nam.
22 tha'ng 12	Mo^.t ddoa`n co^ng-voa cu?a Hoa Ky` bi. VC phu.c ki'ch ga^`n xa~ DDu+'c Ho`a ca'ch Saigon 20 km. Binh Nha^'t Bo^. Binh James Thomas Davis ddi va`o li.ch su+?. Anh la` ngu+o+`i li'nh My~ dda^`u tie^n tu+? tra^.n trong cuo^.c chie^'n cu?a Hoa Ky` ta.i Vie^.t Nam (George Esper: The Eyewitness History of the Vietnam War 1961-1975, tr.3).
---	Lie^n DDo^.i Ngu+o+`i Nha'i cu?a Ha?i Qua^n VNCH la^`n dda^`u tie^n ddu+o+.c tha`nh la^.p (DDie^.p My~ Linh: Ha?i Qua^n Vie^.t Nam Co^.ng Ho`a Ra Kho+i, tr.13).
---	Qua^n CSBV ba('t dda^`u xua^'t hie^.n o+? nhie^`u no+i ta.i chie^'n tru+o+`ng mie^`n Nam. Va`o cuo^'i na(m na`y, lu+.c lu+o+.ng Co^.ng Sa?n o+? mie^`n Nam Vie^.t Nam dda~ lo+'n ma.nh le^n dde^'n qua^n so^' 25,000 ngu+o+`i.
---	Trong na(m 1961, co' ho+n 1,400 gio+'i chu+'c cha'nh quye^`n cu?a mie^`n Nam Vie^.t Nam dda~ bi. Vie^.t Co^.ng a'm sa't hoa(.c thu? tie^u (Phillip Davison: Vietnam at War, p.292).