The Vietnam War: America ’ s Longest War

HOW DID WE GET INVOLVED IN VIETNAM?

Before the American War After World War II, the U.S. sought to bring an end to European colonialism around the globe. But under President Truman, the U.S. was concerned about its naval and air bases in Asia. So U.S. decided to permit France to reassert its authority in Southeast Asia. The result was the French Indochina war where the French fought the Vietminh (Vietnamese nationalists who wanted independence from foreign rule) led by communist Ho Chi Minh.

America Enters the War 1950 Due to anti-communist pressure, Truman enters the war by sending nearly $15 million in aid to the French in The U.S. sent over $1 billion to the French war effort, even under Eisenhower, who claimed the U.S. needed to aid the French due to the Domino Theory. Despite this U.S. Aid, the French were unable to defeat the Vietminh and by 1954 the war was over. A peace conference was then held in Geneva where the French and Vietnamese agreed to divide Vietnam along the 17th parallel into a communist North Vietnam and a non- communist South Vietnam. An election to unify the country was called for in 1956.

U.S. steps into South Vietnam  The 1956 elections to unify Vietnam never took place.  South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem (a strong anti- communist) refused to take part in the elections, fearing an overwhelming victory by Ho Chi Minh.  President Eisenhower: “Sink or Swim with Ngo Dinh Diem”  Diem: corrupt, anti-buddhist, unpopular  1957: Vietcong a communist group in the South Vietnam began attacks on the Diem government.  1959: North Vietnam began supporting Vietcong attacks using the Ho Chi Minh trail to bring troops & supplies from the North -> South.  1961: JFK increases financial aid to Diem and sends U.S. troops to South Vietnam. (1963: 16,000 U.S. military personnel in Vietnam)

Down With Diem!  Diem’s popularity plummeted: corruption  Buddhist monk sets himself on fire as protest of Diem’s intolerance.  It became clear that for South Vietnam to remain stable, Diem would have to go.  November 1, 1963: U.S.-supported military coup assassinated Diem.  JFK dies too - Now it becomes Johnson’s War!

LBJ Inherits the Vietnam Conflict  Didn’t want to be viewed as soft on communism Truly felt a communist take over would be chaotic Truly felt a communist take over would be chaotic  Johnson requests the Tonkin Gulf Resolution from Congress It granted Johnson: “All necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” “All necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” Not a war declaration by it granted Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam Not a war declaration by it granted Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam  Johnson’s Secrets /Manipulations: You be the Judge!

Johnson Tests His New Powers  Operation Rolling Thunder - Feb In response to a Vietcong Attack In response to a Vietcong Attack Unleashed the 1st sustained bombing of North Vietnam Unleashed the 1st sustained bombing of North Vietnam In March of 1965 the first combat troops began arriving in South Vietnam In March of 1965 the first combat troops began arriving in South Vietnam By June 50,000 U.S. soldiers were battling Vietcong. By June 50,000 U.S. soldiers were battling Vietcong. THE WAR HAD BECOME AMERICANIZED

Vietnamese Protest Diem 1963 A Buddhist monk calmly burning himself to protest the U.S.- backed South Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem. Photographs of this event raised an outcry again the corruption and religious discrimination of Diem ’ s regime and questions of why the U.S. supported Diem. Soon after, the Kennedy administration engineered the overthrow of the Diem.

Effect on Vietnamese 1972 On June 8, 1972 a South Vietnamese aircraft accidentally dropped its napalm payload on the village of Trang Bang. Nine year old Phan Thi Kim Phuc was hit by napalm (jellied gasoline). Her clothes were vaporized. Her pony tail was sheared off, her arms, shoulders, and back were so badly burned that she needed 17 major operations.

War ’ s Brutality A stiff armed South Vietnamese police chief is about to shoot a bound Viet Cong ( South Vietnamese rebels) lieutenant who was alleged to have killed a police officer who was the police chief ’ s friend. The police chief, General Loan, had a reputation for ruthlessness and had asked a regimental commander to execute the prisoner. When he hesitated, Loan said, “ I must do it. If you hesitate, if you didn ’ t do your duty, the men won ’ t follow you. ” The photograph became a symbol of the war ’ s casual brutality.

Kent State 1970 The photograph taken at Kent State shows a terrified young woman, Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling over the body of a 20 year old student protestor from Kent State University. His shooting had occurred during an anti-war protest that followed the announcement that U.S. troops had moved into Cambodia. After the students burned an ROTC building on campus, the mayor of Kent called the national guard who threw tear gas canisters at the crowd of student protesters, fired over 60 shots, killing 4 students and injuring nine.

U.S. Leaving Vietnam This picture captures the fall of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, to the North Vietnamese during the last chaotic days of the war. Desperate Vietnamese crowding on the roof of the building of the U.S. agency for International Development trying to board a silver Huey helicopter. This photo captures when the last U.S. officials abandoned South Vietnam while hundreds of Vietnamese left behind raise their arms helplessly.

Legacy of Vietnam It was the longest war in American history and the most unpopular war of the 20th century. It resulted in nearly 60,000 deaths. It was the first war to come into American living rooms nightly, and the only conflict that ended in defeat for American arms. The war caused turmoil on the home front, as anti- war protests became a feature of American life. A recent Gallop poll found that 53% of those surveyed believe that the war was “ a well intentioned mistake, ” while 43% believe it was “ fundamentally wrong and immoral. ”