The US Involvement in The Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

The Vietnam War was one of the worst wars in the United States history. The reason for the United States involvement was due to the start of communism in North Vietnam. The citizens in South Vietnam feared the control of North Vietnam and were worried that the north would take control of the south. The communist North Vietnam had support from the Soviet Union and China, making the South Vietnamese vulnerable to the north. In their time of struggle the South Vietnamese were able to receive aid from the United States. The North Vietnamese had set up a series of radar stations along bays and islands on the Gulf of Tonkin. On August 1, 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox was posted on a surveillance mission to study the North Vietnamese defenses in the Gulf area. In early morning on August 2, 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox spotted three North Vietnamese patrol boats, located twenty- eight miles from the coast. The patrol boats were still in International waters, which meant that they had no right to patrol South Vietnam. Captain John Herrich of the Maddox ordered fire upon the three North Vietnamese patrol boats. The Maddox had assistance from the carrier U.S.S. Ticonderoga. The two ships managed to sink one of the patrol boats, while the other two boats bailed out. To this day government officials are still unsure whether the United States or the North Vietnamese fired first in the situation. United Sates President Lyndon B. Johnson received word of the attack and ordered the Maddox to return to the Gulf of Tonkin and patrol for more action. The Maddox accompanied by the U.S.S. Turner Joy returned to the Gulf of Tonkin on August 4, 1964. While stationed in the Gulf the radar engineers on the destroyers thought that they saw an adva... ...n technology could offer. The soldiers carried fully automatic M-16 rifles. The air swarmed with helicopters, fighter planes, and bombers. The U.S. had destroyers, tankers, and patrol boats along all of the water routes. They were supplied with medicines, surgical equipment, packaged food, and other necessities. On average one U.S. soldier had one hundred pounds of supplies given to them each day, while the Vietcong had nothing. The United States transformed South Vietnam with roads, bridges, airstrips, etc. Cafes were turned into part places, while the women turned to prostitution for money. Fishing ports were turned into deep harbors for U.S. warships. Even with all of the money that the United Sates put into the war, it proved to be useless. The Vietcong needed none of it and were ready to shut down the United Sates and proved that they could.