Vietnam War 1965-1975
France Tried… France controlled from 1893-1940 Japan took over 1940-1945 France regained power 1945-1954
…And Failed 1954 - Viet-Minh forces started a fight against 12,000 French troops Only 3,000 survived France soon gave up and left Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh He wanted Vietnam independence Asked for it after WWI at the Treaty of Versailles Returned to Vietnam forming the “Viet-Minh” Pro-Communist
Meanwhile, Back in America Kids grew up listening to stories of grown ups talking about fighting in WWII Most people in the US didn't even know where Vietnam was All Americans knew was that Communism is bad
Whos Fight? Vietnam was in a state of civil war from 1954-1961 China vowed to help fellow Asian communist nations
Help! US offered support for anyone willing to fight communist Kennedy had 16,000 troops in Vietnam acting as advisors
The Spark Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Congress gave LBJ a "blank check" North Vietnam viewed this as an act of war
Veterans vs. Rookies N. Vietnamese troops had been fighting for 10 years Average age of American troops ~ 22
Life in Vietnam
Numbers on the Rise Americans were over-confident LBJ said he was raising the number of troops from 75,000 to 125,000 Raised the monthly draft from 17,000 to 35,000
Build Up By the fall of 1965 there was 150,000 US troops vs. 250,000 N. Vietnamese & Viet-Minh rebels
Body Counts North willing to fight till the death Knew that Americans will break after a large number of troops are killed
Ia Drang Valley
Joe Galloway Describing his Nightmare
I don’t want you to fight for a farmer that doesn’t want to be bothered
Search & Destroy Search = Find All Destroy = Kill All Villages were burned down to make them un-inhabitable by Viet Cong & Minh
Vietnam
How to “win” in Vietnam Body counts were how to determine winner when there was no front line
Not normal fighting
Not normal fighting
Not normal fighting
Not normal fighting
Not normal fighting “Who are we fighting?”
Friend or Foe?
Escalation 1966 January – 188,000 May – 280,000 July – 300,000 September – 325,000 1967 January – 389,000
Wounds ~ 1 million men are wounded Takes about an hour to get to hospital by helicopter 1st 9 months 6,990 deaths more than the 1st 5 years of fighting