1. Vietnam
Americanization

2. Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Johnson as not soft on communism
U.S. attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin; allowed President Johnson to send more troops to Vietnam without a declaration of war
Was it all a hoax?

3. Escalation U.S. troops were led by Gen. William Westmoreland
Due to the draft, U.S. troops numbered 540,000 by 1968
Draft was seen as unfair to blacks and poor

4. The Fighting Fighting was very difficult due to Intense heat
Dense jungles with razor sharp leaves
Invisible enemy: Vietcong blended in with South Vietnamese
Vietcong used elaborate tunnels systems to hide and move troops
U.S. soldiers torched whole villages and destroyed food and supplies so as to remove supplies that could be used by Vietcong
U.S. soldiers often became addicted to drugs
Some U.S. soldiers killed innocent civilians due to uncertainty of enemy whereabouts

5. Vietcong tunnels

6. 1968
U.S. low point Public support began shifting against the war due to intense media coverage
Tet Offensive: simultaneous NVA attack on nearly every major S.V. city; public opinion questioned were we winning or not
Skyrocketing U.S. casualties (14,000+ died in 1968 alone)
President Johnson dropped out of election race on March 31
My Lai Massacre: Mass murder of innocent unarmed citizens in South Vietnam; ordered by Lt. Caley; not publicized until 1969 and made many wonder if U.S. were “the bad guys”

7. Election of Richard Nixon
Nixon is elected after Johnson decides to not run for re-election
Nixon promises troop withdrawal and to turn war back over to South Vietnam
This begins the Vietnamization phase of the conflict

8. Vietnamization and End of U.S. Involvement
Vietnam Conflict
Vietnamization and End of U.S. Involvement

9. Nixon’s Election
Nixon narrowly defeats Hubert Humphrey of MN and George Wallace of Alabama
Nixon Promised to bring troops home
Vietnamization: withdrawal of U.S. troops so that South Vietnam can fight own war

10. Draft Lottery The Draft had been seen as unfair to blacks and the poor
New Draft lottery ended racial and economic discrimination

11. Nixon's Secret War
Nixon widened the war into Laos and Cambodia by bombing the Ho Chi Minh trail
Goal: to cut off supplies to Vietcong and bomb North Vietnam army camps there
Impact: mass protests like at Kent State U. in Ohio (4 students died)

12. Paris Peace Talks
1972 Nixon re-elected and a cease-fire was negotiated
January 27, 1973 Paris Peace talks concluded calling for an end to U.S. involvement and the release of Prisoners of War
South Vietnam “must fight its own fight now”

13. Dominos Fall and Impact
Saigon fell to the NVA (Communists) on April 30, 1975
Last Americans fled Vietnam
Saigon is renamed Ho Chi Minh City
58,000 + U.S. deaths

14. Long Term Consequences/Effect
Physical and Psychological Damage to Soldier
x as many were treated for drug abuse as combat wounds
Agent Orange is linked to cancer and birth defects
Homecomings were made more difficult due to
Lonely returns  395 day tour; no hero's welcome
A short transition from soldier to civilian status
Some soldiers experienced Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and survivors guilt

15. Cynicism toward Government and Military Leaders
Guilt of Tonkin Affair (Was it a hoax or an excuse)
Lies and cover-up led to a widening credibility gap with the public
Public received mixed messages on the war’s progress
Tet Offensive
My Lai Massacre
Bombing of Cambodia (Broken promise)

16. Fear of Future Military Involvement (Vietnam Syndrome)
We realized our nation’s vulnerability (moral defeat)
The U.S. did not win, but did not lose
Congress passed the War Powers Resolution Act of 1973 which stated the President may send troops to hostile areas, but must
Notify Congress within 48hours
Return troops within 90 days if no declaration of war is passed

17. Attempts at healing
1971: The 26th Amendment was passed lowering the voting age to 18
1973: The draft was abolished
1977: President Carter granted amnesty to 10,000 + draft dodgers
1982: the Vietnam Wall Memorial was completed in D.C.
1995: President Clinton normalized U.S. relations with communist Vietnam

18. Result:
Vietnam proved the U.S. military was not invincible. Our Containment goal failed and public opinion on U.S. involvement around the globe has been forever impacted. Was it our responsibility to go fight in Vietnam? The invasion of Iraq is very similar today.

19. Quiz Monday Know the following: Why did the U.S. get involved
What did the U.S. fear would happen?
What were the 3 phases?
What were some similarities and differences between Vietnam and Korea
What made it difficult to defeat the North Vietnamese?
Vietnam was a colony of which country in the 50s?
What made the Draft unfair during the war?