Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam, welcomes 1,200 Thai troops as they arrive in Saigon. By 1969, Thai forces in Vietnam would number more than 12,000. The effort to get additional “Free World Military Forces” to participate in the war in support of South Vietnam was part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Many Flags” program. Under this program, 40 nations would send aid and assistance to the Saigon government. However, only five nations–Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and the Philippines–sent troops. A total of 351 Thai soldiers were killed in action in Vietnam.
This Day In History: September 21
