1. American Involvement in Vietnam
Period 8

2. Vietnam: A Background
During WWII Japan invaded and occupied Vietnam. Prior, Vietnam had been under French control since the late 1800s
Ho Chi Minh, inspired by Chinese and Soviet Communism, formed the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam) to fight both Japan and the French for control of the nation
Japan withdrew forces in 1945, leaving French in control
Viet Minh forces rose up immediately and took over Hanoi and declared a Democratic Republic of Vietnam naming Ho as the president (this should sound very familiar)
France tried to reclaim Vietnam, coming through the south and named Saigon as the capital. A final defeat of the French came at in Dien Bien Phu in 1954
Japanese Empire at its peak in 1942

3. Vietnam: A Background
Post French Treaties split North v. South along the 17th parallel, said elections would be held in 1956
North Vietnam was a Communist nation and it wanted to unify all of Vietnam under one Communist regime. It had some allies living in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong
South Vietnam wanted to maintain its current freedom from unification and sought a major ally in the United States
Early tensions/conflict date back to the 1940s but the war itself began in 1954 (under Eisenhower), after the rise of Ho Chi Minh and his Communist Viet Minh party in North Vietnam.
Strong Anti-Communist leader of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem became president of the south and the elections of 1956 never happened

4. Vietnam: American Involvement Begins
Around 800 troops were sent to Vietnam in the 1950s under Eisenhower. They armed and trained Southern forces to try and capture any Viet Cong in the south (most of whom were tortured and killed)
Viet Cong rose up and began attacking government officials and others as a result

5. American Involvement Escalates
Kennedy agreed with Eisenhower’s Domino Theory and increased support to South Vietnam. Kennedy increases the number of military ‘advisors’ who would train the South’s army and guarded weapons and facilities
By 1963 more than 16,000 troops in South Vietnam in non-combat roles
Southern leader, Diem, was growing ever more unpopular…
Buddhist monks in South Vietnam set themselves on fire to protest Diem
Two weeks before Kennedy is assassinated, Diem is overthrown and killed by South Vietnamese generals – we now know Kennedy knew this was going to happen

6. LBJ’s Inherits the Problem
So the day LBJ takes the oath of office, South Vietnam has been unstable and is in a state of ‘crisis’
LBJ sends over even more troops and more economic ($/weapons) assistance
A Viet Cong (Communist South) torpedo boat attacks 2 US destroyers – when this happens, LBJ seeks Congressional Approval
Congress passes the Golf of Tonkin Resolution, giving Johnson broad war-making powers, and gives US planes the okay to begin regular bombing raids on the North (codename Operation Rolling Thunder)
(FYI: while LBJ was running for reelection – his own term- he is attacked for not supporting South Vietnam enough – so people in the US were still somewhat on board)

7. Johnson’s Conflict…
Vietnam or the Great Society???

8. 1965 and beyond
Presidential advisors encourage ADDITIONAL support for the South and the government of Saigon
President sends over first official combat troops – 184,000
Americans generals practicing search and destroy measures
By 1966 US operating with Free Fire Zones – where all civilians were supposedly evacuated and the US could bomb/kill anyone present
By 1967, US has 485,000 troops in the south – attrition plan

9. Photograph by the Pulitzer Prize-winning American photographer and photojournalist Eddie Adams. Eddie Adams captured this shot of a South Vietnamese general executing a Viet Cong officer in the Tet Offensive
Tet Offensive
Viet Cong launched a surprise attack on all major bases/centers in South Vietnam on their Lunar Year (Tet) in 1968.
Americans struck back, actually killing more Viet Cong than the number of Americans that were killed, and even regained some territory
At home, no one cared that it was a strategic victory. People heard about the causalities and destruction (and see it on TV) and become irate
More and more Americans begin supporting Senator Eugene F. McCarthy (MN) who is anti war and wants to take on Johnson for the Democratic nomination (Johnson will eventually announce he will not run for reelection)

10. Distrust in the US Government
US and South inflated numbers of inflicted enemy causalities and claimed that the US was winning
By November 1967, the number of American troops in Vietnam was approaching 500,000, and U.S. casualties had reached 15,058 killed and 109,527 wounded. As the war stretched on, some soldiers came to mistrust their government’s reasons for keeping them there, as well as Washington’s claims that the war was being won. The later years of the war saw increased physical and psychological deterioration among American soldiers, including drug use, mutinies and attacks by soldiers against officers and noncommissioned officers.

11. Americans at home – attitudes shift
Media begins to cite a ‘credibility gap’ between what the US government is (and isn’t) saying about the Vietnam conflict
In October ,000 protestors march outside the pentagon – biggest grievance is that they believed more civilians were killed than soldiers

12. What types of things were the American people seeing?
Agent Orange – Used as part of Operation Ranch Hand (tried to cut off food supplies to North Vietnamese) a 50x concentrated herbicide sprayed on crops. Causes cancer, extreme birth defects, etc. About 1 mil people in Vietnam still affected, Dept. of Veterans affairs since 2005 will treat it as a casualty
Napalm – developed at Harvard, a flammable, jelly like liquid, used in flamethrowers, bombs, etc. for the deforestation of the north so that combatants had no where to hide
Civilians being killed – tons of images filled TV of images of civilians who were impacted by the above chemicals or also who suffered from other tragedies
The iconic photo taken in Trang Bang by AP photographer Nick Ut shows her at about nine years of age running naked on a road after being severely burned on her back by a South Vietnamese napalm attack.

13. Vietnam Songs 1967 – Buffalo Springfield – For What its Worth
Actually about a riot on the Sunset Strip, but taken by Vietnam protestors as their own peace anthem
CCR – Fortunate Son
1969 – Edwin Starr (formerly the Temptations) - War
1971 – Marvin Gaye – What’s Goin’ on

14. War, huh yeah What is it good for
War, huh yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, oh hoh, oh War huh yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again y'all War, huh good God What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, listen to me
Oh, war, I despise 'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives War means tears to thousands of mothers eyes When their sons go off to fight and lose their lives
I said War, huh good God y'all What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, just say it again War whoa Lord What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, listen to me War, it ain't nothin' but a heartbreak War, friend only to the undertaker
Oh war, is an enemy to all mankind The thought of war blows my mind War has caused unrest within the younger generation Induction, then destruction who wants to die
Oh, war has shattered many young man's dreams Made him disabled bitter and mean Life is much too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days War can't give life it can only take it away, ooh
Peace love and understanding tell me Is there no place for them today They say we must fight to keep our freedom But Lord knows there's got to be a better way
Some folks are born made to wave the flag Ooh, they're red, white and blue And when the band plays "Hail to the chief" Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no Yeah! Some folks are born silver spoon in hand Lord, don't they help themselves, oh But when the taxman comes to the door Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no Some folks inherit star spangled eyes Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord And when you ask them, "How much should we give?" Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no

15. Protests on Campus
These come a little bit later (mostly early 1970s) but…College kept young men out of the draft…if the war didn’t end, the boys could be drafted upon graduation
Draft Card Burnings
Kent State and Jackson State Shootings – protesting invasion of Cambodia

16. LBJ Surprises the US
In response to the Tet Offensive, LBJ announces he will end the escalation of troops and that he will not seek a second term of his own.
Attempted peace talks in Paris between the North and South (and US) in 1968 stall and end

17. Americans Debate the Role of the President
The Senate votes to remove the Golf of Tonkin Resolution (but not the house, so it stays)
Can the president use the US troops as a police force?
Is he ordering the killing of innocent civilians?

18. Nixon’s Problem
Nixon was hoping for “peace with honor” aka not loosing and looking stupid….
“Vietnamization” – Nixon promises to withdraw troops but give the South money to support and stabilize itself, and any weapons it needed to continue the war
Claims that under the “Nixon Doctrine” the US may give aid, but not troops to any other democratic/capitalistic nation in Asia
But then he okays the invasion of Cambodia (next door to Vietnam, cue Kent State Shootings)
Senate repeals Golf of Tonkin Resolution (but it stands bc not repealed in the House)
Then the release of the Pentagon Papers, which were government documents elaborating on every mistake in Vietnam, and news of My Lei, where women and children were massacred

19. How does it end? Jan. 1973 – Nixon announces a cease fire
1974 – Paris peace talks bring official end to US involvement
1973 POWs released
1974 – Gerald Ford (Nixon’s VP) becomes president when Nixon Resigns
Congress cuts financial aid to Vietnam
Dec – North attacks South Again, Ford asks Congress for assistance, Congress refuses
1975 – Southern capital of Saigon falls to the North
Southern Vietnamese fleeing as Saigon falls to the North

20. The Cost ~4,000,000 Vietnamese killed ~58,000 Americans killed;
~2 million were civilians
~58,000 Americans killed;
~300,000 wounded
Under-funding of Great Society programs
$150,000,000,000 in U.S. spending
U.S. morale, self-confidence, trust of government, decimated
1,679 American POWs / MIAs still unaccounted for today.
Diversion of capital to the war indirectly caused economic recession: 11% inflation and 12% unemployment!

21. In pop culture