How the U.S was Involved

How it Began The U.S and other SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) joined forces of the Republic of South Vietnam. The U.S had the largest foreign military presence and basically directed the war from 1965 to 1968. Because the U.S failed to achieve a military victory and the Republic of South Vietnam was ultimately taken over by North Vietnam, the Vietnam experience was know as “the only war America ever lost”.

How many U.S people were affected? More than 500,000 U.S military soldiers were an involvement in the war. 38,000 Americans were killed. U.S was outnumbered highly with South Vietnam at about 850,000 and 13,000 more including South Korea. Devastation from the aftermath of the war was terrible. Many innocent people have been killed because of the war.

Changes from the War for the U.S 18 year old's were able to vote. Made sure military families were together. The opening to China was driven by Cold War political realignment as American troops were departing Asia. Together, the China trip and Watergate scandal would shape American politics for decades. Australia and America are both wounded but going along fine after the war.

Major Events Major Dale R Bruis and Master Sargent Chester were the first Americans to die in the war .(1959) Operation Chopper: America's first combat missions against the Vietcong. Operation Ranchhand: Objective to clear vegetation making it difficult for the Vietcong to ambush. (1962) Battle of Ia Drang Valley. (1965) Peace Talks take place in Paris between the North Vietnamese and the Americans. (1968) Operation Ranchhand: Objective to clear vegetation making it difficult for the Vietcong to ambush.

Troops Point Of View “My primary reason was to first of all to get out on my own.” Tex Howard “We were really protecting the United States and these people did not receive us well when we came back, and during that time it was both racial problems, racial tensions, and then tensions from the war.” Johnas Freeman “You had to deal with these people around you who looked down their noses at you and thought you were the enemy or some curse that had come back to them.” Nick Morgan “Nobody wins and nobody loses in a situation like that.” Richard Payne

Why the U.S Left the War The U.S left Vietnam because they failed. They had failed to “win the hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese people. They had failed to build so-called a “Republic of Vietnam” as an independent and democratic nation. The Americans attempted to use their military as a solution to political problem and failed. After causing a death of over 2 million people, the Americans realized the whole “Domino Theory” was false and never going to happen.