Causes of the Vietnam War Warm-Up Pg. 45 Read pages 500 - 504 As you read: List the causes of conflict, including how the United States became involved in this conflict.

http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offensive/videos/vietnam?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false The Vietnam War 1954 – 1975

Vietnam Timeline/Bar Graph 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 50,000 10,000 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1972 1973 1975 War Powers Act Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 1964 1968 1973 1975 Fall of Saigon Tet Offensive Vietnamization

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 1964 – 16,000 troops in Vietnam Gulf of Tonkin Resolution US INVOLVED IN VIETAM President Johnson announces North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. (TRUE?) President Johnson asked Congress for a resolution giving him the authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – giving Johnson a BLANK CHECK.

ESCALATION OF TROOPS 1965 – 186,000 1966 – 389,000 1967 – 486,000 1968 – 537, 000

Who Is the Enemy? Vietcong: Farmers by day; guerillas at night. Very patient people willing to accept many casualties. The US grossly underestimated their resolve and their resourcefulness.

The Air War 1965-1968 1965: Sustained bombing of North Vietnam Operation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965) 1966-68: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years! Especially targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Carpet Bombing – Napalm and Agent Orange

1968 - THE TET OFFENSIVE: A TURNING POINT Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launch major offensive. (67,000 attack 100 cities, bases, and the US embassy in Saigon) Took every major southern city COMMUNIST BRUTAILITY MASSACRE at My Lai Viet Cong turned back w/heavy losses after a month

Tet Offensive - “Psychological victory” Hey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today? Viet Cong could launch massive attack 1st televised war and horrible images were creating reservations about American involvement. http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offensive/videos/the-tet-offensive?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false#

Massacre at My Lai

Surrounded by brutality and under extreme distress, American Soldiers also sometimes Committed atrocities. Such brutality came in to sharp focus at My Lai, a small village in South Vietnam. In response to word that My Lai was sheltering 250 members of the Viet Cong, a United States infantry company moved in to clear out the village in March 1968. Rather than enemy soldiers, the company found women, children, and old men. Lt. Calley was in charge. First he ordered, “Round up everybody.” Then he gave the command for prisoners to be killed. Private Paul Meadlo later described what happened to one group of Vietnamese: “We huddled them up. We made them squat down…….I poured about four clips(about 68 shots) into the group….Well, we kept right on firing….I still dream about it….Some nights, I can’t even sleep. I just lay there thinking about it.” Probably more than 400 Vietnamese died in My Lai massacre. Even more would have perished without the heroic actions of a helicopter crew which stepped in to halt the slaughter. At great risk to himself and his crew, pilot Hugh Thompson landed the helicopter between the soldiers and the fleeing Vietnamese. He ordered his door gunner, 18 year old Lawrence Colburn, to fire his machine gun at the American troops if they began shooting the villagers. Thompson got out, confronted the leader of the soldiers, and the arranged to evacuate the civilians. Thompson’s crew chief, Glenn Andreotta, pulled a child from a ditch full of dead bodies.

1969-1975 VIETNAMIZATION In June 1969 President Nixon announces a new policy to remove U.S. forces. GOALs: withdraw US ground troops shifting the military operations to the South Vietnamese Army. This would shift the burden of fighting to the Vietnamese people and South Vietnam would learn to defend itself. BY 1972 AMERICAN TROOP STENGTH DROPPED TO 24,000

1973 – WAR POWERS ACT Limits Presidents war making powers Requires the President to : Notify Congress within 48 hours of committing American troops to combat End the combat within 90 days unless Congress authorizes a longer period. In addition: Congress can end the combat at any time by passing a resolution. Executive Vs. Legislative Last American troops left South Vietnam on March 1973

1975 – FALL OF SAIGON MARKS END OF VIETNAM WAR Americans abandon Embassy South Vietnamese attempt to flee the country. North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam.

The Costs 3,000,000 Vietnamese killed 58,000 Americans killed; 300,000 wounded 2,583 American POWs / MIAs still unaccounted for today $173,000,000,000 in U.S. spending Underfunding for Great Society Programs U.S. morale, self-confidence and trust of government was damaged No welcome home (shamed and ashamed), high unemployment, alcohol & drug abuse; poor care of disabled vets: underfunded vets hospitals, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Agent Orange health problems, birth defects in vets’ children. Agent Orange

Roy Benavidez From Cuero, Texas Saved at least 8 soldiers during a rescued mission in Vietnam he ran through enemy fire to rescue soldiers and get them to a helicopter the helicopter was shot down and Benavidez was gravely injured as he fought off Vietnamese soldiers in hand to hand combat He was not expected to live and so was given the Distinguished Service Cross When he recovered from his injuries and the story was published, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by Reagan

The Vietnam War Memorial, Washington D. C.

Memorial to Servicemen and Nurses in Vietnam