<P> At year's end, President Lyndon Johnson declared a temporary halt to the bombing of North Vietnam and undertook a diplomatic initiative to seek negotiations with North Vietnam . North Vietnam, on its part, aimed to achieve a decisive military victory, but prepared also for an expanded war if the U.S. continued to escalate its involvement . </P> <P> Most of the reports and conversations mentioned below were secret and not made public for many years . They reflect the ongoing debate among American officials, military leaders, and the American people about the scope and character of American intervention in the Vietnam War . </P> <Dl> <Dt> 1 January </Dt> </Dl> <P> The South Vietnamese security forces, including regulars, part - time militia, Montagnard irregulars, and National Police totaled 567,246 personnel . 23,310 U.S. military personnel were in South Vietnam . </P>

Where were american soldiers stationed during the vietnam war