When did the truth about the Gulf of Tonkin come out?
After decades of public skepticism and government secrecy, the truth finally came out: In the early 2000s, nearly 200 documents were declassified and released by the National Security Agency (NSA). They showed that there was no attack on August 4.
What actually happened in the Gulf of Tonkin on August 2 on August 4?
On 2 August 1964, North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats attacked the USS Maddox (DD-731) while the destroyer was in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. There is no doubting that fact.
What happened in the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964?
In early August 1964, two U.S. destroyers stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam radioed that they had been fired upon by North Vietnamese forces. In response to these reported incidents, President Lyndon B. Johnson requested permission from the U.S. Congress to increase the U.S. military presence in Indochina.
Did the Gulf of Tonkin incident actually happen?
August 2, 1964Gulf of Tonkin incident / Date
Who fired first in Gulf of Tonkin?
At about 1505G, Maddox fired three rounds to warn off the communist [North Vietnamese] boats. This initial action was never reported by the Johnson administration, which insisted that the Vietnamese boats fired first.
Who fired first in the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
North VietnameseAs it cruised along on August 2, it found itself facing down three Soviet-built, North Vietnamese torpedo boats that had come out to chase it away. The Maddox fired first, issuing what the U.S. authorities described as warning shots.
Why was the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident a turning point in the Vietnam War?
Fifty years ago, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution marked a major turning point in the Cold War struggle for Southeast Asia. Passage of the resolution gave President Lyndon B. Johnson authority to expand the scope of U.S. involvement in Vietnam without a declaration of war.
Why is the Gulf of Tonkin such an infamous moment in American history?
It was passed on August 7, 1964, by the U.S. Congress after an alleged attack on two U.S. naval destroyers stationed off the coast of Vietnam. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution effectively launched America's full-scale involvement in the Vietnam War.
Did the Navy use Agent Orange in Vietnam?
SELECTED CHEMICALS USED DURING THE VIETNAM WAR By far the most widely used herbicide in Vietnam was Agent Orange, followed by Agent White; other tactical herbicides that were used during the war include Agent Blue, Agent Purple, Agent Pink, and Agent Green.
Why couldnt America let Ho Chi Minh take over Vietnam?
According to the domino theory, why couldn't America let Ho Chi Minh take over Vietnam? The alliance between France and the U.S. would be broken. What was the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution? President Lyndon Johnson followed a policy of military escalation.
Who attacked first in the Vietnam War?
North Vietnam Shocks America January 1968: The Tet Offensive begins, encompassing a combined assault of Viet Minh and North Vietnamese armies. Attacks are carried out in more than 100 cities and outposts across South Vietnam, including Hue and Saigon, and the U.S. Embassy is invaded.
When was the first American killed in Vietnam?
First Americans killed in the Vietnam War, July 8, 1959.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident and when did it occur?
August 2, 1964Gulf of Tonkin incident / Start date
What happened as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incident apex?
This prompted Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave the president the right to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the United States. This resolution and the Gulf of Tonkin incident resulted in the U.S. getting directly involved in Vietnam.
What was so controversial about the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
The Gulf of Tonkin act became more controversial as opposition to the war mounted. A Senate investigation revealed that the Maddox had been on an intelligence mission in Tonkin Gulf, contradicting Johnson's denial of U.S. Navy support of such missions.
Where is the Gulf of Tonkin?
Northern Gulf; formerly known as 东京湾 or 東京灣 during the ROC period) is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin ( northern Vietnam) and South China.
What happened in 1964?
On 2 August 1964, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson falsely claimed that North Vietnamese forces had twice attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Known today as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, this event spawned the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 7 August 1964, ultimately leading to open war between North Vietnam and the United States. It furthermore foreshadowed the major escalation of the Vietnam War in South Vietnam, which began with the landing of US regular combat troops at Da Nang in 1965.
What was the Tonkin Gulf Resolution?
Analyze the effects of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution passed under the Johnson administration amid the Vietnam War. In August 1964, in response to an alleged attack by North Vietnamese patrol boats on U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, the U.S. Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to take any action necessary to deal with threats ...
What happened in the Gulf of Tonkin?
Congress on August 5, 1964, as two unprovoked attacks by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on the destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy of the U.S. Seventh Fleet and that led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, ...
How deep is the Gulf of Tonkin?
The gulf is 300 miles (500 km) long, 150 miles (250 km) wide, and up to 230 feet (70 metres) deep. The main shipping route is via…. History at your fingertips.
Who was the secretary of defense during the Gulf of Tonkin?
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and President Johnson were both convinced of the reality of the second attack, however, and thus they asked Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Patricia Bauer.
Why was the Turner Joy sent to reinforce the Maddox?
The event led the U.S. to believe that North Vietnam was targeting its intelligence -gathering mission, and therefore the Turner Joy was sent to reinforce the Maddox.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
Two days later, on August 7, Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave the president authority to increase U.S. involvement in the war between North and South Vietnam. President Johnson signed this into law three days later, privately remarking that the resolution “was like Grandma’s nightshirt. It covers everything.”.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?
The Gulf Of Tonkin Incident: The Lie That Sparked The Vietnam War. In August 1964, the United States entered the Vietnam War after reports of an unprovoked attack in the Gulf of Tonkin. But the reports were false — and the president knew it. In August 1964, the USS Maddox destroyer was stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam.
What did Stockdale say about the Gulf of Tonkin?
Stockdale later said, “We were about to launch a war under false pretenses, in the face of the on-scene military commander’s advice to the contrary.”. Despite this, he led a strike of 18 aircraft against an oil storage facility located just inland of where the alleged Gulf of Tonkin incident had occurred.
What did Herrick say about Honolulu?
During the early hours of the morning of August 5, Herrick sent a message to Honolulu that said, “Review of action makes many reported contacts and torpedoes fired appear doubtful. Freak weather effects on radar and overeager sonarmen may have accounted for many reports. No actual visual sighting by Maddox.
When did the Gulf of Tonkin attack?
Wikimedia Commons A map of the Gulf of Tonkin, where the supposed attacks took place on Aug. 4, 1964. By 1964, the pressure on these waters had reached a boil, and North Vietnamese forces were not about to stand still against these operations.
Who was the commander of the North Vietnamese forces during the Gulf of Tonkin?
Mere hours after the speech, Commander Stockdale was ordered to launch an airstrike against the North Vietnamese forces as retaliation for their supposed attacks the evening before. Cecil Stoughton/U.S. National Archives and Records Administration President Johnson signs the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Who was the pilot at the Gulf of Tonkin?
As Commander James Stockdale, one of the pilots at the Gulf of Tonkin incident, later said, “I had the best seat in the house to watch that event, and our destroyers were just shooting at phantom targets — there were no PT boats there…nothing there but black water and American firepower.”.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized President Lyndon Johnson to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” by the communist government of North Vietnam.
Who was the Navy Commander who was flying over the Gulf of Tonkin?
However, Navy Commander James Stockdale, who had overseen the air defense of Maddox two days before and was flying recognizance over the Gulf of Tonkin on August 4th, cast doubt on whether there was indeed an attack that day, noting, “Our destroyers were just shooting at phantom targets….
How many yards did the North Vietnamese patrol boats come within Maddox?
He told his crew to be prepared fire if the patrol boats came within 10,000 yards of Maddox.
Who ordered Turner Joy to join Maddox?
The next day, in a demonstration of American resolve, President Johnson ordered Turner Joy to join Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin. On August 4, Maddox and Turner Joy both received intelligence suggesting that another North Vietnamese attack was imminent.
When was Vietnam divided into two halves?
In 1954 , following the defeat of the French colonialists at the hands of the Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu, the last battle of the First Indochina War, the country of Vietnam was divided into northern and southern halves, ruled by separate regimes, during the Geneva Conference.
What was the Tonkin Gulf Resolution?
Subsequently, Congress passed Public Law 88-408, which became known as the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, giving the president the power to take whatever actions he deemed necessary, including “the use of armed force.”.
What is the Senate vote to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
Senate repeals Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. On an amendment offered by Senator Robert Dole (R- Kansas) to the Foreign Military Sales Act, the Senate votes 81 to 10 to repeal the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.
Why did Nixon repeal the Tonkin resolution?
Repealing the resolution was meant as an attempt to limit presidential war powers. The Nixon administration took a neutral stance on the vote, denying that it relied on the Tonkin resolution as the basis for its war-making authority in Southeast Asia.
What happened to David Gelernter?
On June 24, 1993, Yale University computer science professor David Gelernter is seriously injured while opening his mail when a padded envelope explodes in his hands. The attack just came two days after a University of California geneticist was injured by a similar bomb and was ...read more
The Spark of The Vietnam War
The First Attack in The Gulf of Tonkin
- At the end of July 1964, the USS Maddoxwas sent to patrol the waters off the North Vietnamese coastline in the Gulf of Tonkin. It had been ordered to “locate and identify all coastal radar transmitters, note all navigation aids along the DVR’s [Democratic Republic of Vietnam’s] coastline, and monitor the Vietnamese junk fleet for a possible connect...
The Alleged Second Attack
- The next day, the USS Maddox once again resumed its normal patrol, this time alongside another U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Turner Joy. The two destroyers stayed miles away from the coastlines in the Gulf of Tonkin. Still, U.S. intelligence reportedly intercepted messages indicating that the North Vietnamese forces were planning offensive operations on the Tonkin Gulf. Althou…
The U.S. Aftermath of The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
- Despite the captain’s efforts to correct the errors of his original messages during the Gulf of Tonkin incident, U.S. officials took the idea of unprovoked attacks and ran with it. Shortly after the attack was reported, President Johnson made his decision to retaliate. He immediately appeared in front of the United States with a televised speech. “As President and Commander in Chief,” he …
The Truth Comes Out
- Recently released tapes and documents reveal the truth — and lies — of the Gulf of Tonkin incident and its resolution. Some people suspected the deception all along. In 1967, former naval officer John White, who had spoken to the men involved in the alleged attack on August 4, 1964, wrote a letterstating, “I maintain that President Johnson, Secretary McNamara and the Joint Chi…