Vietnam America shows up

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Robert McNamara, President Johnson’s Sec. Def. advises that U.S. should step up it’s commitment in SE Asia A U.S. Destroyer is sent off the coast of Vietnam, the U.S.S. Maddox The Maddox was supporting S. Vietnamese operations on N. Vietnamese coastline Sonar operators mistook signals as torpedoes & reported being attacked

The Report

Johnson’s reaction to Tonkin Pres. Johnson asked Congress to authorize military force to keep this from happening again U.S. Troops began arriving in Vietnam in th Fleet steams into the Gulf of Tonkin – “Yankee Station” air strikes begin

Operation Rolling Thunder Bombing Campaign of North Vietnam Targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a series of supply routes from the North to South Vietnam Industrial centers & harbors were “off limits” Chemical warfare – defoliants were sprayed – “Agent Orange”

1964 to 1967 U.S. troop strength went from 185K to 486K Many U.S. victories give the American public confidence in the war & is widely supported at home By the end of 1967, very little seemed to have been accomplished

“The average age was 19” Soldiers in Vietnam spent 13 months “in country” First war where soldiers rotated in and out as single elements – units no longer shipped together The average U.S. Soldier was less educated, younger, & Poorer No real “front line”, you could be hit anywhere at anytime

The Media in Vietnam Vietnam was the first “televised war”, people would tune in every night & watch the war Overall public opinion was made from the numerous news reports

The Tet Offensive February 1968, N. Vietnam springs the most & least effective strike Least effective: no real damage done Most effective: It showed that no where in Vietnam was safe for anyone at anytime Every major urban center in S. Vietnam was hit by Viet Cong fighters

Khe Sanh: a USMC “Alamo” Khe Sanh was a village near the DMZ U.S. Military forces (Army & USMC) made fire bases on hill tops to protect civilian villages Khe Sanh: 77 day siege, U.S. Marines & Army hold a strategic crossroads keeping infiltrators from Laos out The odds of surviving were slim

Khe Sanh

Khe Sanh: Importance 5,000 USMC up against 20,000 to 40,000 NVA (North Vietnamese Army) General Westmorland wanted to lure the NVA into a major attack to crush them using the USMC as bait The siege lasted 77 days

Capturing the images of Khe Sanh Robert Ellison was killed during one of many rocket attacks. He was serving with the Marines