What year did the U.S. begin combat operations in Vietnam?

1965-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. 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. after this, u.s. ground forces were withdrawn as part of a policy called vietnamization. despite the paris peace accords, signed by all parties in january 1973, fighting continued. the capture of saigon by the north vietnamese army in april 1975 marked the end of the vietnam war. north and south vietnam were reunified the following year.