1. I am lighter than the material I am made of. You see parts of me but more of me is hidden underneath. C A C G I E G J B E R I

5. On your maps… Label/identify the following on ytour map… –All countries and their capitals –French Indochina –Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam –Ho Chi Minh Trail

6. Reflections on the war Why did the USA go? –1965- USA winning the war –1968-69- US soldiers wearing peace beads How did it impact the US home front? –Race riots –Student protests –Generation Gap Widens Challenges long-held belief in “American Exceptionalism” (Manifest Destiny) –Are we in “the right?” –Waste of human life Long Term implications of Vietnam War –Lost faith in government- rise of conservatism –Questioned “American Exceptionalism” –Destroyed the Democratic Party

7. Presidential Leaders Truman (Financial aid) Eisenhower (military/political advisors) Kennedy (military advisors and regular troops) Johnson (more regular troops) Nixon (more regular troops) Ford (ended US involvement)

8. “Our expectations were, we were going to stay there a month to 90 days, help the South Vietnamese recover, and then we would get out…We got this idea that the United States was invincible…that, being U.S. Marines, our mere presence in Vietnam was going to terrify the enemy into quitting” – Liutenant Phillip Caputo

9. Vietnam War (1955-1975) France in control of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia (French Indochina) Why? - Resources: rice, tin, rubber, oil After WWII Vietnamese want to be free from French and Japanese control – Ho Chi Minh becomes leader of Vietminh (North Vietnam)

10. Ho Chi Minh and Vietcong (Communism) VS. U.S. and President Ngo Ding Diem (“Democracy”)

11. To reinforce Diem, the new American president, John F. Kennedy, dispatched Green Beret "advisers" in 1961 and provided increased military aid, including American-piloted armed helicopters, as the guerrilla war expanded.

12. “I’m not going to be the president who saw SE Asia go the way China went.” -- LBJ, 1964 JFK and Vietnam- “Vietnam represents the cornerstone of the Free World in Southeast Asia”

13. U.S. Supported President Ngo Dinh Diem, but he failed to hold elections because he was too greedy and also knew he would lose. Catholic, strong opposition against Buddhism U.S. support his overthrow Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam known as Vietcong begin revolt in order to unify Vietnam under Communist control of Ho Chi Minh U.S. sends military advisers, money, and eventually troops in order to prevent South Vietnam fall to Communism

14. LBJ and the Vietnam War

15. Similar to Korea and the 38 th Parallel, Vietnam was divided at the 17 th Parallel Guerrilla Warfare (irregular) Vietcong Tunnels – Ho Chi Minh Trail Armed Civilians Surprise Attacks Forrest, Forrest Gump Search and Destroy Missions – Looking for a guy named Charlie?

16. Who’s Fighting? United States & S. Vietnamese Army Vs. North Vietnamese Army (NVA) & National Liberation Front (Vietcong- S. Vietnamese nationalists)

17. “You will kill ten of our men, and we will kill one of yours, and in the end it will be you who tires of this war.” Ho Chi Minh, 1965

18. The Beginning 15 Things you Learn Items to watch for… –Views at the beginning of the war –How the war escalates –Significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution –Differences in fighting and Technology –Challenges for American troops –How will success be determined?

19. November 1965

21. Difficulty of the Ho Chi Minh Trail…

23. “After a while, survival was the name of the game as you sat there in the semidarkness, with the firing going on constantly, like at a rifle range. And the horrible smell. You tasted it as you ate your rations, as if you were eating death…You went through the full range of emotions seeing your buddies being hit, but you couldn’t feel sorry for them because you had the others to think about.” – Captain Myron Harrington

24. Obstacles to US Strategy: Guerrilla Warfare in Vietnam

25. Venus Fly Trap: Consists of a rectangular frame work with overlapping barbs emplaced in a pit, on trails or a rice padi. Can be made from a metal container which is sunk into the ground until the top is flush and then covered with grass or leaf camouflage. The barbs inflict injury especially when the victim attempts to withdraw his leg out of the trap. Grenade Trap: These are placed along likely paths of travel with a two stakes embedded on both sides of the creek or stream with the grenade tied to one and the safety pin partially removed from the striker lever and tied by trip wire to the other stake.

27. Spraying napalm

30. Nixon and Vietnam War Vietnamization--- Nixon’s plan to bring troops home by training and equipping S.V. soldiers “Peace with Honor” Peace Talks in Paris Bombing and Invasion of Cambodia— –Hitting the Ho Chi Minh trail –Bombing neutral countries –Escalation of protests in 1970 Pentagon Papers leaked 1971- –Daniel Ellsberg Significance- Americans were LIED to!!!!!

32. How did it end? After years of conflict, U.S. tries to pressure North Vietnam by heavy bombing of North Vietnamese cities but unable to sway North Vietnam from giving up. – “Christmas Bombings” “Peace talks” called for U.S. to withdraw troops so that Vietnam could rebuild – March 29, 1973 Each side would release prisoners of war But what about the political future of Vietnam? April 30, 1975 - After 2 decades of temporary division, North invades the South, after U.S. leaves, and the South surrenders to Communism

34. Results of Vietnam Protests, cultural revolution Southeast Asia Refugees in U.S. - Why do you think they were willing to travel thousands of miles on small, crowded boats to live in the U.S.? 1.5 Million leave South Vietnam, 700,000 end up in U.S. Draft Abolished 26 th Amendment War Powers Act President can send troops but Congress must reaffirm Declaration of War within 60 days. Spent $150 billion 8 Million tons of Bombs Over 58,000 U.S. soldiers KIA or MIA

39. Seventeen magazine, 1961 The shift in fashion from the early to late ’60s

41. 1962- 1963

47. Some folks are born made to wave the flag Ooh, they're red, white and blue And when the band plays "Hail to the chief" Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no Yeah! Some folks are born silver spoon in hand Lord, don't they help themselves, oh But when the taxman comes to the door Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no Some folks inherit star spangled eyes Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord And when you ask them, "How much should we give?" Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no

48. Role of the Media in Vietnam “living room” war Leaders questioned Editorials in national magazines

50. “The Draft” Conscription during the Vietnam War

51. The Draft (1970) A lottery based upon your birthday. 366 (leap year) plastic capsules were placed into a large glass container –In each capsule their was a number (1-366) corresponding to a specific day of the year –Ex: 229 = August 16 First one drawn was 257= September 14

52. President Kennedy increases economic and military aid to the Diem government, increasing military advisors to 16,000.