D. LBJ September 25,

1964

“We don’t want our American boys to do the fighting for Asian boys. We don’t want to get tied down in a land war in Asia.”

Gulf of Tonkin Incident August 2, 1964

• NV torpedo boats fire on Maddox

• Damage-1 Bullet hole!• 3 Torpedoes Missed!

August 4, 1964• Maddox used as bait!• No one heard a single

shot! US Response-64

planes bomb oil depot in NV.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution August 7, 1964

• House 416-0• Senate 88-2

Gave LBJ a “Blank Check”• Gave the President the

right to repel by any means necessary any attack against US armed forces.

Grandma’s Nightshirt

Start of the Air War Operation Rolling

Thunder• Supposed to take 6-

8 weeks, lasted 4 years

• Showed support for SV & Bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail

• “We’re going to bomb them back to the Stone Age.” –Curtis LeMay

Herbicides Most commonly

used-Agent Orange• US sprayed millions

of gallons on the jungles of Vietnam

• 100,000x deadlier than any other chemical in the world

• It’s a carcinogen!!

Napalm Jellied Gasoline

• An incendiary bomb used to burn away the jungle!

• Also causes cancer!• Outlawed in 1984.

Carpet Bombing Planes fly in groups

of 3• No clear objectives!• Level areas 1 mile

long and a ½ mile wide.

Puff the Magic Dragon• Guns that fires

18,000 rounds/minute

Ho Chi Minh Trail Main supply line for

the VietCong• It ran from North

Vietnam, through Laos, and into Cambodia.

Ho Chi Minh Trail cont.

Operation Barrel Roll Massive bombing of

Laos/Cambodia starting in 1964.• Done in secret!• After revolution in

Laos!• Boomerang Effect-

massive infiltration of troops down the trail. 1965-8,800/month 1967-100,000/month

The Ground War First combat troops

sent in March 6, 1965 Defensive War-

learned lessons of aggression from Korea.• Troop level increased

to 550,000• Search and Destroy-

Locate enemy, call in air strike, clear ground w/troops

• Problem-Never hold /control any territory.