Vietnam War: History and Impact on America

1. Vietnam- The “Battlefield” Ms. Garvin/ Mrs. Gaven US History II

2. Why Do We Care About Vietnam? • COMMUNISM • Vietnamese attain independence from France • Ho Chi Minh: Communist • Followers: Vietminh • North Vietnam: Hanoi • America backs French • 1954: French finally surrender at Dien Bien Phu

3. US Gets Involved • Korean War • Domino Theory • Geneva Accords: • Vietnam Divided • North Vietnam: Communist: Ho Chi Minh • South Vietnam: “Democratic”: Ngo Dinh Diem • Supposed to reunite but South Vietnamese oppose. • Vietcong forms: Supporters of North Vietnam and Ho • Guerilla Fighters

4. Even More Involved • President Kennedy: Sends aid and military advisors: NO TROOPS! • US withdraws support when Diem is found to be corrupt and totalitarian. • Diem Assassinated.

5. Kennedy Assassinated : -(

6. Johnson and Vietnam • President Johnson: increases economic aid and sends over more military advisors. • Authorizes secret actions against North Vietnam. • SU and China are supporting North Vietnam. • Gulf of Tonkin: • Shady account of North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacking American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. • President Johnson authorizes US air strikes against North Vietnam. • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Congress approves all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.

7. Involvement Escalates • 1964: Johnson says he won’t send Americans to war. • President Johnson, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Secretary of State Dean Rusk decide to send troops to Vietnam in March 1965. • Undersecretary of State George Ball- “once on the tiger’s back, we cannot be sure of picking the place to dismount” • Vietcong attack an American base: Pleiku. 8 Americans dead. • US air strikes that would last for 3 years. • Drastically increases military presence: • 1965: 3,500 Marines. • Then 50,000 • Then 184,000 • By 1968: ½ million

8. The Vietnam Draft • Draft – • 1965, first soldiers arrived in Vietnam • Four months later, # of young men drafted DOUBLED to 35,000 a month to meet the demand for new soldiers • Many tried to get a “deferment” (postponement of their service) by enrolling in college • Men inducted by year: • 1970: 162,746 • 1971: 94,092 • 1972 : 49,514 • 1973 : 646 • The draft ended on July 1, 1973 • American Forces fighting with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army) General William Westmoreland: Commander of American forces in South Vietnam

9. Understanding the Lotteries • Drawing determined the order men would be drafted; gov’t started with men who turned 20 in the year of the draft • Birthdates and “priority” numbers were drawn in combination (randomly) • These numbers determined who would get an induction notice and what order • Ex: If the date April 22 and the number 42 was drawn, then men turning 20 years old on April 22 of the current year would be the 42nd group to receive induction notices (have to report for physical/psychological evaluations) • 1st since 1942 held on Dec 1, 1969 • Sept 14th = #1 • When a man was found fit, he had 10 days to file a claim for exemption, postponement or deferment • An estimated 70,000 American men fled to Canada to evade the draft or as deserters.  Overall, an estimated 60% of potentially eligible men escaped the draft in the Vietnam years, mostly by qualifying for exemptions of many different kinds.

10. Jungle Warfare • Using hit and run ambush tactics the Vietcong attacked U.S. in the cities and countryside of Vietnam. • Vietcong far weaker than US but used Knowledge of land. (Sound familiar?!?!?!?) • Enemy lived among civilians- could not tell friend from foe. • Tunnel system allows them to withstand airstrikes and hide. • Disassembled and reused U.S. mines.

11. War of Attrition • 1965: Nguyen Cao Ky takes power in South Vietnam. • Stops Buddhist protests. • Not democratic but stable. • “Hearts and Minds” Campaign: • American strategy to keep the Vietcong from winning the support of South Vietnam’s rural population. • Get the people on your side- Vietcong will have no place to hide. • Search and Destroy Missions: • Locate enemy stronghold. • Helicopters would spray with machine gunfire. • Land and troops fan out. • Goal: kill as many Vietcong as possible. • Destroys villages in the process. • “We had to destroy the town to save it. “ • Trying to get Vietcong to surrender.

12. New Weapons • Americans had latest weapons and well trained. • Napalm: jellylike substance that burst into flames, sticking to people’s bodies. • Agent Orange: Herbicide dropped on Vietnamese countryside. • Huge health side affects for Americans and Vietnamese. • 1975: US says never use again unless enemy uses first.

13. Tet Offensive • Back Home- opposition to the war is on the rise. • January 31, 1968 • Tet: Vietnamese New Year • Masterful plan- Villagers and coffins. • Attack over 100 towns and cities and 12 air bases. • Vietcong launch attacks on every major city in South Vietnam. • Saigon: Break through the American embassy. • 5 Americans killed • Hue: Seized the former home of Vietnam's emperors. • Americans respond quickly. • By February 25th we had taken land back. • Turning Point of War: • Vietcong lost 32,000 soldiers. • U.S./ ARVN lost 3,000 soldiers • Military victory for US or not? • Realize the resolve of the Vietcong. • President Johnson starts to realize this war might not be one we can win. • Shook American resolve to fight.

14. The Tet Offensive

15. Growing Opposition – Post Tet Offensive • Media OPENLY criticizes war • Walter Cronkite expressed that Johnson had misled U.S. • “That’s it. If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost America.” • Only 26% of Americans approved handing of war • LBJ Response: • Appoints Clark Clifford as new Secretary of Defense (McNamara) • Clifford: war is unwinnable • Removed General Westmoreland as commander of U.S. forces • March 31, 1968: • http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=johnson+doesn%27t+run+for+re+election&view=detail&mid=A590AE31E86B12C35D66A590AE31E86B12C35D66&first=0&FORM=LKVR • Video Clip – Johnson addresses nation

17. 1968 • January: • Tet Offensive • March: • LBJ not running for reelection. • April • 4: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. • 4-8: Worst set of widespread rioting in almost every major city. • 8: Siege of Khe Sanh ends. • 23: Columbia Students protest seizing university buildings. • June • Assassination of Robert Kennedy. • August • Riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. • November • Nixon elected President. • Promises “Law and Order” • Beatles dominate the airwaves. • Rock n Roll is no longer cheerful!

18. Election of 1968

19. Vietnamization • Vietnamization: • Gradual scaling down of U.S. troops to allow the ARVN to take over. • Establish “peace with honor”- aka preserve U.S. clout and make it appear like we did not completely mess this thing up!!!! • Nixon begins scaling down troops and in April 1970 150,000 soldiers had left Vietnam. • Bombings in Cambodia start. • Bombing Communist bases in Cambodia along ho Chi Minh Trail. • Does not hurt North Vietnamese. • Causes chaos in Cambodia.

20. My Lai Massacre • November 1969 U.S. reporter Seymour Hersh reported that on March 16, 1968 a U.S. platoon massacred innocent civilinas in the village of My Lai. • Under command of Lieutenant William Calley Jr. • Shot over 200 innocent Vietnamese on a “search and destroy” mission. • Mostly women, children and elderly • War Crimes Trial • Troops said they were innocent because they were “following orders”. • “Kill anything that breathed.”- Direct order • 25 army officers charged- Only Lieutenant Calley was convicted and imprisoned. • Graphic Images on Next Slide!!!!!!

21. My Lai

22. Peace Talks • Peace talks had started and were dragging along. • Take two steps forward and four backward with bombing campaigns. • North Vietnamese want: • US out of Vietnam. • South Vietnamese with a new government including Communist representatives. • Henry Kissinger was talking to North Vietnamese in secret. • By September 1972: 60,000 remained. • December 1972: Christmas bombings- 100,000 U.S. bombs dropped over eleven days. • Paris Peace Accords: • January 27, 1973 • Last American troops left in March. • Allowed 150,000 North Vietnamese troops to remain in the South.

23. Vietnam War not over for Everyone • 1974: North Vietnamese launch an attack against South Vietnamese. • 1975: North Vietnamese once again capture Hue. • Convoy of Tears: • South Vietnamese troops retreat. • Much of army is captured, killed, or desert. • April 29, 1975: • North Vietnamese are near Saigon. • 1,000 Workers in Saigon still. • Americans stage a dramatic helicopter rescue. • American ships rescue thousands of South Vietnamese by sea. • April 30, 1975: • North Vietnamese enter Saigon. • South Vietnamese surrender. • Vietnam united. • Saigon: Ho Chi Minh City

24. Legacy of ‘Nam • War leaves Vietnam and Southeast Asia in total chaos. • Vietnam • Communists in Vietnam imprisoned over 400,000 south Vietnamese in labor camps. • 1.5 million flee. • “Boat people”- poor Vietnamese flee- 50,000 perish • Cambodia • US Invasion started a civil war. • Khmer Rouge- Communist group- executed professionals and anyone with an education • Killed at least 1 million

25. Cost of War • 58,000 Americans die in combat. • 300,000 Americans are wounded. • American paid $200 billion. • War memories lingered on. • Veterans suffered from PTSD, effects of chemical weapons, night terrors, and the constant ridicule from Americans. • Trust in Government ceased to exist. • Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973: • Declared that a President could not send military forces into action for longer than 60 days without congressional approval. • Twenty-sixth Amendment: 1971: • Lowered the voting age to 18. • 1982: Vietnam War Memorial is built.