The 1 st Official American Troops or The Gulf of Tonkin Incident

1. The 1st Official American Troops orThe Gulf of Tonkin Incident

2. ARVN Troops Don’t Cut It • Why Not? • What are they fighting for? • Communist sympathizers • Fragile South Vietnamese leaders see ARVN as a force guaranteeing their rule. Aggressive fighting would drain ARVN forces and make a coup d’etat more likely

3. American Advisors Felt that Money Sent to South Vietnam is wasted… Just a moment, please. I’m not properly dressed right now! OK… come out! Give us your weapons!!! • Outposts aka VC Depots • Lack of accountability of funds- radio story • Graft/Black Market

4. VC Forces Grew • About 2000 VC under the height of Diem’s repression • About 53,000 by the time of the 1964 election

5. LBJ Hesitant To Send in American Troops With the Election Coming Up. • Why was he hesitant? • Need for legitimacy • Negative memories of Korean War in U.S. • Congress has the power to declare war • LBJ has his advisors wrote up a draft of a Congressional Resolution giving him war powers in Vietnam, but holds onto it

6. An event in the Gulf of Tonkin changedeverything! Vietminh Boat  ARVN boats  US Aircraft Carrier US destroyers 

7. I. Clandestine Activities • U.S. sponsored commando raids by South Vietnamese troops into North Vietnam • American Advisors played an integral role

8. II. International Water Dispute ?

9. III. Incident at sea……late 1963

10. IV. LBJ’s Response

11. V. Gulf of TonkinIncident

12. VI. U.S. Attacked in the Tonkin Gulf… What will LBJ do? Is he a wussy? VII. What is LBJ to do? Good Time for a media literacy lesson, says Mr. Hansen, Best Teacher Ever?

13. VII. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Vs. “It’s like Grandma’s nightshirt. It covers everything.” LBJ

14. VIII. LBJ’s Response… 1st U.S. attack on North Vietnam!

15. IX. LBJ Wins 1964 Election in a landslide… tries to calm down the Vietnam situation…no more attacks for months

16. However, the VC Sought Revenge for the Aerial Bombing with an Attack on the U.S. air base at Pleiku. • Several Americans KIA and many planes are damaged…

17. LBJ got pissed off… • “I have asked the commanding general…what he needs… He has told me. And we will meet his needs. We cannot be defeated in Vietnam by force of arms. We will stand in Vietnam.” LBJ

18. First American Combat Troops Arrived In Vietnam • March, 1965 • Their official mission… protect the airbases. • Their actual authorized mission…find and destroy the VC…take over for the ARVN army.

19. ARVN Troops Didn’t Cut It Why Not? __________________________________________? __________________________________ Fragile South Vietnamese leaders see ARVN as a force ________________________________. __________________________________________ ____________________________ and make a coup d’etat more likely American Advisors Felt That Money Sent to Vietnam Was Wasted Outposts aka __________________ __________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Lack of accountability of funds- radio story ____________________________ VC Forces Grew About ______________ under the height of Diem’s repression About ___________ by the time of the 1964 election LBJ Hesitant to Send in American Troops With an Election Coming Up Why was he hesitant? __________________________ Negative memories of _________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________ LBJ has his advisors wrote up a ____________________ __________________________ giving him war powers in Vietnam, but __________________________________ An Event in the ________________________ Changed Everything I. Clandestine Activities U.S. sponsored _____________________________ ___________________ troops into North Vietnam ____________________ played an integral role II. International Water Dispute _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ III. Incident at Sea – 1963 _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ IV LBJ’s Response __________________________________________ __________________________________________ V. Gulf of Tonkin Incident ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ VI. Newspaper Reports Goaded the President ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ VII. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ VIII. LBJ’s Response to Gulf of Tonkin Incident ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ IX. IX. LBJ Won the 1964 Election in a landslide… tried to calm down the Vietnam situation no more ___________________________________ However, the VC Sought Revenge for the Aerial _______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ LBJ Got Pissed Off “I have asked the commanding general…what he needs… He has told me. And we will meet his needs. _____________________________ _____________________________. We will stand in Vietnam.” LBJ First U.S. Combat Troops Land in Vietnam ________________________ Their official mission… _______________________ Their actual authorized mission…_____________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Hansen Name ____________ Vietnam Period ______The First Official American Troops (or) The Gulf of Tonkin Incident - Note Taking Guide