ARVN Troops Don’t Cut It Why Not?

•What are they fighting for?

•Communist sympathizers

•Fragile South Vietnamese leaders (musical chairs government) sees ARVN as a force guaranteeing their rule. Aggressive fighting would drain ARVN forces and make a coup d’etat more likely

America Takes Over in Vietnam

American Advisors Feel that Money Sent to South Vietnam is wasted…

Outposts aka VC Depots

Lack of accountability of funds- radio story

Graft/Black Market

OK… come out! Give us

your weapons!!!

Just a moment,

please. I’m not properly dressed right

now!

VC Forces Grow

About 2000 VC under the height of Diem’s repression

About 53,000 by the time of the 1964 election

LBJ (and his advisors--political and military) Feel That The Only Chance To Stop

Communism is To Send In American Troops. LBJ is hesitant with the election coming up.

• Need for legitimacy• Korean War memories in

U.S. • Congress has the power to

declare war• LBJ has his advisors write up

a draft of a Congressional Resolution giving himself war powers in Vietnam, but holds onto it

I. Clandestine Activities

•U.S. sponsors commando raids by South Vietnamese troops into North Vietnam

•American Advisors play an integral role

II. Why does the U.S. care about being clandestine?

III. International Water Dispute

?

IV. Incident at sea…

…late 1963

V. LBJ’s Response

VI. Gulf of TonkinIncident

VII. What is LBJ to do? VII. U.S. Attacked in the

Tonkin Gulf… What will LBJ do? Is he a wussy?

Good Time for a media literacy lesson, says Mr. Hansen, Best Teacher Ever?

VIII. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Vs.

“It’s like Grandma’s nightshirt. It covers everything.” LBJ

(VIII continued). LBJ’s Response Part #2 … 1st

U.S. attack on North Vietnam!

VIII (continued) . LBJ’s Response Part #3 …

backs away from declaring war

When Goldwater declares a more forceful

commitment, releases Daisy Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExjDzDsgbww

IX. LBJ Wins 1964 Election in

a landslide…

tries to calm down

the Vietnam

situation…no more

attacks for months

X. However, the VC try to get revenge for the aerial bombing with an attack on

the U.S. air base at Pleiku.

•Several Americans KIA and many planes are damaged…

XI. LBJ is 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

XII. In March of 1965, the first American combat troops landed in Vietnam. Their official mission… protect the

airbases. Their actual authorized mission…find and destroy the VC…take over for the ARVN army.

Handout

Vietminh Boat

ARVN boats

US destroyers

US Aircraft Carrier