Vietnam: The Air War

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Key Passages Joint Resolution To promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia … Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. … The United States regards as vital to its national interest and to world peace the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution What was the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

Timeline 16 Oct 64 China explodes its first nuclear weapon I Nov 64 VC attack Bien Hoa Air Base • First attack on Americans; five Gis killed 3 Nov 64 Lyndon Johnson elected to presidency by landslide

Attacks on US Airfields I Nov 64 VC attack Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigom • First attack on Americans; five Gis killed 6 Feb 65 VC attack US base at Pleiku (central Highlands) • Eight Americans killed, ten aircraft destroyed 7 Feb 65 President orders air strikes against North Vietnam • Operation Flaming Dart continues to 24 Feb 65 7 Mar 65 President authorizes Operation Rolling Thunder • Progressively escalating air attack against North Vietnam • Dual military and political objectives • Ran until 2 Nov 68

Operation Rolling Thunder Battlefield Vietnam – Part 10 ( 58:16) ( Intro – 5:05 )

Operation Rolling Thunder - Enemy Defenses Battlefield Vietnam – Part 10 ( 5:52-11:42) ( 5:51 )

Battlefield Vietnam – Part 10 Air War in the South Battlefield Vietnam – Part 10 ( 11:52 – 15:24 ) ( 5:51 )

Operation Arc Light B-52D Stratofortress “The Buff”

B-52D “Big Belly” Mod

Andersen AFB, Guam Main Arc Light Base

B-52D Bomb Loading

B-52D Bomb Rack

Arc Light Strike Video (no sound)

FACs provided bomb damage assessments (BDA) for Arc Light missions Arc Light Results FACs provided bomb damage assessments (BDA) for Arc Light missions

Vietnam: The In-Country Air War The FAC’s War

Defoliation Spray Missions The Vietnam War Operation Ranch Hand Defoliation Spray Missions

Battlefield Vietnam – Part 9 Operation Ranch Hand Defoliation Operations Battlefield Vietnam – Part 9 ( 7:36-9:02 ) ( 1:26 )

Support for Buildup “Even in the aftermath of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, as the Johnson administration began increasing troop levels in Southeast Asia, … 45 percent of Americans wanted to stay the course in Vietnam,” … 36 percent wanted to 'step up the war by carrying the fight to North Vietnam,' for example, through more air strikes against communist territory, … while only 19 percent supported pulling out. In short, by a large margin, Americans demanded victory of their leaders ... A Lyndon Johnson, then, was acting with the full faith and support of his electorate. Joshua Zeitz "1964 - The Year the Sixties Began" American Heritage, October 2006 Source

Buildup In Vietnam Why was our buildup in Vietnam so slow? Gulf War: Aug 1990 - Jan-Mar 1991 Gradual escalation? Fear of Soviet or Chinese intervention? Lack of infrastructure? Probably a little of each!

LBJ’s Dilemma “In later years [Johnson] lamented: 'I knew from the start that I was bound to be crucified either way I moved. If I left the woman I really loved, the Great Society, in order to get involved in that bitch of a war on the other side of the world, I would lose everything at home. All my programs. ... But if I left that war and let the communists take over South Vietnam, then I would be seen as a coward and my nation would be seen as an appeaser, and we would both find it impossible to accomplish anything for anybody anywhere on the entire globe.’” Joshua Zeitz "1964 - The Year the Sixties Began" American Heritage, October 2006 Source

The Great Society

LBJ’s Dilemma Escalate or Withdraw?

Discussions on Escalation Feb 65 – Jul 65 Part 1 Feb-Mar 64 Part 2 May64 Part 3 Jun-Aug64 Part 4 Feb-Jun65 Part 5 Jun-Jul65

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Defoliation Spray Missions The Vietnam War Operation Ranch Hand Defoliation Spray Missions More

Battlefield Vietnam – Air War Operation Ranch Hand Battlefield Vietnam – Air War ( 7:56– 9:22)

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