1. The War Abroad and at Home
Vietnam
The War Abroad and at Home

2. The Cold War
After WWII, the Old World Empires of Britain and France crumbled
Independence movements spread in Asia led by communists like Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam

3. Background Vietnam fought France for independence.
The country was partitioned into the North (supported by the Soviets) and the South (supported by the US).

4. Goals of the War
For Vietnam, the war was a civil war with the North seeking to unify the country under communist rule
For the US and its allies, the war was about containing communism and not allowing the domino effect.
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Secretary of State greet South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem at Washington National Airport. 05/08/1957

5. Military Advisors
In 1950, the US set up special forces “military advisors” to aid the South and supplied millions of dollars.
By 1963, there were 16,000 in Vietnam aiding Pres. Diem fight communists.

6. Gulf of Tonkin
In 1964, communists attacked US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin.
The US passed the “Gulf of Tonkin Resolution” that gave Pres. Johnson powers to “stop further aggression.”

7. Operation Rolling Thunder
Pres. Johnson ordered the full scale bombing of North Vietnam to force a peace settlement in Feb

10. The Draft
Johnson doubled draft quotas. By the end of 1966, there were 400,000 US troops fighting in Vietnam.

11. The Enemy
Vietcong (VC) – those living in South Vietnam fighting for the communists.
North Vietnamese Army (NVA) – Soldiers who infiltrated South Vietnam to fight the US.

12. Ho Chi Minh Trail
The North supplied the south using an elaborate trail system.

13. Agent Orange
The US used chemical defoliates to destroy jungle vegetation to aid the bombing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

14. Enemy Tactics
Both VC and NVA used elaborate tunnel systems, booby traps, and ambush attacks to bewilder the US soldiers.

16. US Tactics
US soldiers went on “patrols” to seek out enemy soldiers, invite attack, then destroy them.

17. Patrols
The downside was that US casualties were unavoidable.

18. Seek and Destroy…
…in rice patties

21. …on waterways…

23. …in towns …

24. …in villages…

27. …in tunnels…

30. …in the jungle.

35. Firebases
US soldiers lived in “fire support bases” where they were supported by artillery.

38. An Average Day in Vietnam

39. Protests
By 1967, anti-war protests were taking place all across America.

43. Tet
The turning point came in January During the holiday of Tet, communists attacked 100 US positions throughout South Vietnam.

44. Tet Offensive
While the US recaptured all the territory it lost, Tet showed the US was not close to winning the war.

45. Tet Offensive
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara resigned. President Johnson did not run for re-election. Richard Nixon became President.

46. Nixon’s Plan Nixon took over with 540,000 troops in Vietnam.
His plan was to bomb the North Vietnamese to the peace table.
He expanded the war into Cambodia and Laos.

55. War Protests
Along with the draft lottery, the expansion of the war created even more discord at home.

56. Vietnamization
Nixon had US troops train the South Vietnamese so the US troops could come home.

58. US Withdrawal US troops withdrew in 1973.
In 1976, the North conquered the South.

59. Casualties and losses US 58,159 dead; 2,000 missing; 303,635 wounded
South Vietnam 220,357 dead; 1,170,000 wounded
US 58,159 dead; 2,000 missing; 303,635 wounded
South Korea 4,960 dead; 10,962 wounded
Kingdom of Laos 30,000 killed, wounded unknown
Australia 520 dead; 2,400* wounded
New Zealand 37 dead; 187 wounded
Thailand 1,351 dead Total dead: 315,831; Total wounded: ~1,490,000
North Vietnam 1,176,000; 600,000 wounded
P.R. China 1,446 dead; 4,200 wounded
Soviet Union 16 dead Total dead: ~1,177,446; Total wounded: ~604,000
South Vietnamese civilian dead: 1,581,000*
Cambodian civilian dead: ~700,000*
Vietnamese civilian dead: ~2,000,000*
Laotian civilian dead: ~50,000*
*Estimates

60. Remembering the Soldiers

61. Vietnam Presidents