Operation Rolling Thunder, a massive U.S. bombing campaign in Vietnam, marked a significant escalation of American involvement in the war. Launched to stop North Vietnam from supporting the Viet Cong, the aerial attacks caused widespread damage, including civilian casualties. Some believe these types of attacks during the Vietnam War were effective in targeting military infrastructure, though U.S. assessments and later historians (e.g., Pentagon Papers, RAND reports) found that the campaign failed to achieve its strategic objectives and often strengthened North Vietnamese resolve.