Vietnam People's Navy commemorates 1964 victory over US destroyer USS Maddox

On August 2, 1964, the US destroyer USS Maddox entered Vietnamese waters, prompting a naval engagement in which the Vietnam People’s Navy repelled the vessel. Two days later, on August 5, a Vietnamese fighter shot down a US A‑4D jet piloted by Lieutenant Everett Alvarez, who was captured after crashing in Quang Ninh province.

The battles are remembered as the “First Victory” of the Vietnam People’s Navy. In 2014, a ceremony in Quang Ninh province honored the sailors and civilians who fought in those engagements. The navy’s legacy is linked to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic emphasis on sea and island defense, and today the force comprises surface ships, submarines, naval aviation, coastal missile units and marine commandos.