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

U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND ESCALATION IN VIETNAM, 1965-68. CHAPTER 30, SECTION 2. VOCABULARY. ROBERT McNAMARA DEAN RUSK WILLIAM WESTMORELAND M.A.C.V. NAPALM AGENT ORANGE SEARCH-AND-DESTROY MISSION CREDIBILITY GAP. AMERICA ESCALATES IN VIETNAM. 1964 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION:

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

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  1. 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

  3. 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

  4. ESCALATION • 1964: CONGRESS PASSES TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION • LBJ STILL DOESN’T 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 LBJ’s 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 LBJ’S V-NAM POLICY • 24% OPPOSED TO LBJ’S 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)

  5. ROBERT McNAMARA Secretary of Defense, 1961- 67

  6. ESCALATION (CONT’D.) • 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

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

  8. The Ho Chi Minh Trail

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

  10. 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

  11. VIETNAM WAR INFANTRY • U.S. Army Infantry N.V.A. Infantry V.C. Infantry

  12. U.S. INFANTRY LEADER, VIETNAM1967

  13. OLIVER STONE,U.S. ARMY,VIETNAM,1968

  14. AK – 47 ASSAULT RIFLE

  15. ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE (RPG)

  16. A WAR OF ATTRITION • DEFINE: “ WAR OF ATTRITION” • WHY WAS VIETNAM A “WAR OF ATTRITION”? • WESTMORELAND’S 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 DON’T APPEAR TO BE WINNING • CORRUPTION OF ARVN / S.V-NAM GOV’T. • “FRAGGING” INCIDENTS OCCUR • AVAILABILITY OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ( MARIJUANA, HEROIN, ETC.) CAUSES PROBLEMS

  17. THE FULLBRIGHT HEARINGS • WHEN? 1966 • WHO? SEN. J. WILLIAM FULLBRIGHT, D., ARK. • WHAT? TELEVISED SENATE HEARRINGS • SUBJECT? • U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM • WAS LBJ’s ADMINISTRATION BEING HONEST W/ THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM? • DID LBJ’s 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 GOV’T . LYING TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE WAR?

  18. SENATORJ. WILLIAM FULLBRIGHTDEMOCRAT, ARKANSASCHAIRMAN,SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

  19. U.S. ARMY INFANTRY ON PATROL, VIETNAM - 1967

  20. 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

  21. TRAINING & MAINTENANCE MANUAL, 1969 M-16 A1 RIFLE

  22. MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, USSR

  23. AK – 47 Automata Kalashnikova,1947

  24. VIETNAM TUNNELS TODAY

  25. HUEYs IN ACTION, VIETNAM, U.S. ARMY

  26. U.S. “HUEY” HELICOPTER

  27. U.S. “COBRA” ATTACK HELICOPTER

  28. U.S.A.F. B-52 BOMBER

  29. 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 • BUT…CONGRESS WON’T 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.

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. VIETNAM ERA QUOTES • “WE’RE FIGHTING TO SAVE THESE PEOPLE, AND THEY’RE FIGHTING EACH OTHER” – U.S. GOV’T. OFFICIAL, 1966 • “VICTORY LIES WITHIN OUR GRASP – THE ENEMY’S 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 DON’T WANT TO GIVE IN” – AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE

  33. LBJ CARTOON - LBJ SHOWING THE SCAR VIETNAM HAS LEFT ON HIM

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