Vietnam War Comes To An End With the war creeping on with no victory in sight, Americans try to deal with the losses at home.
The Tet Offensive Turns the Tide January 30, 1968 (New Years Eve) Celebrated in Vietnam as the start of Tet Tet = New Year celebration No fighting usually took place this day.
North Vietnam Surprise Attacks! Tet Offensive 84,000 Vietcong attack major areas of South Vietnam including: US army bases S. Vietnam capital Saigon US would never win another battle in North Vietnam
Election Year of 1968 LBJ does not run for re-election Richard Nixon (Republican) Ran on slogan “you can’t trust Democrats” “I will end this war!” Hubert Humphrey (Democrat) Claimed to want to end war as well
Protests Break Out Across US By 1969 Its clear that Vietnam War is not going to end Nixon lied! Even started to send more troops to other SE Asia areas Cambodia Laos Over 1.2 million troops in SE Asia In Vietnam US still trying to get Vietcong out of South Vietnam
Walter Cronkite on CBS Evening News protests
New York Times releases the Pentagon Papers Documents that revealed the government had lied about: How the war in Vietnam was going Sending US troops to Cambodia Amount of actual US deaths
Kent State University May 4, 1970 Supposedly KSU students set fire to campus ROTC building. Protesting troops being sent to Cambodia Ohio Governor John James Rhodes “I will eradicate these protestors!” How?
Governor James Rhodes
Call in the Ohio National Guard Shoot and Kill 4 students!
4 dead in Ohio….
News Spreads! KSU shootings become national news quickly! Then, it happens again. Jackson State University In Mississippi Police shoot 2 students for “protesting”
Surely Nixon Can’t Win Again! Election of 1972 Nixon runs on campaign of “cease fire” in Vietnam Bring the boys home! Wins election in a landslide Small election change 26th Amendment Voting age lowered from 21 to 18
Congress does not trust Nixon! 1972 North Vietnam offered a cease fire. US troops could leave S. Vietnam S. Vietnam would get own democratic government Had to have Vietminh political party involved! Good plan, right? S. Vietnam says no! We support them so…..
Nixon Tries to Erase N. Vietnam For 2 weeks US drops 40,000 tons of bombs over N. Vietnam Still hopes Vietcong would give up! Doesn’t work… Finally, January 1973 Congress starts to bring troops home. S. Vietnam government falls apart.
April 30, 1975 Saigon falls to Vietcong! S. Vietnam surrenders to Communists. 1973 Congress passes War Powers Act Gives Congress back “right to declare war” Limits military commitment by President to 60 days! Supposedly….
War Ends Click here for Evacuation of Saigon
Vietnam Veterans Over 2 million troops sent to Vietnam 58,000 thousand die 300,000 injured 25,000 Missing in Action 1.2 claim PTSD and Agent Orange Disease
Vietnam War Memorial “The Wall”