1. Escalating US Involvement in Vietnam

2. More American Troops By 1965 – 180,000 US soldiers fighting Vietcong General Westmoreland asked for more Amer. troops b/c thought S. Vietnamese too weak 1967 – 500,000 US troops

3. US Faces Many Difficulties Very difficult fighting b/c Vietcong used ambush tactics- guerilla warfare Anyone could be enemy: women, children, elderly, etc. Vietcong funded by China & SU and very willing to fight to death to protect way of life Had intricate tunnel system

4. Difficult for US to gain Vietnamese peoples support Napalm- gasoline-based bomb set fire to jungle Agent Orange- leaf-killing toxic chemical Both often wounded civilians and destroyed villages

5. Search and destroy missions- uprooted civilians w/ suspected ties to Vietcong, killed livestock, burnt villages Morale of soldiers dropped, many used drugs, some killed superior officers 1968 - Tet offensive- in surprise attack on Vietnamese New Year Vietcong attacked 100 towns and 12 US air bases Seen as victory by US military