1 / 25

Escalation in Vietnam: LBJ's Actions and Consequences

Explore LBJ's escalation of the Vietnam War, Gulf of Tonkin Incident, Tet Offensive, My Lai massacre, and the Battle for Hearts and Minds. Discover the impact of anti-war movements and terms like Dear John letter, MIA, and the shifting public sentiments during this turbulent period.

tessica
Download Presentation

Escalation in Vietnam: LBJ's Actions and Consequences

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. LBJ and Vietnam • LBJ will escalate - increase U.S. involvement in the war. • Sec. of Defense – Robert McNamara – recommends the U.S. send more troops

  2. Trouble in the Gulf • August 1964 –Gulf of Tonkin • The U.S.S. Maddox was attacked by N. Vietnamese torpedo boats • 2 days later – ship C. Turner Joy is “supposedly attacked • LBJ ask Congress to act

  3. Tonkin Resolution • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave LBJ a “Blank check” to do whatever steps needed to repeal attacks. • 1965 – VC attack advisers near Pleiku and kill 8 Americans. • 1965 – Operation Flaming Dart – used of B52 bombers on North Vietnam

  4. Escalation • Operation Rolling Thunder – intense bombing of N. Vietnam. • Main target – Ho Chi Minh Trail

  5. Escalation • 1965 200,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam • 1967 Operation Cedar Falls- U.S. attack VC headquarter in the Iron Triangle. • Troops uncover massive tunnel complex – used as a base for guerrilla raids . • Tunnel Rats – men responsible for going down tunnels to flush out the VC

  6. Terms • Dear John letter- letter from a girlfriend at home ending the relationship. • DEROS – Date Eligible for Return from Overseas. • In Country – Vietnam • Kit Carson Scouts – VC defectors recruited by Marines to serve as scouts.

  7. Terms • MASH – Mobile Army Surgical Hospital • MIA – Missing In Action • Million-dollar wound – a noncrippling wound serious enough to warrant a return home to the U.S. • Newbie- new soldier • Point Man – man in the front of a squad on patrol.

  8. Tet Offensive • Jan. 31 1968 New Year – 70,000 North Vietnamese and Vietcong attack cities in South Vietnam. Boldest move – 19 VC attacked the U.S. Embassy in Saigon killed 5 Am. soldiers.

  9. Tet- turning point in war • Why turning point: • A. military victory for U.S. but psychological victory for VC. • B. American public thought U.S. was winning war – but watched as Americans were killed at the U.S. Embassy

  10. Tet Offensive – cont. • C. Created credibility gap – fewer Americans trusted the govt. • D. Pres. Johnson said he would halt bombing of N. Vietnam – that will not be the total truth • E. Pres. Johnson announces that he will not seek re-election.

  11. My Lai • March 16, 1968 • Charlie Company – group of U.S. troops under the command of Lt. William Calley • Doing search and destroy mission – find “charlie” and destroy them.

  12. My Lai • 300 – civilians – mostly old men, women and children killed by Calley and men. • Officer Hugh Thompson – pilot – will report “killings” to U.S. headquarters.

  13. Battle for Heart and Minds • Clearing the jungle – reason to expose the Vietcong tunnel and hideouts • U.S. planes dropped napalm – a gasoline-based bomb that set fire to the jungle.

  14. Battle for Hearts and Minds • U.S. also used Agent Orange – leaf-killing toxic chemical that devastated the landscape. • U.S. dumped over 13 million gallons. • Name comes from the orange barrels that stored the chemical.

  15. What Heart? • U.S. did not win the “hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese people. • Why? • A. We burned their villiages • B. Killed livestock • C. Chemicals caused skin diseases, birth defects, and cancer

  16. Terms • Dust off – medical evacuation by helicopter. • Five O’clock follies – slang for the daily press briefings that reported the BC – body count. • Freedom Bird – airplane that returned troops to home. • Friendly Fire – accidental attack on your own force/troops.

  17. Terms • Puff the Magic Dragon – U.S. Air Force • Punji Stakes – weapon used by the VC – sharpened bamboo stakes hidden at ground level often smeared with poison.

  18. Terms • Short Timer- soldier that did not have much time left to serve. • Sky Pilot – a Chaplain • Teach-ins – night long university meetings at campuses across America in protest to the war. • The World – what the troops called the U.S.

  19. Terms • The Zoo – nickname for the North Vietnamese POW camp near Hanoi – known as one of the worst camps. • POW – Prisoner of War • MIA – Missing In Action

  20. Anti-War Movement • The Counterculture – term used for those that went against traditional American norms. • Counterculture was against the Establishment – the govt., large corporations, etc. • Often this group included white, middle-class college students.

  21. Anti-war movement • Opposition to the War: • Hawks – those that supported the war. • Doves – those that were opposed to the war. • Draft – required all men to register whenthey reached the age 18.

  22. How to avoid the Draft • Conscientious objectors – men that claimed because of their religious beliefs that they could not fight in the war. • Deferments – delayed entrance or not have to go at all. Mainly included upper class – because they could afford college. • Dodge draft – go to Canada.

  23. Protest on College Campus • Students for a Democratic Society –SDS – radical group formed on major colleges to protest the Vietnam War. • SDS – wanted an end to the ROTC programs at the colleges.

More Related