1. The Vietnam War

2. Vietnam Timeline/Bar Graph
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
50,000
10,000
War Powers Act
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Fall of Saigon
Tet Offensive
Vietnamization

3. 1964 – 16,000 troops in Vietnam GULF OF TONKIN US INVOLVED IN VIETAM
Johnson announces North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. (TRUE?)
President ask Congress for resolution giving him authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression”
Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – giving LBJ a BLANK CHECK- power to wage war.

4. ESCALATION OF TROOPS
1965 – 186, – 389, – 486,000

5. The Air War 1965-1968 1965: Sustained bombing of North Vietnam
Operation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965)
: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years! Especially targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Carpet Bombing – napalm and Agent Orange

7. Who Is the Enemy? Vietcong: Farmers by day; guerillas at night.
Very patient people willing to accept many casualties.
The US grossly underestimated their resolve and their resourcefulness.

8. 1968 THE TET OFFENSIVE: A TURNING POINT
Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launch major offensive.(67,000 attack 100 cities, bases, and the US embassy in Saigon)
Take every major southern city
COMMUNIST BRUTAILITY
MASSACRE at My Lai
Viet Cong turned back w/heavy losses
1968 – 537,000 U.S. Troops in Vietnam

9. “Psychological victory”
Hey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?
Viet Cong could launch massive attack
1st televised war and horrible images were creating reservations about American involvement.
Domestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust of Johnson Administration

10. Massacre of My Lai

11. Massacre at My Lai
Surrounded by brutality and under extreme distress, American Soldiers also sometimes committed atrocities. Such brutality came in to sharp focus at My Lai, a small village in South Vietnam. In response to word that My Lai was sheltering 250 members of the Viet Cong, a United States infantry company moved in to clear out the village in March Rather than enemy soldiers, the company found women, children, and old men. Lt. Calley was in charge. First he ordered, “Round up everybody.” Then he gave the command for prisoners to be killed. Private Paul Meadlo later described what happened to one group of Vietnamese: “We huddled them up. We made them squat down…….I poured about four clips(about 68 shots) into the group….Well, we kept right on firing….I still dream about it….Some nights, I can’t even sleep. I just lay there thinking about it.” Probably more than 400 Vietnamese died in My Lai massacre. Even more would have perished without the heroic actions of a helicopter crew which stepped in to halt the slaughter. At great risk to himself and his crew, pilot Hugh Thompson landed the helicopter between the soldiers and the fleeing Vietnamese. He ordered his door gunner, 18 year old Lawrence Colburn, to fire his machine gun at the American troops if they began shooting the villagers. Thompson got out, confronted the leader of the soldiers, and the arranged to evacuate the civilians. Thompson’s crew chief, Glenn Andreotta, pulled a child from a ditch full of dead bodies.

13. VIETNAMIZATION
In June 1969 President Nixon announces a new policy to remove U.S. forces.
GOALs
withdraw US ground troops
shifting the military operations
to the South Vietnamese Army.
This would shift the burden of fighting
to the Vietnamese people and South
Vietnam would learn to defend itself.
BY 1972 AMERICAN TROOP STENGTH DROPPED TO 24,000

14. 1973 – WAR POWERS ACT Limits Presidents war making powers
Requires the President to :
Notify Congress within 48 hours of committing American troops to combat
End the combat within 60 days unless Congress authorizes a longer period.
In addition:
Congress can end the combat at any time
by passing a resolution to that effect.
Executive
Vs.
Legislative
Last American troops left South Vietnam on March (0)

15. 1975 – FALL OF SAIGON MARKS END OF VIETNAM WAR
Americans abandon Embassy
South Vietnamese attempt to flee the country.
North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam.

16. The Costs 3,000,000 Vietnamese killed
58,000 Americans killed; 300,000 wounded
$173,000,000,000 in U.S. spending
2,583 American
POWs / MIAs still unaccounted for today
5. US morale, self-confidence and trust in govt was damaged.
No welcome home (shamed and ashamed), high unemployment, alcohol & drug abuse; poor care of disabled vets: underfunded vets hospitals, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Agent Orange health problems, birth defects in vets’ children.
Agent Orange

17. Roy Benavidez From Cuero, Texas
Saved at least 8 soldiers during a rescued mission in Vietnam
he ran through enemy fire to rescue soldiers and get them to a helicopter
the helicopter was shot down and Benavidez was gravely injured as he fought off Vietnamese soldiers in hand to hand combat
He was not expected to live and so was given the Distinguished Service Cross
When he recovered from his injuries and the story was published, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by Reagan

18. Vietnam Timeline/Bar Graph
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
50,000
10,000
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution-US INVOLVED IN VIETNAM
Vietnamese attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin .Congress
giving LBJ power
to wage war.
War Powers Act- limits Pres. War making power, notify Congress 48hr of combat-End combat 60 day unless Congress oks
Fall of Saigon- marks end of War- Embassy falls – Communist invade – north defeats south
Tet Offensive-Turning point-Vietcong launch offensive-take every major city but are turned back.
Vietnamization-Nixon policy to remove forces-withdraw troops shifting operations and burden of fighting to Vietnamese
– learn to defend itself
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