Overview: The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the Secretary of Defense to conduct a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. A Path to War is the first in a series dedicated to the Marine Corps' involvement in Southeast Asia from the early 1960s until 1975. This commemorative publication covers the period from 1961 to 1965, a time when the Marine involvement in the region deepened from an advisory and supporting role to the amphibious landing near Da Nang in March 1965, which marked the first major commitment of U.S. ground forces to the war in Vietnam. Contains five color maps and numerous black and white photographs.