1. Vietnam: In Search of a Strategy

2. Lesson Objectives Understand the timeline of events that led to the decision for major U.S. troop deployments to Southeast Asia in 1965. Be able to articulate the issues and discussions surrounding the 1965 decision to escalate the war in Vietnam. Understand the evolution of U.S. objectives and strategy for the Vietnam War.

3. Timeline The Stage is Set Mar 59Ho Chi Minh declares People’s War to unite Vietnam May 59DRV establishes Central Office of South Vietnam (COSVN)  Oversee coming war in South Vietnam May 59 NVA* unit established to construct, maintain Ho Chi Minh Trail Apr 60DVR establishes universal conscription “for the duration” * North Vietnamese Army Review

4. Strategy of Revolutionary War Phase I: Targeted state stronger militarily Phase II: Rough military parity Phase III: Revolution stronger than targeted state Revolutionaries avoid combat Guerrilla war: raids, ambushes, sabotage, terrorism Political conflict predominant Combined guerrilla and conventional war Military and political conflict equally important Revolutionary forces go to totally conventional war “General Offensive” linked to political “Great Uprising” Review

5. Strategy of Revolutionary War Objective: The seizure of power in a nation-state … … by any means possible Characteristics: Integrated military conflict and political conflict War on multiple fronts Geographical Programmatic Review Viet Minh Strategy As Used In First Indochina War

6. North Vietnamese Strategy Strategy of Revolutionary War Objective: The seizure of power in a nation-state … … by any means possible Characteristics: Integrated military conflict and political conflict War on multiple fronts Geographical Programmatic … just as they used against the French in the First Indochina War! Review Viet Minh Strategy As used In First Indochina War

7. Strategy of Revolutionary War Timeline 1954-1965: Phase I (targeted state stronger) 1961-1965: Heated Politburo debate on transition As applied to the Vietnam (Second Indochina) War

9. Timeline Kennedy ordered 2,530 more advisors to South Vietnam 1961 2,530

10. Timeline Kennedy ordered 2,530 more advisors to South Vietnam US Army helicopters arrived in South Vietnam USAF personnel began “training” ops in VNAF aircraft May 61 11 Dec 61 Mar 62

11. US Advisors (to Army of the Republic of Vietnam - ARVN) ( First 1:26 )

12. US Advisors   (5:00) (to Montagnard irregulars)

13. Early Air Operations (2:03 – 8:00)

14. The Vietnam War Operation Ranch Hand Defoliation Spray Missions

15. UC-123B in VNAF Markings

16. Aircraft Markings USAF VNAF

17. Operation Ranch Hand ( 7:37 – 9:02 )

18. Timeline Kennedy ordered 2,530 more advisors to South Vietnam US Army helicopters arrived in South Vietnam USAF personnel began “training” ops in VNAF aircraft 1961 11 Dec 61 Mar 62 RVN initiated Strategic Hamlet Relocation Program Mar 62 NVA troops begin moving into South Vietnam 1960

19. Timeline Kennedy ordered 2,530 more advisors to South Vietnam US Army helicopters arrived in South Vietnam USAF personnel began “training” ops in VNAF aircraft 1961 11 Dec 61 Mar 62 RVN initiated Strategic Hamlet Relocation Program May 62VC began battalion-sized operations (Central Highlands) 1 Aug 62 Kennedy signed Foreign Assistance Act of 1962 Mar 62 Provided assistance to countries under Communist attack NVA troops begin moving into South Vietnam 1960

20. Timeline Kennedy ordered 2,530 more advisors to South Vietnam US Army helicopters arrived in South Vietnam USAF personnel began “training” ops in VNAF aircraft 1961 11 Dec 61 Mar 62 RVN initiated Strategic Hamlet Relocation Program May 62VC began battalion-sized operations (Central Highlands) 1 Aug 62 Kennedy signed Foreign Assistance Act of 1962 Mar 62 Provided assistance to countries under Communist attack NVA troops begin moving into South Vietnam 1960

21. Timeline Battle of Ap Bac: VC inflicted major defeat on RVN force 3 Jan 63 First time VC units had held their own against ARVN Significant setback for US faith in Diem government

22. Battle of Ap Bac Green: Rice growing area January 3, 1963

23. Timeline Battle of Ap Bac: VC inflicted major defeat on RVN force 3 Jan 63 First time VC units had held their own against ARVN Significant setback for US faith in Diem government Buddhist unrest, repression in South VietnamMay- Aug 63 Monk Self-Immolation Hué, RVN June 11, 1963

24. Diem vs. Buddhists

25. Timeline Battle of Ap Bac: VC inflicted major defeat on RVN force 3 Jan 63 First time VC units had held their own against ARVN Significant setback for US faith in Diem government Buddhist unrest, repression in South Vietnam Kennedy Administration discusses options for Diem CIA-supported ARVN coup overthrows Diem May- Aug 63 Aug-Oct 63 1 Nov 63 Diem and this brother killed by ARVN

26. Timeline Battle of Ap Bac: VC inflicted major defeat on RVN force 3 Jan 63 First time VC units had held their own against ARVN Significant setback for US faith in Diem government Buddhist unrest, repression in South Vietnam Kennedy Administration discusses options for Diem CIA-supported ARVN coup overthrows Diem May- Aug 63 Aug-Oct 63 1 Nov 63 Diem and this brother killed by ARVN 22 Nov 63President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas

27. John F. Kennedy May 29, 1917 - November 22, 1963

28. US Locked In General William C. Westmoreland, who seven months after Diem's assassination replaced General Paul Harkins as commander of MACV, summed up the consequences of President Kennedy's involvement. “In his zeal, the young president made a grievous mistake in assenting to the overthrow of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963,” Westmoreland said. Why It Was Impossible for the U.S. to Stay Uninvolved Col. William Wilson, USA (Retired) Vietnam Magazine, April 1997 “ In my view that action morally locked us in Vietnam. If it had not been for our involvement in the overthrow of President Diem, we could perhaps have gracefully withdrawn our support when South Vietnam's lack of unity and leadership became apparent.”

30. Situation 1964 White House concerned about the 1964 election Staffers realized current advising strategy was not succeeding Predicted North Vietnamese takeover that year Hoped to stave off collapse until after election Link Fredrik Logevall “Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam” Presidential Studies Quarterly, March 2004

31. Timeline Mar 64Secret CIA bombing of Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos began Civilian pilots (Air America) flying old U.S. aircraft May 64LBJ staff begins drafting Congressional support resolution Temporarily shelved due to lack of support in Senate Summer 64Guerilla warfare spreading throughout South Vietnam Now supported by NVA regulars 2-4 Aug 64Gulf of Tonkin Incident

32. Timeline Mar 64Secret CIA bombing of Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos began Civilian pilots (Air America) flying old U.S. aircraft May 64LBJ staff begins drafting Congressional support resolution Temporarily shelved due to lack of support in Senate Summer 64Guerilla warfare spreading throughout South Vietnam Now supported by NVA regulars 2-4 Aug 64Gulf of Tonkin Incident 7 Aug 64Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress Authorizes president to use force to protect U.S. forces President orders retaliatory strikes against North Vietnam

33. Tonkin Gulf Incident

35. Jul 65US & Vietnamese navies conducting special operations along N Vietnam coast

36. Tonkin Gulf Incident Jul 65US & Vietnamese navies conducting special operations along N Vietnam coast Destroyer USS Maddox providing support and conducting electronic intelligence gathering

37. Tonkin Gulf Incident

39. Tonkin Gulf Resolution

40. Tonkin Gulf Incident Robert McNamara (2002) Players: Admiral Sharp: Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr., - CINCPAC. General Burchinal: David A. Burchinal - Director, Joint Staff, JCS Excerpt from The Fog of War (5:47)

41. Timeline 16 Oct 64China explodes its first nuclear weapon I Nov 64VC attack Bien Hoa Air Base First attack on Americans; five Gis killed 3 Nov 64Lyndon Johnson elected to presidency by landslide

42. Attacks on US Airfields I Nov 64VC attack Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigom First attack on Americans; five Gis killed 6 Feb 65VC attack US base at Pleiku (central Highlands) Eight Americans killed, ten aircraft destroyed 7 Feb 65 President orders air strikes against North Vietnam Operation Flaming Dart continues to 24 Feb 65 7 Mar 65President authorizes Operation Rolling Thunder Progressively escalating air attack against North Vietnam Dual military and political objectives Ran until 2 Nov 68

43. Operation Rolling Thunder Battlefield Vietnam Ep 10 (YouTube – 4:54)

44. Support for Buildup “Even in the aftermath of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, as the Johnson administration began increasing troop levels in Southeast Asia, Source Joshua Zeitz "1964 - The Year the Sixties Began" American Heritage, October 2006 … 45 percent of Americans wanted to stay the course in Vietnam,” … 36 percent wanted to 'step up the war by carrying the fight to North Vietnam,' for example, through more air strikes against communist territory, … while only 19 percent supported pulling out. In short, by a large margin, Americans demanded victory of their leaders... Lyndon Johnson, then, was acting with the full faith and support of his electorate. A

45. LBJ’s Dilemma “In later years [Johnson] lamented: Source... But if I left that war and let the communists take over South Vietnam, then I would be seen as a coward and my nation would be seen as an appeaser, and we would both find it impossible to accomplish anything for anybody anywhere on the entire globe.’” Joshua Zeitz "1964 - The Year the Sixties Began" American Heritage, October 2006 If I left the woman I really loved, the Great Society, in order to get involved in that bitch of a war on the other side of the world, I would lose everything at home. All my programs. 'I knew from the start that I was bound to be crucified either way I moved.

46. The Great Society

47. LBJ’s Dilemma Escalate or Withdraw

48. Discussions on Escalation Feb 65 – Jul 65 Part 1 Feb-Mar 64 Part 2 May64 Part 3 Jun-Aug64 Part 4 Feb-Jun65 Part 5 Jun-Jul65

49. Vietnam: Great Society to Great Quagmire Next:

50. Lesson Objectives Describe and analyze the changes in the American home front and their impact on US conduct of the war prior to and after the Tet 1968 offensize. Describe and analyze the impact of technology in the Vietnam War. Describe and analyze the significance and history of the bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Be able to describe the Ho Chi Minh Trail and analyze its significance in the Vietnam War. Describe the operational and strategic significance of the Tet Offensive (1968) and analyze is impact on US foreign policy since.

51. End