2. 1965 Johnson sends large numbers of troops to fight alongside the South Vietnamese

3. Contain Communism BUT…. “…not about to send American boys 9 to 10,000 miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves” BUT HE DID IT!!!!!

4. Some see Johnson’s decision contradictory to his position on the war in his presidential campaign 1965 Poll shows 61% of Americans supporting U.S. Policy in Vietnam

5. Secretary of Defense – Robert McNamara Secretary of State – Dean Rusk

6. By End of 1965 more than 180,000 American Troops in Vietnam By 1967 we have 500,000 troops in Vietnam

7. General Requests more troops West Point Graduate

9. Army of Republic of Vietnam South Vietnamese Army

12. Knowledge of Jungle to Vietcong Advantage –Hit-and-Run –Ambush –Elaborate tunnels –Surprise attacks

13. General Westmoreland’s strategy –Destroy Vietcong Morale –Concept of body count –Wear down enemy by harassment

15. Becoming costly to fund war = inflation increasing LBJ wants tax increase to pay for war to get support for tax increase LBJ must employ a 6 billion reduction in funding the GREAT SOCIETY

16. Critics say that there was difference between what LBJ was saying and what was actually happening in Vietnam