▁transport ▁South ▁Vietnam ese ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁January ▁ 1 2 ▁- ▁Operation ▁Cho pper , ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁combat ▁mission ▁in ▁Vietnam , ▁began ▁as ▁the ▁American ▁pil ots ▁transport ed ▁hundreds ▁of ▁South ▁Vietnam ese ▁troops ▁to ▁fight ▁against ▁a ▁V iet ▁Cong ▁force ▁near ▁Sa ig on . ▁Three ▁days ▁later , ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁told ▁rep or ters ▁at ▁a ▁press ▁conference ▁that ▁American ▁troops ▁were ▁not ▁being ▁used ▁in ▁combat . ▁ ▁February ▁ ▁February ▁ 2 7 ▁- ▁Sub lie utenant ▁N gu y ễ n ▁V ă n ▁C <0xE1> <0xBB> <0xAD> ▁and ▁L t . ▁Ph ạ m ▁Ph ú ▁Qu ố c , ▁two ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Vietnam ▁Air ▁Force , ▁di vert ed ▁from ▁their ▁combat ▁mission ▁south ▁of ▁Sa ig on ▁and ▁dropped ▁bomb s ▁upon ▁the ▁president ial ▁palace ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁assass inate ▁President ▁Ng ô ▁ Đ ì n h ▁Di ệ m . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 ▁p ound ▁bomb s ▁land ed ▁in ▁the ▁room ▁where ▁the ▁President ▁and ▁his ▁advis ers ▁were , ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁det on ate ▁because ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁dropped ▁from ▁too ▁low ▁an ▁alt itude ▁to ▁arm ▁itself . ▁Qu ố c ▁was ▁arrested ▁after ▁being ▁forced ▁to ▁land , ▁while ▁C <0xE1> <0xBB> <0xAD> ▁fled ▁to ▁neighbor ing ▁Camb odia . ▁Both ▁men ▁would ▁be ▁re inst ated ▁to ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁after ▁D iem ' s ▁assass