1. U.S. Support of the War at Home & Abroad
Chapter 29
Section 2
The Vietnam War
Riddlebarger

2. President Lyndon B. Johnson
“I have asked the commanding general, General Westmoreland, what more he needs to meet this mounting aggression. He has told me. And we will meet his needs. We cannot be defeated by force of arms. We will stand in Vietnam.”
President Lyndon B. Johnson

3. The Air War
1st major direct U.S. military activity in Vietnam takes place in the air
Operation Rolling Thunder
Bombing campaign over North Vietnam.
Ordered by Pres. Johnson to weaken enemy’s ability & will to fight.
Also, assures South Vietnamese of U.S. commitment

4. Rolling Thunder

5. Operation Rolling Thunder
U.S. pilots bomb military targets such as army bases & airfields.
What other targets might the U.S. consider?
Bridges, roads, railways, power plants

6. Ho Chi Minh Trail
One of the major targets of the bombing campaign is the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
A network of paths that began in North Vietnam and worked southward through Laos, Cambodia and into South Vietnam
North Vietnam uses it to send troops, weapons, food & supplies to South Vietnam.
Aid Viet Cong

7. Agent Orange Much of the Ho Chi Minh Trail ran through thick jungles
Makes spotting enemy movements from the air nearly impossible.
U.S. begins spraying defoliants to kill the vegetation
Agent Orange is most popular
Toxic Legacy

8. Other Air Weapons
Napalm
“Cluster Bombs”
Carpet Bombing

9. Impact of bombing campaign on war effort
Bombings do not weaken enemy’s war effort
Flow of troops & supplies actually increased.
Vietcong was able to quickly repair roads & bridges when necessary
Made underground bunkers for protection
Continued assistance from China & USSR
Frustrated LBJ expands air war in 1968
Effect: more South Vietnamese join/aid Vietcong

10. The Ground War
As war continues, LBJ calls for an escalation of U.S. ground forces in Vietnam.
Number of U.S. troops in South Vietnam grows from 185,000 in 1965 to 486,000 in 1967
U.S. marines landing at Da Nang in March 1965

11. Vietcong Tunnels

12. U.S. strategy
In response to enemy’s guerilla tactics, U.S. General William Westmoreland orders thousands of search-and-destroy missions
Try to drive enemy from hide-outs.
After U.S. patrols “clear” an area, VC usually moved back in.

13. Pacification
To improve rural security, U.S. forces put in place a program called pacification
Goal: To win the “hearts & minds” of South Vietnamese
Improve infrastructure & provide economic programs
People were moved out of their villages & sent to safe camps where food & housing provided.
Old village burned to keep VC from using
Instead of winning their support, many resent U.S. because of forced move away from their land

14. Declining Troop Morale
1st US troops in Vietnam are convinced they will succeed.
Short stay expected
In reality, US faces same problems as French before them
VC use of guerilla warfare, knowledge of geography & aid of local peasants are advantages.
US forces face constant danger: ambush, booby-traps, telling friend from foe,
US inflicts heavy casualties on communist forces but doesn’t lead to victory.
BODY COUNTS

15. US Forces Mobilize Over 2.5 million Americans serve in Vietnam
-On average, most are younger than in previous wars
-Most not well educated: 80% have high school diploma or less
-Most from rural areas or inner cities
-Many, initially, are sons of WW2 or Korean veterans

16. The Draft At the start, most US troops were professional soldiers
As US troops in Vietnam increase, more and more are drafted soldiers
Men enrolled in college were able to get deferments.
Leads to increased college enrollment
College deferments means most who are drafted come from poorer families
Causes some bitterness
African-Americans serve in high numbers
Some people flee country to avoid draft

17. Non-combat positions
Most who serve in Vietnam are in non-combat positions
Administration, communication, engineering, medical & transportation
Still face dangers from mortar or rocket strikes
About 10,000 women serve in non-combat positions
About 30,000 women serve in Red Cross and similar organizations
See horrors of war on daily basis.

18. Public Opinion Shifts Most Americans support the war at the beginning
By the end of 1968, over 16,000 Americans had been killed in combat
Growing numbers begin to question the war
This war was hard to measure progress on a map
Soldiers are fighting village to village
Success was measured by body counts
Military commanders sometimes inflated the numbers

19. The Media’s Impact
News media coverage had a strong impact upon American opinion
Looser restrictions on media compared with previous wars.
Scenes of firefights & burning villages on TV screens
Vietnam War called 1st “Living Room War”
Images on TV contradicted government reports on progress of war
Many in press question the war

20. Hawks & Doves
As gap between media reports & government reports increases, the debate at home over the war increases.
LBJ is criticized by both doves (opposed to war) and hawks (support war’s goals)
Doves:
Don’t see Vietnam as crucial to U.S. security
See us fighting against wishes of Vietnam people
Costs of war are hurting us at home.
Hawks:
Some disapprove of government handling of war
Want to see more troops & heavier bombing

21. The anti-War Movement
As opposition to the war grows, a large anti-war movement develops
Attracts a broad range of people
Includes: students, civil rights workers, doctors, homemakers, retirees, teachers
A lot of anti-war activity takes place on college campuses throughout U.S.

22. Anti-War Rally
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)holds 1st national anti-war demonstration in April 1965.
- over 20,000 march to US capitol building.

23. Civil Disobedience Some burn their draft cards to protest the war.
Draft card burnings are illegal.
Some protesters burn flags.

24. Government Response
Pres. Johnson: The U.S. is protecting an ally from an aggressor.
Government: If U.S. failed to help an ally, who would trust us?

25. Anti-War Backlash
Anti-war protestors make up a small percentage of U.S. population
Many oppose actions of protesters.
Burning of draft cards & flags is highly controversial.
Many Veterans speak out against protesters
Protesters ultimately play some role in U.S. eventually deciding to withdraw from Vietnam.

26. Views on the Vietnam War
“We are honoring a treaty which committed us to
‘act to meet the common danger’ in the face of
‘aggression by means of an armed attack’…And we
are answering…the question: Are the word and
commitment of the United States reliable?”
- National Security Advisor Walt W. Rostow, on his
belief that communism must be stopped- by force if
necessary
“We seem bent upon saving the Vietnamese from Ho Chi
Minh, even if we have to kill them to do it…I do not
intend to remain silent in the face of what I regard as a
policy of madness which, sooner or later, will envelop
my son and American youths by the millions for years to
come.”
-Senator George McGovern, opposed to U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

27. What made the ground war in Vietnam so difficult to fight?
How were U.S. forces mobilized for war?
How and why did public opinion about the war gradually change?