CHAPTER 30, SECTION 2

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U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION IN
VIETNAM,1965-68

• CHAPTER 30, SECTION 2

2
VOCABULARY

• ROBERT McNAMARA
• DEAN RUSK
• WILLIAM WESTMORELAND
• M.A.C.V.
• NAPALM
• AGENT ORANGE
• SEARCH-AND-DESTROY MISSION
• CREDIBILITY GAP

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AMERICA ESCALATES IN VIETNAM

• 1964 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
• DEMOCRATS LBJ
• REPUBLICAN SEN. BARRY GOLDWATER (AZ)
• GOLDWATER VIEWED BY SOME AS TOO CONSERVATIVE
• EX SOME BELIEVED HE WANTED WAR W/ USSR
• LBJ CAMPAIGN PORTRAYS HIM AS WAR HAWK(DEFINE)
• EX LBJ CAMPIAGN TV ADS
• LBJ CLAIMS HE OPPOSES SENDING COMBAT TROOPS TO
  V-NAM SEE QUOTE, P. 890
• LBJ WINS ELECTION

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ESCALATION

• 1964 CONGRESS PASSES TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION
• LBJ STILL DOESNT WANT TO SEND U.S. GROUND FORCES
  INTO V-NAM
• SEE QUOTE, TOP P. 890
• MARCH, 65
• LBJ ORDERS U.S. GROUND FORCES TO V-NAM
• BY END OF YEAR, 180,000 COMBAT FORCES IN V-NAM
• WHY?
• FEAR OF COMMUNIST EXPANSION IN 3rd WORLD NATIONS
• CONTAINMENT / DOMINO THEORY
• QUESTION WAS LBJs DECISION TO SEND U.S. FORCES
  TO V-NAM ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PREVIOUS
  PRESIDENTS HAD DONE?
• WHAT DID AMERICANS THINK?
• 1965 SURVEY / POLL
• 61 SUPPORT LBJS V-NAM POLICY
• 24 OPPOSED TO LBJS V-NAM POLICY
• CONFLICTING VIEWS
• UNDERSEC. OF STATE GEORGE BALL OPPOSED TO
  SENDING TROOPS
• SEC. OF STATE DEAN RUSK SUPPORTS SENDING TROOPS
  (SEE QUOTE, P. 890)

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ROBERT McNAMARA Secretary of Defense,
1961- 67
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ESCALATION (CONTD.)

• GEN. WILLIAM WESTMORELAND
• 1964 TAKES COMMAND OF M.A.C.V. (COMMAND OF U.S.
  FORCES IN V-NAM)
• M.A.C.V. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
• 1965 REQUESTS MORE TROOPS
• LATE 65 180,000 TROOPS DEPLOYED TO V-NAM
• WESTMORELAND REQUESTS MORE TROOPS
• WHY? SEE QUOTE, P. 890
• 1967 U.S. TROOP s REACH 500,000
• U.S. TROOPS s EVENTUALLY REACH 540,000 IN
  MID-1969

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• Gen. William Westmoreland, Gen. Vo Ngyuen Giap,
• Commander, U.S. Forces Commander, NVA / VC

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• The Ho Chi Minh
• Trail

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Quiz

• Who was the American General in Vietnam?
• Who was the US Secretary of Defense?
• Name one advantage of the United States in the
  Vietnam War?
• Name on advantage of the North Vietnamese/
  Viet-Cong?
• What is Agent Orange?

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• NVA Trucks on the
• Ho Chi Minh Trail
• NVA
  soldiers helping
• supply
  trucks

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COMBAT IN VIETNAM

• U.S. APPROACH TO WAR
• SUPERIOR WEAPONRY / TECHNOLOGY WOULD WIN WAR
• COMMUNIST FORCES WERE NOT WELL ENOUGH EQUIPPED OR
  TRAINED TO WIN
• V-NAMESE HAD NEVER FOUGHT AS POWERFUL A NATION
  LIKE THE U.S.
• QUESTION WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICAN
  BIAS GOING INTO THE WAR?
• COMMUNIST APPROACH TO WAR
• USE KNOWLEDGE OF TERRAIN TO ADVANTAGE
• USE SUPPORT OF CITIZENS TO ADVANTAGE
• CASUALITES / BODY COUNT MEAN NOTHING
• USE GUERRILLA TACTICS TO WEAR DOWN U.S.
• ADAPT / IMPROVISE WEAPONRY, METHODS TO OVERCOME
  TECHNOLOGY DISADVANTAGE
• SEE VC TUNNEL MAP, P. 891
• SEE QUOTE, P. 891

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VIETNAM WAR INFANTRY

• U.S. Army Infantry N.V.A. Infantry
  V.C. Infantry

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U.S. INFANTRY LEADER, VIETNAM1967
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OLIVER STONE,U.S. ARMY,VIETNAM,1968
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AK 47 ASSAULT RIFLE
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ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE (RPG)
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A WAR OF ATTRITION

• DEFINE WAR OF ATTRITION
• WHY WAS VIETNAM A WAR OF ATTRITION?
• WESTMORELANDS VIEW OF THE WAR
• AS THE BODY COUNT INCREASES, SURRENDER WILL BE
  MORE LIKELY
• SEARCH-AND-DESTROY MISSIONS COULD INCREASE THE
  BODY COUNT
• U.S. FORCES HAD TO WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF
  THE CIVILIAN POPULATION
• PROBLEMS
• VC GUERILLA WARFARE IS DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH
• U.S. SEARCH-AND-DESTROY MISSIONS OFTEN ALIENATE
  CIVILIANS
• EX. NAPALM ATTACKS, AGENT ORANGE, VILLAGE
  ATTACKS
• HIGH NUMBERS OF WAR REFUGEES (AT LEAST 3 MIL.)
• U.S. TROOP MORALE DETERIORATES WHY?
• U.S. TACTICS DONT APPEAR TO BE WINNING
• CORRUPTION OF ARVN / S.V-NAM GOVT.
• FRAGGING INCIDENTS OCCUR
• AVAILABILITY OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ( MARIJUANA,
  HEROIN, ETC.) CAUSES PROBLEMS

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THE FULLBRIGHT HEARINGS

• WHEN? 1966
• WHO? SEN. J. WILLIAM FULLBRIGHT, D., ARK.
• WHAT? TELEVISED SENATE HEARRINGS
• SUBJECT?
• U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM
• WAS LBJs ADMINISTRATION BEING HONEST W/ THE
  AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM?
• DID LBJs ADMINISTRATION DECEIVE CONGRESS ABOUT
  THE TONKIN GULF INCIDENT?
• RESULT?
• FULLBRIGHT ACCUSES LBJ w/ A LACK OF CANDOR
  ABOUT THE WAR
• CREDIBILITY GAP FOR LBJ WORSENS
• BIG QUESTION IS THE GOVT . LYING TO THE PUBLIC
  ABOUT THE WAR?

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SENATORJ. WILLIAM FULLBRIGHTDEMOCRAT,
ARKANSASCHAIRMAN,SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE
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• U.S. ARMY
• INFANTRY ON PATROL,
• VIETNAM - 1967

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STANDARD INFANTRY WEAPONS, VIETNAM
U.S. ARMY / U.S. MARINES

• M-16 A1 Service Rifle M-16 A1 with
• 
  M203 Grenade Launcher
• M-60 Machine Gun M79 Grenade Launcher

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• TRAINING
• MAINTENANCE
• MANUAL, 1969
• M-16 A1 RIFLE

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MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, USSR

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• AK 47
• Automata Kalashnikova,1947

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VIETNAM TUNNELS TODAY
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• HUEYs IN ACTION,
• VIETNAM, U.S. ARMY

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U.S. HUEY HELICOPTER
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U.S. COBRA ATTACK HELICOPTER
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U.S.A.F. B-52 BOMBER
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DAMAGE TO THE GREAT SOCIETY

• WAR ESCALATION BROUGHT INCREASED COSTS
• U.S. ECONOMY SUFFERED INFLATION GROWS
• 1967 LBJ ASKS CONGRESS FOR TAX INCREASE TO
  CONTROL INFLATION
• BUTCONGRESS WONT APPROVE TAX INCREASE W/OUT 6
  BILLION REDUCTION IN GREAT SOCIETY PROGRAMS
• LBJ SUFFERS CREDIBILITY GAP
• WAR IS A LIVING ROOM WAR- NIGHTLY MEDIA
  COVERAGE EXPOSES PROBLEMS IN WAR
• GREAT SOCIETY PROMISES ARE NOT BEING MET
• 1965 66 16,000 U.S. KIA
• THE PROMISES OF THE GREAT SOCEITY HAVE BEEN SHOT
  DOWN ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF VIETNAM
• -MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

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VIETNAM ERA QUOTES

• I AM NOT ABOUT TO SEND AMERICAN BOYS 9 OR 10,000
  MILES AWAY FROM HOME TO DO WHAT ASIAN BOYS OUGHT
  TO BE DOING FOR THEMSELVES LBJ, 1964
• THE ARVN CANNOT STAND UP TO THIS PRESSURE
  WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL U.S. COMBAT SUPPORT ON THE
  GROUND. THE ONLY POSSIBLE RESPONSE IS THE
  AGGRESSIVE DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. TROOPS - GEN.
  WESTMORELAND, 1965
• THE MORE THE AMERICANS TRIED TO DRIVE US AWAY
  FROM OUR LAND, THE MORE WE BURROWED INTO IT -
  MAJOR NGUYEN QUOT, VC
• YOU CAN KILL TEN OF MY MEN FOR EVERY ONE I KILL
  OF YOURS, BUT EVEN AT THOSE ODDS, YOU WILL LOSE
  AND I WILL WIN HO CHI MINH

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VIETNAM ERA QUOTES

• IF I HAD THOUGHT THEY WOULD TAKE THIS PUNISHMENT
  AND FIGHT THIS WELL, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
  DIFFERENTLY AT THE START ROBERT McNAMARA, 1967
• THE COMMUNISTS WERE PREPARED TO GO ON AND ON,
  AND THEY HAD FACTORED THEIR HUMAN COSTS INTO THE
  EQUATION STANLEY KARNOW
• JUST REMEMBER THIS COMMUNIST GUERRILLAS HIDE
  AMONG THE PEOPLE. IF YOU WIN THE PEOPLE OVER TO
  YOUR SIDE, THE COMMUNIST GUERILLAS HAVE NO PLACE
  TO HIDE. - EDWARD LANDSDALE, U.S. ARMY SPECIAL
  FORCES
• WE HAD TO DESTROY THE VILLAGE IN ORDER TO SAVE
  IT U.S. ARMY OFFICER, BEN TRE, 1968

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VIETNAM ERA QUOTES

• WERE FIGHTING TO SAVE THESE PEOPLE, AND THEYRE
  FIGHTING EACH OTHER U.S. GOVT. OFFICIAL, 1966
• VICTORY LIES WITHIN OUR GRASP THE ENEMYS
  HOPES ARE FADING GEN. WESTMORELAND, 1967
• WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
  ROBERT McNAMARA, 1967
• I WANT TO GET OUT, BUT I DONT WANT TO GIVE IN
  AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE

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• LBJ CARTOON -
• LBJ SHOWING THE
• SCAR VIETNAM HAS
• LEFT ON HIM

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