TONKIN GULF
By: Alexa Y.
In 1964, an American destroyer, the USS Maddox, was patrolling in the Gulf of Tonkin when a North Vietnamese patrol boat fired a torpedo at it. The torpedo missed the USS Maddox but the Maddox returned fire which resulted in heavy damage on the patrol boat. A few days later, the USS Maddox and another boat were again off the Vietnamese coast. The crew reported enemy torpedoes because of bad weather that could affect sight and the American destroyers began firing. The crew eventually confirmed no hostile gunfire.
President Johnson launched bombing strikes on North Vietnam because of the attack on the U.S. ships. He asked Congress to prevent further aggression and to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. This was approved by Congress and they adopted the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. This granted Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam. Johnson was secretly leading secret raids against North Vietnam. The Maddox had been in the Tonkin Gulf to collect information for these raids. Johnson prepared this resolution way beforehand and was waiting for the chance to get it through Congress.
In 1965, Johnson used his granted powers and unleashed "Operation Rolling Thunder" because of a Vietcong attack that killed eight Americans. It was the first continual bombing of North Vietnam. More and more American troops arrived to fight in the Vietnam War and then the war had become Americanized.
President Johnson launched bombing strikes on North Vietnam because of the attack on the U.S. ships. He asked Congress to prevent further aggression and to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. This was approved by Congress and they adopted the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. This granted Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam. Johnson was secretly leading secret raids against North Vietnam. The Maddox had been in the Tonkin Gulf to collect information for these raids. Johnson prepared this resolution way beforehand and was waiting for the chance to get it through Congress.
In 1965, Johnson used his granted powers and unleashed "Operation Rolling Thunder" because of a Vietcong attack that killed eight Americans. It was the first continual bombing of North Vietnam. More and more American troops arrived to fight in the Vietnam War and then the war had become Americanized.