2. US Involvement in Vietnam Grows US History 20.2

3. The Ground War 1965-1968 zNo territorial goals zBody counts on TV every night (first “living room” war) zViet Cong supplies over the Ho Chi Minh Trail

5. The Air War 1965-1968 z1965: Sustained bombing of North Vietnam zOperation Rolling Thunder (March 2, 1965) z1966-68: Ongoing bombing of Hanoi nonstop for 3 years! Esp. targets the Ho Chi Minh Trail. zDowned Pilots: P.O.W.s zCarpet Bombing – napalm

7. Weapons  Napalm-Jellified Gas used previously but used a great deal in Vietnam  Agent Orange- Defoliant used to kill jungle so Viet Cong could not hide. Found to cause cancer and birth defects

8. The Air War: A Napalm Attack

9. Defoliation  Dense jungle needed to be cleared so NVA/VC could not hide. –Agent Orange –Napalm

10. The Ground War 1965-1968 zGeneral Westmoreland zGeneral Westmoreland, late 1967: We can see the “light at the end of the tunnel.”

12. STRATEGY IN THE NAM  Search and Destroy Missions –Drive the enemy from hideouts –Then call in air strikes –Vietcong and NVA would later return to the villages  Pacification(win the heart and mind) –Calm people in the countryside –Villagers relocated, village often destroyed

13. Who Is the Enemy? zVietcong zVietcong: P Farmers by day; guerillas at night. P Very patient people willing to accept many casualties. P The US grossly underestimated their resolve and their resourcefulness. The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. -- M MM Mao Zedong

14. Who Is the Enemy?

15. Facing Challenges  Faced Ambush  Couldn’t tell Vietcong from Civilians –Some peasants turned into Vietcong  Booby Traps –Punji stakes

16. Death Everywhere Bouncing Betty Mines

17. American Morale Begins to Dip zDisproportionate representation of poor people and minorities. zSevere racial problems. zMajor drug problems. zOfficers in combat 6 mo.; in rear 6 mo. Enlisted men in combat for 12 mo.

18. US Forces Mobilize  2.5 million American Serve in the war  Military draft –25% excused for health reasons –30% get deferments (college) –1969 attempt to reform system (lottery) –3% escape the draft

19. Noncombat positions  Administration, communication, engineering, medical care, and transportation  Still in danger/could get killed  Women –10,000 served in noncombat positions(ex. Nurses) –20,000-45,0000 work in civilian capacities (ex. Relief agencies/ Red Cross)

20. Public Opinion Shifts  Media coverage –“Living Room War” –People see the horror of war –Nightly body counts (INFLATED???) –Reporters question the war  “Doves” – opposed to the war  “Hawks” – support the goals of the war