1. Vietnam War: Escalation under LBJ How does the US escalate the War in Vietnam?

2. After JFK assassinated in Dallas, President Johnson will step up the military campaign Aug. 1964: USS Maddox is fired upon in Tonkin Gulf, slight damage Two days later in bad weather, a USS Turner Joy is allegedly attacked LBJ asks Congress to pass Tonkin Gulf Resolution – gives LBJ broad military powers LBJ launches bombing campaign, Operation Rolling Thunder in NV

3. Search & Destroy (1965-1968) Secy of State Dean Rusk and Secy of Defense Robert McNamara advise LBJ to send more troops into Vietnam 1964: General Westmoreland takes command in Vietnam. Not impressed by S. Vietnamese Army (ARVN) – wants more US troops March 1965: 180K US combat troops land in Da Nang, SV Westmoreland strategy is to defeat VC’s morale (incl. body count) US launches “search & destroy” missions to root out VC, but is also trying to win heart & minds of Vietnamese villagers

4. Fighting N. Vietnamese Army & Vietcong in the jungles is tough since VC had elaborate system of underground tunnels (pg 738) To destroy VC tunnels US starts using Napalm & Agent Orange (Napalm burns trees, AO is chemical defoliant) 300,000 troops in Vietnam by 1967, US troop morale is sinking due to repeated VC attacks in cities and military censorship Horrors of war also leads to an abuse of marijuana & alcohol by many soldiers Televising the war was also hurting popular opinion of the war LBJ & Westmoreland tell the public we are winning, war ending soon