Chapter 22 Section 2 U.S. Involvement and Escalation Jan 1965 – LBJ inaugurated March 1965 – LBJ began sending thousands of troops to Vietnam; He ESCALATES the war

LBJ’s Foreign Policy Advisors Sec of Defense Robert McNamara Sec of State Dean Rusk 61% supported the president WHY? Because they thought he was following an established policy of confronting Communism anywhere in the world.

George Ball Undersecretary of State October 1964 – argued AGAINST escalation

Gen. William Westmoreland The US Army Commander in Vietnam from Did not believe that the So. Vietnamese Army could fight without substantial U.S. combat support on the ground So, he continually asked for more U.S. troops (and LBJ complied)

War in the Jungle Rice paddies Booby traps Leeches Sweltering heat Land mines

Guerilla Warfare Sudden unexpected attacks (hit-and-run or ambush) carried out by an unofficial military group The word guerrilla is Spanish for "little war.” The term guerrilla originates from the actions of small bands of Spanish soldiers who fought against Napoleon's French army in the Peninsular War ( ).

An elaborate tunnel system allowed the Vietcong to launch surprise attacks and then disappear quickly. They connected villages throughout the countryside and became home to the guerilla fighters.

War of Attrition – a gradual wearing down of the enemy by continuous harassment “You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, but even at those odds, you will lose and I will win.” – Ho Chi Minh

After the war, Gen. Westmoreland said that the United States had never lost a battle in Vietnam…

…which underscores the degree to which the Americans underestimated the Vietcong.

Why the U.S. Lost in Vietnam U.S. Saw war as strictly a military struggle Vietcong Saw war as a battle for their very existence

To expose the underground Vietcong tunnels and hideouts the U.S. military used 1.Napalm 2.Agent Orange

Napalm - A petroleum-based bomb that has a tough sticky gel that attaches itself to the skin and continues burning for a considerable amount of time -Burns to the muscle and bone (5th degree burns) -So traumatic that it often causes death -LBJ authorized its use March 9, 1965.

Agent Orange

A leaf-killing toxic chemical (an herbicide and defoliant that contained dioxin, one of the most toxic man-made chemicals Used to clear out the jungle terrain and to destroy enemy’s crops Result: cancer, birth deformities (the NIH discovered birth deformities in lab rats in 1971) In 1984, the DOW and Monsanto Companies were sued and ordered to pay compensation to US vets -$180 million

Search and Destroy Missions 1966 Military Strategy of uprooting villages with suspected ties to the Vietcong, killing their livestock and burning their villages Negative image of U.S. soldiers doing this to the Vietnamese “We had to destroy the town in order to save it.”

Sinking Morale Many soldiers turned to alcohol, drugs. “Fragging” – where a soldier lobbed a fragmentation grenade (one that left no fingerprints) at an officer during battle

The “Great Society” Suffered LBJ could not pay for BOTH the Vietnam war AND the Great Society programs Aug 1967 – LBJ asked Congress to raise taxes, but they only agreed if they could cut $6 billion from his Great Society programs

Credibility Gap A gap between what the Johnson Administration reported and what really happened 16,000 Americans died LBJ’s advisors painted an optimistic scenario of what was going on. “Victory lies within our grasp – the enemy’s hopes are bankrupt.” – General Westmoreland “I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.” - Defense Sec. McNamara

The Living Room War By 1967, Vietnam was America’s 1st “Living Room War.” (footage of combat (and body bags) appeared nightly on the news in millions of homes)