AMERICA’S LONGEST WAR

Vietnam•In Southeastern Asia•Borders the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea, China, and Cambodia•Northern portion borders a tropical climate zone with mild temperatures•Central and southern portion has monsoon winds between June and November with heavy rains and typhoons

I. Why did the U.S. send troops to Vietnam?A. Ho Chi Minh defeated the French in 1954 and Vietnam was split into North and South.B. North Vietnam was led by Communist Ho Chi Minh- South Vietnam was led by U.S. backed Diem.

D. Vietcong were South Vietnamese guerrillas who were backed by the North and fought against the South’s government

E. President John F. Kennedy believed in the Domino Theory, the idea that if one Southeast Asian country fell to communism, the rest would also, like a row of dominos.

F. In 1961, he sent military advisors to help Diem fight the Vietcong

G. 1963- Lyndon Johnson became President and sent more aid to South Vietnam

H. 1964- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution- after a U.S. ship is attacked, Congress passed this which allowed President Johnson to take “all necessary measures” to prevent another attack

I. Thus, the war escalated and by 1968 there were over 500,000 troops fighting in the Vietnam War.

J. American soldiers faced many hardships fighting a “guerilla war” in jungle terrain, going on search and destroy missions.

Agent Orange

Is the code name for a powerful herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War.

Est. 21,136,000 gal. sprayed across South Vietnam

Health problems for those exposed

Troops of the 1st Air Cavalry Division check houses while patrolling an area 25 miles (40 km) north of Qui Nhon as part of Operation Thayer, October 1966. The mission was designed to clear out a mountain range where two battalions of North Vietnamese were believed to be preparing for an attack on an airstrip.

In Long Khanh province, Vietnam, R. Richter of the 4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade, left, and Sgt. Daniel E. Spencer await the helicopter that will airlift their dead comrade, 1966

Swampy Terrain

Soldiers carry a wounded comrade to safety, 1969

Search-and-clear operation- Who is who?A Marine from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, moves a Viet Cong suspect

to the rear during a search-and-clear operation by the battalion 15 miles (24 km) west of Danang air base, August 1965

Traversing the jungle During Operation Hastings, Marines of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment

take to the water as they move to join other elements of their battalion in Dong Ha, Vietnam, July 1966

Burning camp A Viet Cong base camp burns as Pfc. Raymond Rumpa of St. Paul, Minnesota, walks

away with his 45-pound 90mm rifle in My Tho, Vietnam, April 1968

Helped by buddies

Waiting for evacuationTwo wounded American soldiers await airlift to base hospital to treat

injuries suffered in battle

TET OFFENSIVE- 1968

Between January and 23 September 1968,

K. 1968- Richard Nixon is elected President- promises to end the war

L. 1973- Cease-fire is reachedM. 1974- Last U.S. troops leave VietnamN. 1975- South Vietnam falls to North Vietnamese

communist forces

The Vietnam War was one of the most painful periods in American History. Some questions to ponder for today and tomorrow:

1. What strategy did the United States adopt in Vietnam?

2. In what ways did the United States underestimate its adversaries and overestimate its own strengths?

3. Do you think a different strategy would have been more successful?

4. What would victory in Vietnam have required, or was victory not a realistic objective?

The Lessons of VietnamAfter the end of Persian Gulf War in 1991, Colin Powell, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined his vision for efficient and decisive military action. His plan is now referred to as the Powell Doctrine. An earlier version of the Powell Doctrine was articulated by President Ronald Reagan's Defense Secretary, Casper Weinberger, in 1984.Weinberger argued that the United States should only commit troops to combat after six tests had been met:

1. Is A Vital U.S. Interest At Stake?Before the United States goes to war, there must a clear risk to

national security 2. Will We Commit Sufficient Resources To Win?

Force, when used, should be overwhelming and disproportionate to the force used by the enemy.

3. Are Our Objectives Clearly Defined?In Powell’s words: "We owe it to the men and women who go in harm's way to make sure that this is always the case and that their lives are not

squandered for unclear purposes." In addition, there must be a clear exit strategy from the conflict in which the military is engaged.

4. Will We Sustain the Commitment?Is the government prepared to sustain the effort if things go wrong.

5. Is There A Reasonable Expectation that the Public and Congress Will Support the Operation?

There must be strong support for the campaign by the general public. 6. Have we exhausted our other options?

Military action should be used only as a last resort.

Efficiency fidelity and honorNational defenseMachine gunArmy 9th division patchArmy 23rd Americal division

Ohio Lyrics » Neil Young

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drumming,Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to itSoldiers are cutting us downShould have been done long ago.What if you knew herAnd found her dead on the groundHow can you run when you know?

Gotta get down to itSoldiers are cutting us downShould have been done long ago.What if you knew herAnd found her dead on the groundHow can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drumming,Four dead in Ohio.