UPDATED VIETNAM WAR GOOD STUFF

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

A series of reported attacks involving U.S. ships and North Vietnamese forces in August 1964 that led to increased American involvement in Vietnam.

How did McNamara’s views change over time?

He went from supporting to doubting the u.s.

Which U.S. ship was attacked on August 2

1964

Westmoreland wanted…

Attrition warfare

Where was the USS Maddox operating?

In the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam in the South China Sea.

What is attrition warfare?

Trying to wear down the enemy through constant casualties and exhaustion.

Why were American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin?

To gather intelligence

Attack at Pleiku was..

Communist forces attacked a U.S. base leading Johnson to escalate the war further and increase troop count

What does “sabre rattling” mean?

Acting aggressively or threateningly to intimidate another country.

What was operation Rolling Thunder?

A massive U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam

What happened during the August 2 attack?

Three North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the USS Maddox with torpedoes.

Why was body count unreliable?

• Numbers were often exaggerated

• High casualties did NOT guarantee victory

What happened to the three Vietnamese patrol boats?

One was sunk

What was Agent Orange?

A chemical herbicide used to destroy jungles, and to remove enemy hiding places

Which additional ships did Johnson send after the first attack?

USS C. Turner Joy and USS Ticonderoga.

Why was the Ho Chi Minh Trail difficult to stop ?

It went through dense jungles, especially through Laos and Cambodia

What was special about the USS Ticonderoga?

It was an aircraft carrier.

What was the overall NVA / VC strategy?

Outlast and wear down the U.S.

Why was the Tet Offensive launched during the Lunar New Year?

The holiday truce allowed communist forces to secretly move weapons and troops into cities while many people were distracted by celebrations.

What was President Johnson telling Americans before the Tet Offensive?

That the United States was winning the Vietnam War.

Why is the August 4 attack controversial?

Historians believe it likely never happened.

Why did the Tet Offensive shock the American public?

Because communist forces launched massive attacks across over 100 cities despite claims that the war was being won.

Q: What confused the second attack?

Stormy weather-rough seas-sonar confusion-nervous tension.

What was the main long-term goal of the Tet Offensive?

To weaken American public support for the war and make the conflict political inside the United States

What did sonar operators believe they heard

Torpedoes.

What were the goals of the Tet Offensive?

• Cause heavy U.S. losses

• Force Negotiations

• Spark a South Vietnamese uprising

• Weaken U.S. / ARVN alliance

What is a “non-denial denial”?

A carefully worded statement that avoids technically lying while misleading people.

Why was the Battle of Hue important?

It was one of the bloodiest urban battles of Tet and showed how destructive city fighting could be

Who was the Secretary of Defense during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

Robert McNamara.

What was the My Lai Massacre?

1968 incident in which American soliders killed large numbers of unarmed vietnamese civilans during the Vietnam war

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

A congressional resolution allowing the president to take “all necessary measures” in Vietnam.

What was a “Fire Free Zone?”

• Soldiers were allowed to shoot at suspected enemies without needing confirmation

• Dangerous for civilans because they could be mistaken as enemy fighters

Why was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution historically significant?

It greatly expanded presidential war powers without an official declaration of war.

Why is My Lai considered a war crime?

Unarmed civilans, including women and children, were killed intentionally

What constitutional power did Congress effectively give Johnson?

The power to wage war.

How was Lt. Calley originally charged?

109 counts of murder

Why was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution compared to “Grandma’s nightgown”?

Because it covered almost anything Johnson wanted to do militarily.

How did the House vote on the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

416–0.

How did the Senate vote on the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

88–2.

What major consequence followed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

Massive escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Q: Why did North Vietnam view the Maddox as hostile?

Because it was connected to intelligence operations and South Vietnamese raids.