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The Fighting in Vietnam Section 20.2

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The War on TV Body counts on TV every night First living room war

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Goals of the War No clear cut territorial goals Save S. Vietnam What is victory? US public confused and fatigued

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Americanizing the War Before Gulf of Tonkin, US troops served mostly as trainers and advisors 2,500,000 will eventually serve Average age of US soldiers: 23.1 years old US troops now fighting a well supplied and well motivated Vietcong

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The First Problem: Who are we fighting? Vietcong: Farmers during the day; guerilla soldiers are night Patient, willingly to take many causalities The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. Mao Zedong Peasants (not involved) are willing to hide those who are fighting

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Second Problem: How do you fight an invisible enemy? Constant threat of booby traps Punji stakes Land mines (bouncing betties) Tunnel systems

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Third Issue: What do you do with the Ho Chi Minh Trail? Runs through Laos and Cambodiatwo places not currently involved in the fighting

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Fourth Problem: How do you win an emotional war with people who dont want you there?

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US Strategies to Win Pummel the North with continuous bombing Agent Orange attacks to destroy the VC hiding places

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Evolving Strategy Search and Destroy Drive out the enemy from villages then call in air strikes It becomes necessary to destroy the town to save it. unidentified American soldier Pacification Effort to win the hearts and minds of the peasants Villagers relocated then villages often destroyed

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Defoliation Prevent VC and NVA from natural cover in jungles Napalm Sticky, jellied gas that covered large areas in flame Hard to extinguish Agent Orange Chemical defoliant Exposed the enemy and cut food supply to the VC

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Agent Orange Possible linked to long term disorders suffered by US troops long after the Vietnam War

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Pleiku and Operation Rolling Thunder VC attack US airbase near 17 th parallel in Feb. 1965 Johnson orders massive bombing of the North to stop supply lines to VC

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Escalation of the War Sec of Defense Robert McNamara and Gen. William Westmoreland plan the war Claimed to see the light at the end of the tunnel by 1967 1968: 536,000 troops in Vietnam 1973: 6,000,000 tons of bombs dropped on enemies

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Women in Vietnam 10,000 served in noncombat positions 20,000-45,000 work in civilian capacities Relief agencies Red Cross Sharon Lane Lt. who was killed by shrapnel after the 312 th Evacuation Hospital was hit by rockets Awarded the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Bronze Star for Heroism

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Hos Strategy in the Vietnam War Attack the way a tiger attacks an elephant If the tiger sits still, it will be crushed But the elephant cannot catch it if it keeps movingso bite and move Bleed the elephant to death Fight only when victory is assured, no large scale battles

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The Elephant Slowly Bleeds US never loses a battle but cant win the war Slow bleeding and constant uncertainty in theater frustrates soldiers VC accepted all losses in order to win

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Vietnam Becomes a Quagmire S. Vietnam govt seen as corrupt and ineffective Countryside feels neglected, sides with VC and North Stalemate develops

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Political Missteps War was micromanaged from Washington to limit the scope North was never invaded Didnt want it to look like war for territory and draw in Soviets

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Morale Suffers Disproportionate representation of poor people and minorities Major drug problems of enlisted me Officers in combat for 6 months, in rear for 6 months Enlisted men stayed in combat for a year 25% excused for heath reasons 30% get deferments (college) 1969 attempt to reform (lottery) 3% escape the draft (Canada) Confusion and Anger

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Split in US Unity In 1967, Hawks vs. Doves in US and Congress Hawks see Domino Theory and Containment Doves see a civil war, not the Cold War 1967 Sen. Fulbright, a Dove, holds public hearings on the war Conducted between 1967-1971 Under our system Congress, and especially the Senate, shares responsibility with the President for making our Nations foreign policy[Vietnam] started and continues as a Presidential war in which the Congress, since the fraudulent Gulf of Tonkin episode, has not played a significant role...