1. Viet Nam Escalates
Chapter 24 Section 2

2. The Vietnam War Escalates
On August 4, 1964
Pres. LBJ is going to have to make a decision on whether or not the USA is going to war with Vietnam!

3. Gulf of Tonkin Incident
August 2, 1964
USS Maddox is attacked in Gulf of Tonkin by North Vietnam
Conspiracy?
Who attacked who?
USA say N. Vietnam attacked us
N. Vietnam says it was us who attacked them!

4. World War III? Aug. 4, 1964 Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson gets on TV.
“ Renewed hostile actions against US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin have today required me to order the military forces of the US to take action….Air action is now in execution against gunboats and facilities in North Vietnam used for hostile operations.”
Still, LBJ demanded that we needed a bigger military to fight Vietnam.
Needs to ask Congress for help.

5. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution
August 10, 1964
Congress passes the Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Gave the President authority to take
“all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the United States.”
In other words
LBJ can now do what he wants with the military.

6. U.S. Forces Move In to Vietnam
LBJ instantly calls for escalation of the US Army
Escalation = buildup
How do you do this?

7. The Draft is Back…. April 1965
Selective Service notifies 13,700 men they are being drafted into service.
By end of war, over 2 million will get their draft cards.

8. Future President?

9. Future President?

10. Future Environmentalist

11. President of the USA

12. President

13. The Air War LBJ wanted to show dominance of US Air Force in Vietnam
March 1965
Operation Rolling Thunder
Bombing campaign against military targets in N. Vietnam
Focused on Ho Chi Minh Trail
Jungle paths from North Vietnam to S. Vietnam

14. By 1967, the Air Raids are getting Nasty
US aircraft are dropping 3,000 bombs a day on N. Vietnam
Used devastating items such as
Napalm
Jellied gasoline
Cluster bombs
Sprayed razor-sharp fragments
Defoliants
Chemicals to kill vegetation

15. Napalm

16. Cluster Bombs

17. Defoliants

19. Does it work? No
Vietminh dig tunnels to hide under ground during raids.
Worked around the clock to fix Ho Chi Minh Trail

20. The Ground War
By 1967
LBJ sends 250,000 troops to Vietnam to take over.
Use search and destroy missions
Drive Vietcong out of their hideouts
How?

21. Search and Destroy, Step 1

22. Search and Destroy, Step 2

23. By end of 1967 USA has lost 20,000 troops
N. Vietnam has lost 720,000 troops
Why haven’t they given up?