the flow of supplies down the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos—a huge investment in air power resources that ultimately proved fruitless. After North Vietnam’s invasion of the South in 1972, however, Navy tactical aviation, as well as naval gunfire support, proved critical, not only in blunting the offensive but also in persuading North Vietnam to arrive at a peace agreement in Paris in1973. The Navy’s forward presence saved the day in 1972 and allowed President Nixon to finally achieve “peace with honor.”

Hide more