Vietnam Conflict

1. Vietnam Conflict 1955 – 1975 1st advisors sent: 1955 1st battle w/ US: 1965 Most men w/drawn: 1973 Last US man killed: 1975 Vietnam reunified: 1975

4. “Reflections” by Lee Teter

7. Nationality: • Vietnamese (Thai & Chinese) • Religions Practiced: • Buddhism • Catholicism • Staple Foods: (Single-cropping) • Rice • Corn • Potatoes • Land is • considered • ANCESTRAL

8. Background Information • NV, SV, Laos, Cambodia = French Indochina • Area ruled by Bao Dai - Vietnamese man who worked for the French

9. Vietnamese nationalists organized Viet Minh under leadership of Ho Chi Minh • Versailles Conf.1919: Ho askedPresident Wilson for help. • Wilson threw him out.

10. After WWII: Minh called for independence (w/ communist gov’t) - Dai abdicated • French refused to give VN sovereignty & drove communists to north

11. Ho Chi Minh wrote to Truman 8 times… French set up gov’t to rival Ho & put it under leadership of Bao Dai 1954: French lost major battle at Dien Bien Phu • US saw Minh as agent of Communism -- so, refused to help

12. Battle of Dien Bien Phu

13. A peace conference…… The Geneva Conference *** The French would leave and… 1. Vietnam split at 17th parallel 2. Ho Chi Minh in North; Bao Dai in South 3. After “cooling off” period, Vietnam to be united through popular election

14. Issues that made this conflict different from others 1. Was a limited war 2. Civilians making military decisions 3. Enemy difficult to identify: - Didn’t wear uniforms • - “Switched” sides • - Non-traditional soldiers women, elderly, children

15. 4. US knew very little about country… NV took advantage of landscape and avoided open combat

16. Issues that made this conflict different from others 5. War televised with daily death count 6. At home, opposition arose

17. US formed SEATO to protect South Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia from communism (South East Asian Treaty Organization) Involvement under Eisenhower

18. Involvement under Ike • Chose Ngo Dinh Diem → to replace Dai • Diem corrupt & repressive • Refused to participate in country elections • Won S. elections with 98% (!!) of vote…rigged?? • Coined the phrase “Viet Cong” • Seized land from peasants while VC were giving it, viewed as an autocrat

19. Involvement under Kennedy • Sent Green Berets to train SV army • Military increase: 1961 = 800 1963= 16,700

20. Involvement under JFK • Operations (started by SV w/ US help) • Operation Sunrise: • Strategic Hamlets: • 3. Operation Ranchhand:

22. Robert McNamara, Defense Secretary: Visits S. Vietnam – May 1962 “We are winning the war."

23. Involvement under JFK • CIA said NV persecuting N. Catholics (??) • They fled south and… • Uprooted Buddhists who were not on good terms with Diem b/c he = Catholic • wouldn’t let them display religious flags • Buddhists peacefully demonstrated… • And MASSACRE occurred • Buddhists protested the killings by…

24. “Passers-by stop to watch as flames envelope a young Buddhist monk, Saigon, October 5th, 1963. The man sits impassively in the central market square, he has set himself on fire performing a ritual suicide in protest against governmental anti-Buddhist policies. Crowds gathered to protest in Hue after the South Vietnamese government prohibited Buddhists from carrying flags on Buddha's birthday. Government troops opened fire to disperse the dissidents, killing nine people, Diems government blamed the incident on the Vietcong and never admitted responsibility. The Buddhist leadership quickly organized demonstrations that eventually led to seven monks burning themselves to death.” … and Diem viewed as embarrassment

25. Involvement under JFK • Despite US efforts, ARVN still losing • Diem blamed by SV • US told of plot to kill Diem by SV generals… • US looked the other way • Generals then plotted to kill each other • TEN successive gov’ts in 18 months • JFK started to withdraw troops, then…

26. "I won't send American boys to do the fighting for Asian troops." • Didn’t want to be 1st pres. to lose a war • Increased troops to 27,000 in 1964 Involvement under Johnson

27. Involvement under LBJ • Believed S. rebellion caused by North • NV sending troops into S. through Ho Chi Minh Trail b/c couldn’t cross 17th parallel • Approved Operation Menu – top secret raids against North = bomb Trail in Laos & Cambodia

29. Gulf of Tonkin Incident • August 2, 1964 • USS Maddox attacked • NV “ it was spying” • LBJ said 2nd attack occurred 2 days later for no reason… • … but never really happened • Led to Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - war powers to president until… • - EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE • - only 2 dissenting votes in Congress

30. Used G. of T. to escalate US involvement • Operation Rolling Thunder – dropped bombs on NV • Used more bombs in four years than combined total dropped by Allied & Axis in all WWII

31. Huey General Westmoreland Elephant Grass

33. Involvement under LBJ General Westmoreland’s policy of Attrition… Led to Search and Destroy missions:“clearing & securing operations” End of 1965: 80,000 troops

34. Napalm – 2 substances mixed with gasoline to gel "Napalm is the most terrible pain you can imagine," said Kim Phuc, known from a famous Vietnam War photograph. "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. Napalm generates temperatures of 800 to 1,200 degrees Celsius." 1972 SV attack – NOT US attack Used in 1965 Phuc sustained third-degree burns to half her body and was not expected to live. But thanks to assistance from South Vietnamese photographer Nick Ut, and after surviving a 14-month hospital stay and 17 operations, she became an outspoken peace activist. - Wikipedia

35. Involvement under LBJ • 1967 ground war reached stalemate • US increased air raids • Resulted in many civilian casualties • Led to revulsion in US & abroad (China & SU)

36. Tet Offensive 1968 Jan. 31st TET = Vietnamese New Year VC hit every major SV city almost simultaneously

37. First, Khe Sanh was attacked… Followed by Hue…

38. Referred to as the Massacre at Hue • Considered longest & bloodiest battle of war • Over 3000 civilians killed by VC & NVA • US estimates approx. 8000 VC & NVA killed • 40% of city destroyed in 26 days; 90% homeless

39. … Took 8 weeks to get all VC & NVA out… Saigon captured for 8 hours…

41. Both sides claimed victory… “The United States won the battle, but lost the war for public opinion.” - mil.citrus.cc.ca.us/.../ HIST155/Briefings.htm

42. DA NANG HUE

44. Feb. 1, 1968--during Tet Offensive--General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, director of SV’s national police force, executed a Viet Cong prisoner on streets of Saigon. http://www.brianripley.com/2004.htm

45. Start of 1969:543,000 After Tet, Westmoreland reassured America: “Victory was near”

46. America divided: been told this since 1955 Then, they learned of the My Lai Massacre…

47. My Lai Massacre • March 16, 1968 • In the Son My District (known VC area)10-14,000 ppl • Charlie Company (150 ppl) under Capt. Medina • Lt. William Calley (50 ppl) • Lost 50 ppl in 2 mos. up to massacre • Search and destroy ordered in My Lai • 2 objectives: revenge & body count

49. Hugh Thompson Lt. William Calley W/ him: Lawrence Colburn, Glenn Andreotta, and Ron Ridenhour

50. Found: 3 rifles, 10 hand grenades