1. A Nation Divided -The Legacy of the Vietnam War
Chapter 22-Supplemental PPT (Section 3, 4 and 5)

2. The Working Class Goes to War
Selective Service-Drafting Soldiers for the War:
During the Vietnam War the United States mainly drafted young man between the ages of 18 to 26
However, if you choose to enlist voluntarily you could opt for the National Guard or Coast Guard
Although some chose to try to gain medical exemptions
Some young men were granted deferment because they were in college while others dodged the draft by running to Canada
Poorer and lower class citizens had no way out so it became a working class war
Section 3

3. The Working Class Goes to War
African Americans in Vietnam-
Due to the lack of college deferments and their low socio-economic status there was a much higher number of African-Americans proportionally serving during the war compared to Caucasians
Dr. King publicly speaks out against these high numbers and the racial tensions in platoons
Women in Vietnam-
During the war nearly 10,000 women served in Vietnam mostly as military nurses or part of the Red Cross and USO
Section 3

4. The Roots of Opposition
College students that wanted changes began to form two main groups
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)–1960
Free Speech Movement (FSM)-1964
Protested against large corporations and big government
Pushed for greater individual freedoms
They also began addressing issues college students were facing such as dress codes, schools separated by sex and curfews
Evolved to lead protests and demonstrations against the War
Reasons for their opposition to the war:
It is a civil war between Vietnamese civilians an in no way our war
The South Vietnamese government was just as bad as the North Vietnamese government
We should be helping out in other parts of the world that truly need our help
Some thought that war in any compacity is simply wrong
Section 3

5. Vietnam War Buttons

6. The Tet Offensive Turns the War
The Lead Up to the Tet Offensive-
To mark the celebration of the Vietnamese New Year known as Tet
A week long cease fire agreed on at the end of January 1968
Sadly, this doesn’t last for long
The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks that began on January 31, 1968, the first day of the Lunar New Year, Vietnam's most important holiday.
It took weeks for U.S. and South Vietnamese troops to retake all of the captured cities (nearly 100 were captured) including the former imperial capital of Hue.
In the end nearly 32,000 Vietcong are killed along with 3,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese soldiers
Even though it looks like a victory for U.S. on the surface new Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford slowly began to realized the war was unwinnable
Section 4

7. The Tet Offensive Turns the War
Following the Tet Offensive and the continued images of fallen U.S. soldiers public support towards the war starts to drastically drops
People sick of hearing “We’re going to win soon”
People sick of seeing troops dying every day and watching more and more men sent to Vietnam
In March 1968 two shocking announcements made by President Johnson
U.S. would begin the process of ending their involvement in the Vietnam War
Which meant we would no longer send U.S troops or become involved in any for of escalation
LBJ would not seek a second term as President
Section 4

8. President Nixon and Vietnamization
Nixon wins the 1968 election and declares that he'll to end Vietnam
He wants North Vietnam to end it’s aggression against the South allowing the South Vietnamese government to stay in power led by Nguyen Van Thieu
North Vietnam wants all U.S. troops removed from the South
Under their proposal the Vietcong would control the country and the South Vietnamese would no longer exist
Neither side is willing to compromise so the war Continues
Soon after Nixon introduced the policy of Vietnamization which would allow for the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops and for the South Vietnamese to take on a more active role in combat role.
By August of 1969, the first 25,000 U.S. troops had returned home from Vietnam. Over the next three years, the number of American troops in Vietnam dropped from more than 500,000 to less than 25,000.
Nixon’s goal was “Peace with Honor” saying “That you don’t want to look too bad when you leave”.
Section 5

12. Trouble Continues on the Home Front
By 1969 public opinion of America’s presence in Vietnam hits a low with polls showing 55% support
They were referred to as the silent majority
Reasons for the lack of support in Vietnam:
The My Lai Massacre-U.S. soldiers purposefully killed 200 civilians
Only the head of the mission was put in prison while the others were viewed as just “following orders”
Invasion of Cambodia- President Nixon did this without asking Congress
They responded by repealing Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Section 5

14. Trouble Continues on the Home Front
Major reaction on college campuses:
1.5 million students protest declaring “Why get involved in another countries problems?
Kent St. University (Ohio)-May 4th,1970 The Army recruiting building on campus was burned down
Protesters began throwing objects at members of the National Guard who responded with gun fire.
Four students were killed while nine others were wounded
Section 5

18. Trouble Continues on the Home Front
The Pentagon Papers-Officially titled report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force, is a United States Department of Defense history of the United States' political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967.
These document were leaked to New York Times and the Washington Post
The documents exposed that the United States had no real intention of ending the war unless North Vietnam caved to U.S. demands
Our government tried to stop these from being published but the Supreme Court ruled in the NY Times favor
NY Times vs. U.S. (1971)
Public support for the war drops to only 40% by late 1971
Section 5

19. The War Leaves a Painful Legacy
Peace Treaty and Cease Fire Achieved in late March of 1973
It’s a similar agreement to the one proposed in October of 1972
South Vietnam still doesn’t like it because it doesn’t force the North to remove their troops from the South
The U.S. agrees to send the South supplies but will no longer send our soldiers for support
North Vietnam wins war in April 1975 and a reunited Vietnam is born under a communist government
Nearly 1.5 million South Vietnamese citizens flee the county and over 400,000 South Vietnamese are imprisoned
All businesses in Vietnam become part of the nationalized Vietnam economy
Section 5

20. The War Leaves a Painful Legacy
Final Results of America’s involvement in Vietnam ( )-
Nearly 58,000 U.S. soldiers die while another 300,000 were wounded
Eight million tons of U.S. bombs dropped on Vietnam
Four times more than during WWII
Two million Vietnamese die
Lasting Outcomes:
Following the war both Vietnam and Cambodia became Communist nations
Congress passes the War Powers Act which declared that the President must tell Congress why he sent troops someplace within 48 hours of sending them or Congress could recall them within 90 days if they did not feel their deployment necessary
Section 5

22. The War Leaves a Painful Legacy
Our Soldiers Return Home-
They did not receive a “hero’s welcome” as both the media and general public projected their anger and disgust towards the war on these returning soldiers
Many developed PTSD and disorders during their time in combat
Headaches, nightmares, memory lapses, shell shock
Some turn to drugs and alcohol while some struggle so bad that they see suicide as their only option
Aftermath on U.S. Society-
After all the lies and deception many Americans find it difficult to trust government becoming extremely apathetic
Section 5