5.

Why did American troops get deployed to

Vietnam? VCE Modern History Unit 2
Area of Study 1: Compet

Turning Point: The Gulf of Tonkin Incident

To understand the historical turning point at which the United States escalated its involvement in Vietnam in 1964,
we need to understand what was occurring inside America in 1964.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cwqHB6QeUw

During the 1964 election, President Johnson (successor to JFK) ran against the Republican candidate, Senator Barry
Goldwater. Johnson’s campaign relied upon presenting Goldwater as a warmonger. In a famous television
advertisement, a little girl counting daisy petals changed into a nuclear countdown, ending in the explosion of a
hydrogen bomb. A vote for Johnson, it said, was a vote for peace. Johnson was duly re-elected in November 1964
and on the 8th March, 1965, the first US combat troops arrived in South Vietnam. LBJ was known for his overbearing
personality and his deviousness as a behind-the-scenes operator who escalated the war in Vietnam without national
debate or consensus and was accused of lying to the American people during the 1964 election.

Why did American troops get deployed to Vietnam? Why did Johnson break his election promises to the people?
Was he telling the truth about his intentions during the campaign?

What actually occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin?

On the 2nd and 4th August, 1964, certain “incidents” took place in the
Gulf of Tonkin, just off the coast of North Vietnam. Within hours of
the second incident, President Johnson was explaining in a
television address to the American people that US ships had been
attacked without provocation on the high seas of North Vietnam and
that waves of US airplanes were already commencing a massive
“retaliation” on port and defence facilities along the North
Vietnamese coast.
Source 1. Official Account: Defense Department Press Release,
2nd – 3rd August, 1964:
The following was released by CINCPAC at 1015 EDT Today:
While on routine patrol in international waters at 020808 GCT (1608 local
time), the US destroyer MADDOX underwent unprovoked attack by three
PT- type boats in latitude 19-40 North; longitude 106-34 East; in the
Tonkin Gulf.
The attacking boats launched three torpedoes and used 37 millimetre gun
fire. The MADDOX answered with 5 inch gunfire. Shortly thereafter four
F- 8 (Crusader) aircraft from the USS TICONDEROGA joined in the defence of MADDOX, using ZUNI rockets and
20 millimetre strafing attacks. The PT boats were driven off, with one seen to be badly damaged and not moving and
the other two damaged and retreating slowly.
No casualties or damage were sustained by Maddox or the aircraft.
The following is a chronology of the incident concerning the USS MADDOX (DD- 731) on August 2, 1964:
(All times are in Eastern Daylight Time)
11:00 PM, August 1:
MADDOX reported observing an estimated 75 junks near her assigned patrol area off the North Viet Nam coast. She
reported changing her course in order to avoid the junk concentration and indicated that there was no evidence of
hostility.
1:30 AM, August 2:
MADDOX reported that three torpedo boats were on a southerly course heading toward the ship at an extreme range
(over 10 miles). The MADDOX at this point was about 30 miles from the coast.
3:40 AM, August 2:
MADDOX reported she was being approached by the high speed (estimated 45- 50 knots) craft who apparent
intention was to conduct a torpedo attack and that she intended to open fire in self-defence if necessary.
4:08 AM, August 2:
MADDOX reported she was being attacked by the three PT craft. She opened fire with her 5 inch battery after three
warning shots failed to slow down the attackers.
The PT’s continued their closing manoeuvres and two of the PT’s closed to 5000 yards, each firing one torpedo. The
Maddox changed course in an evasive move and the two torpedoes passed close aboard on the starboard side (100-
200 yards).
USS TICONDEROGA (CVA- 14) Advised she was sending four already airborne F-8E’s (CRUSADERS) with
rockets and 20 mm ammunition to provide air cover for MADDOX. The pilots were instructed not to fire unless
MADDOX or the aircraft were fired upon.

Q1. According to the official report, what appears to have occurred in the Tonkin Gulf on the 1 st- 2nd August?

The next day, in a demonstration of American resolve, President Johnson ordered warship 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. Just before 9 p.m. that
night, Maddox reported spotting unidentified vessels in the area. Over the next three hours,
Maddox and Turner Joy were engaged in high-speed maneuvers designed to evade attack,
although it was unclear whether or not North Vietnamese ships were in fact in pursuit. Still, Maddox
reported multiple torpedo attacks as well as automatic weapons fire. Both destroyers returned fire,
launching multiple shells at the “enemy.”

Q2. We are now going to read evidence provided by John White, who served four years in the U.S. military
as a naval officer, primarily in antisubmarine warfare and nuclear weaponry. It was in that role aboard the
seaplane tender USS Pine Island that he heard classified radio messages on the night of the second claimed attack,
August 4, 1964. 

Source 2. https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticutmagazine/news-people/article/John-White-s-Letter-to-the-
New-Haven-Register-17041405.php

Read John White’s open letter describing what he believes really occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin.
What doubt does John White cast on the rationale that Maddox and Turner Joy were attacked?
Source 3. Lyndon B. Johnson
Monday, August 3, 1964, 10:30 A.M. (3:34)
Telephone Conversation with Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense,
Regarding the Gulf of Tonkin Incident(s) Involving the Destroyer U.S.S. Maddox

This telephone call represents the first conversation between President Johnson and defense secretary Robert
McNamara on the incident. 
President Lyndon B. Johnson: Now I wonder if you don't think it'd be wise for you and Rusk to get Mac, uh, the Speaker and Mansfield to call a group of fifteen to
twenty people together eh from the Armed Services and Foreign Relations to tell them what happened. A good many of them are saying to me
Secretary Robert McNamara: Right. I've been thinking about this myself, and I thought that uh
President Johnson: They're going to start an investigation
Secretary McNamara: Yeah.
President Johnson: if you don't.
Secretary McNamara: Yeah.
President Johnson: And you got Dirksen up there
Secretary McNamara: Yeah
President Johnson: and he's saying you've got to study it further, and say to Mansfield, "Now the President wants us, you, to get the proper people." And we
come in and you say, "They fired at us. We responded immediately. And we took out one of their boats and put the other two running. And we kept our..., we're
puttin' our boats right there, and we're not running on in."
Secretary McNamara: And it's hard to destroy.
President Johnson: That's right
Secretary McNamara: Right. And we're going to, and I think I should also, or we should also at that time, Mr. President, explain this Op Plan 34-A, these covert
operations. There's no question but what that had bearing on. And on Friday night, as you probably know, we had four TP [McNamara means PT] boats from
Vietnam manned by Vietnamese or other nationals, attack two islands. And we expended, oh, a thousand rounds of ammunition of one kind or another against
them. We probably shot up a radar station and a few other miscellaneous buildings. And following twenty-four hours after that, with this destroyer in that same
area, undoubtedly led them [the North Vietnamese] to connect the two events

Q3. What do you think is the significance of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, occurring between the 2 nd and 4th August?

Factors to consider:

 Source 2: John White’s witness testimony.

 Source 3. The Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, acknowledges that America was running covert
operations prior to the attack in the Gulf of Tonkin.
 North Vietnam claimed a 12 mile limit to its territorial waters. The United States recognised only a 10- mile
limit. The USS Maddox was operating 11 miles off the coast of Vietnam.
 The South Vietnamese navy was bombarding some North Vietnamese islands, and the USS Maddox was in
close proximity to the South Vietnamese ships.
 The USS C. Turner Joy, which also reported itself under attack, later refused to confirm an attack had taken
place.
 A US pilot sent to search for the enemy ships found nothing in the area.