what was true about the gulf of tonkin incident what was true about the gulf of tonkin incident

At 2336, President Johnson appeared on national television and announced his intent to retaliate against North Vietnamese targets: "Repeated acts of violence against the armed forces of the United States must be met not only with alert defense, but with positive reply. 1 The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, escalator of the Vietnam War, never happened Conspiracy theory: The Gulf of Tonkin incident, a major escalator of US involvement in the Vietnam War, never actually occurred. On 4 August 1964 two U.S. destroyers were again in the middle of the Gulf of Tonkin. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 25. By the night of August 4, the U.S. military had intercepted North Vietnamese communications that led officials to believe that a North Vietnamese attack on its destroyers was being planned. However, the retaliatory attack of 5 August marked the United States' first overt military action against the North Vietnamese and the most serious escalation up to that date. 1964 promised to be a volatile year in an already charged arena. a spy ring? Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 16; Edward J. Drea, "Tonkin Gulf Reappraisal: 40 Years Later," MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, Vol. On an audio tape from the Johnson Library declassified in December 2005, he admitted to the President the morning after the attacks that the two events were almost certainly connected: And I think I should also, or we should also at that time, Mr. President, explain this OPLAN 34-A, these covert operations. This quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower shows the true picture of the war. Moreover, another intercepted report seemed to confirm that the attack had in fact taken place, and thus Herricks caution was not taken seriously. History, 21.06.2019 19:50. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution effectively launched Americas full-scale involvement in the Vietnam War. 4 What is the Gulf of Tonkin incident and why is it controversial? Requested by Johnson, the resolution authorized the chief executive to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." Explanation: In 1964, the American government claimed that American naval ships had been attacked in territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. What was the most significant impact of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Interpreting this as an act of North Vietnamese aggression, the US government responded by ordering greater military involvement in Vietnam. All of the following are true about the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the ensuing resolution EXCEPT, Served as justification for the assassination of Ngo Diem, U.S. troops massacred hundreds of civilians, In the 1968 election, Lyndon Johnson decided. Other vital intercepts mysteriously disappeared. In fact, one of the patrols' main missions was to gather information that would be useful to the raiders.2 A top-secret document declassified in 2005 revealed the standing orders to the Desoto patrols: "[L]ocate 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 connection to DRV/Viet Cong maritime supply and infiltration routes."3. The Maddox fired at the torpedo boats, which fired back. What was true about the gulf of Tonkin incident? 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 incident was a complex naval event in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam, that was presented to the U.S. Congress on August 5, 1964, as two unprovoked attacks by. 14. Despite this type of loss throughout the war, the North Vietnamese continued to fight. The opinions expressed within the documents in both releases are those of the authors and individuals interviewed. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 3. They used a questionable report of a North Vietnamese attack on American naval vessels to justify the president's policy to the electorate and to defuse Republican senator and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's charges that Lyndon Johnson was irresolute and "soft" in the foreign policy arena.30, For his part, McNamara never admitted his mistakes. President Johnson acted before all the facts became known. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser, president Johnson acted before all the facts became known. By the time the destroyers broke off their "counterattack," they had fired 249 5-inch shells, 123 3-inch shells, and four or five depth charges.10, Commander Stockdale was again in the action, this time alone. But what happened in the Gulf during the late hours of 4 Augustand the consequential actions taken by U.S. officials in Washingtonhas been seemingly cloaked in confusion and mystery ever since that night. 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. U.S. Grant Sharp and David Burchinal telephone call, 04 August 1964 at 5:23 PM, from the DOD National Military Command Center (NMCC), recording provided by the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum. These new documents and tapes reveal what historians could not prove: There was not a second attack on U.S. Navy ships in the Tonkin Gulf in early August 1964. . The following day, the Maddox found that it was being approached by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Naval Academy. According to Hanyok, "SIGINT information was presented in such a manner as to preclude responsible decision makers in the Johnson Administration from having the complete and objective narrative of events of 04 August 1964."24. On board the ship, Commander, Destroyer Division 192, Captain John J. Herrick ordered the vessel out to sea, hoping to avoid a confrontation. At the end of July 1964, MACV-SOG assaulted North Vietnamese installations on the coast of North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. Inlet of Tonkin episode, complex maritime occasion in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the shore of Vietnam, that was introduced to the U.S. Congress on August 5, 1964, as two unmerited assaults by North Vietnamese torpedo water crafts on the destroyers. 2. 2 What happened at the Gulf of Tonkin quizlet? Lyndon Johnson on August 5, 1964, assertedly in reaction to two allegedly unprovoked attacks by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on the destroyers Maddox and C. Turner Joy of the U.S. And six decades ago, so the histories of those years have it, a small group of Norwegian seamen were entangled in a presidential deceit that led to an earlyand bloodyturning point in the Vietnam war. The Gulf of Tonkin incident irreversibly changed the outcome of the war, which is especially tragic considering one major fact: the incident was a hoax. At 1440, the destroyer detected three North Vietnamese patrol boats approaching her position from the west. What was true about the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution? Did the North Vietnamese actually attack US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin? ), pp. The Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964 proved to be America's key entry point to war in Vietnam. Seventh Fleet and that led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which allowed President Lyndon B. Johnson to greatly escalate U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. When President Johnson asked during a 4 August meeting of the National Security Council, "Do they want a war by attacking our ships in the middle of the Gulf of Tonkin?" It was in fact a more detailed report about the action on August 2, and there had not actually been an attack on August 4. "25, Later that day, Secretary McNamara lied when he denied knowledge of the provocative 34A patrols at a Pentagon news conference. 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. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 47. Why the Gulf of Tonkin Matters 50 Years Later (1/2) Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and historian Gareth Porter discuss how the Gulf of Tonkin incident was used to further entangle . OD. History, 21.06.2019 16:00. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Maddox. What really happened to the USS Maddox on that dark night in the Gulf of Tonkin? At the same time, two other South Vietnamese commando boats carried out a similar attack against Hon Ngu Island, more than 25 miles to the south.4. Until then, the United States supported South Vietnam by every means at its disposal, short of fully engaging its military. The alleged attacks on August 4th against the USS Maddox and USS Joy were the basis for escalating the United States' involvement in Vietnam, but those attacks never occurred. Corrections? For most of the last five decades, it has been assumed that the Tonkin Gulf incident was a deception by Lyndon Johnson to justify war in Vietnam. They were there as part of an effort to support South Vietnamese military raids on what was then the North Vietnamese coast. Was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident true? Gulf of Tonkin incident, complex naval event in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam, that was presented to the U.S. 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. And following 24 hours after that with this destroyer in the same area undoubtedly led them to connect the two events. naval event, Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam [1964]. And quite frankly, I follow that rule. The US has form for this kind of "fabricated" naval incident (see 2 and 3 above) say theorists, referring back to the second Tonkin Gulf incident in which the US is alleged to have faked a naval clash with the North Vietnamese navy. 132 (01 Dec 2005). In fact, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, as it became known, turned out to be a fictitious creation courtesy of the government to escalate war in Vietnam leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of U.S. troops and millions of Vietnamese, fomenting the largest anti-war movement in American history, and tarnishing . The Gulf of Tonkin incident was a brief confrontation between United States and North Vietnamese warships, off the coast of northern Vietnam in August 1964. Subscribe now and never hit a limit. How did the United States respond to the independence movement in Vietnam? Answer: Gulf of Tonkin incident, complex naval event in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam, that was presented to the U.S. 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. Financial and material aid was increased. T ruthout. August 4, 2015. Omissions? At present cannot even estimate number of boats involved. What was the intention of the War Powers Resolution? Unlike Captain Herrick, Stockdale had no doubt about what had happened: "We were about to launch a war under false pretenses, in the face of the on-scene military commander's advice to the contrary. How did American liberals change their views of poverty during the 1960s? Its stated purpose was to approve and support the determination of the president, as commander in chief, in taking all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. (19) Immediately after placing a load upon the hanger, however minuscule, the cardboard tube collapses into its natural equilibrium-the classic V-shape. Freak weather effects on radar and overeager sonarmen may have accounted for many reports. The military build-up that had been piecemeal would rise in earnest over the next four years and impact a generation for decades to come. It was probably his kid, so history has been mad at the wrong person all along. The Maddox and Turner Joy moved out to sea, but both reported that they were tracking multiple unidentified vessels approaching their positions. The Maddox, with its superior firepower and better defenses easily thwarted the attack. Deptartment of State Bulletin, 24 August 1964: 558. And why were highly skilled seamen and technicians from the Norwegian Navy involved. In these shorter essays, you are expected to make a strong argument about a specific week's readings, and to support this argument with theoretical and empirical evidence. After receiving information that there was an unprovoked attack in the Gulf of Tonkin, the United States entered the Vietnam War on August 14, 1964. Rather than being on a routine patrol Aug. 2, the U.S. destroyer Maddox was actually engaged in aggressive intelligence-gathering maneuvers in sync with coordinated attacks on North Vietnam by the South Vietnamese navy and the Laotian air force. At the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The relocation of American manufacturing overseas, The southern strategy involved attracting Democratic voters to the Republican Party.. Over the next three hours, the two ships repeatedly maneuvered at high speeds to evade perceived enemy boat attacks. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Without the full picture, Congress could not offer the checks and balances it was designed to provide. 23. McMasters, Dereliction of Duty, p. 134. Army Colonel H. R. McMaster, author of the highly acclaimed 1997 book Dereliction of Duty, accused Johnson and McNamara of outright deception: To enhance his chances for election, [Johnson] and McNamara deceived the American people and Congress about events and the nature of the American commitment in Vietnam. Forty-eight hours earlier, on Aug. 2, two US destroyers on patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin the Maddox and the Turner Joy were attacked by North Vietnamese boats. Updates? It's a very good rule."31. Questions about the Gulf of Tonkin incidents have persisted for more than 40 years. The targets were military or directly applicable to the North Vietnamese ability to wage war on South Vietnam. 16. Moreover, some intercepts were altered to show different receipt times, and other evidence was cherry picked to deliberately distort the truth. The Maddox was in the Gulf of Tonkin to collect signals intelligence on North Vietnam. "21, Navy Captain John J. Herrick (left), pictured with Maddox skipper Commander Herbert L. Ogier on board the destroyer, kept his superiors informed during the alleged battle with North Vietnamese PT boats on 4 August. In 1964, the American government claimed that American naval ships had been attacked in territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. "19 Despite his reservations, Stockdale led a strike of 18 aircraft against an oil storage facility at Vinh, located just inland of where the alleged attacks on the Maddox and Turner Joy had occurred. What were the key events in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident? What was later discovered were "Tonkin ghosts" (false radar images) and no evidence of the [] The Tonkin Gulf Resolution portrayed U.S. motives as maintaining peace and security in Asia, . Robert McNamara, In Retrospect (New York: Vintage, 1996) p. 133. See LTCOL Delmar C. Lang's chronology of the SIGINT reports (14 Oct 1964) on National Security Agency homepage, http://www.nsa.gov/vietnam/. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. (Wikimedia Commons) F ifty-one years ago today, the United States . On August 2, the North Vietnamese navy retaliated, sending 3 torpedo boats to engage the Maddox. "16 Amid all the other confusion and growing doubt about the attack, this battle report was a compelling piece of evidence. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In contrast to the clear conditions two days earlier, thunderstorms and rain squalls reduced visibility and increased wave heights to six feet. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. B. Johnson was also about to go on national television to describe the attacks and request the authority to undertake a military response, even though the decision had already been made. The resolution was introduced in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, during which two US naval ships were allegedly attacked by North . In his speech, he outlined his intent to retaliate and would formally request from Congress the power to take such action. Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, directed by Errol Morris, Sony Pictures, 2003. "29, During comments to reporters on 6 August, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara lied when he denied knowledge of the nature of the provocative OPLAN 34A raids, which were organized and overseen by his department. Weather conditions were clear, and seas were calm. In the meantime, as a demonstration of presence and power, The Maddox was joined by the USS Turner Joy. Suggest complete evaluation before any further action taken."13. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 24. That night, the South Vietnamese staged more OPLAN 34A raids. What happened at the Gulf of Tonkin quizlet? Gunfire and torpedoes were exchanged while F-8 fighters from USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) raced to the scene. That night proved to be a stormy one. In August 1964, the United States entered the Vietnam War after reports of an unprovoked attack in the Gulf of Tonkin. President Johnson acted before all the facts became known, and caused the US to be more involved with Vietnam. She retired Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Even though Pierce-Arrow was ordered shortly after the dubious reports of the second attack on the Maddox and Turner Joy, Johnson addressed the nation at 11:30 PM eastern time about the confrontation in the Gulf of Tonkin. Paragraph 14, 15 Richard Nixon, quoted in Walter Isaacson, Kissinger: A Biography (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005 . Foreign Relations of the United States, 19641968, vol. 22. Who was the leader of the movement to stop the Equal Rights Amendment? In 1995 Vo Nguyen Giap, who had been North Vietnams military commander during the Vietnam War, acknowledged the August 2 attack on the Maddox but denied that the Vietnamese had launched another attack on August 4, as the Johnson administration had claimed at the time. 30. On 28 July, the Maddox sortied from Taiwan en route to her Desoto patrol station. www.WhiteHouseTapes.org. What was the primary guiding principle of Carter's foreign policy during his early years in office? It was certainly convenient as a reason for expanding American involvement in the Vietnam War. 3 What power did the Gulf of Tonkin give the President? Details of action following present a confusing picture. In addition, even though the losses from bombing could and usually were significant, the North Vietnamese often gained a morale boost when they would shoot an American bomber out of the sky. McNamara was informed of this doubt but decided to remain quiet because Pierce-Arrow was already in motion. Pat Bauer graduated from Ripon College in 1977 with a double major in Spanish and Theatre. The incident was utilized by the Johnson Administration to publicly justify and escalate military operations in the region. But the US bombing of North Vietnam on August 4, 1964, in retaliation for an alleged naval attack that never happened, was not a move by LBJ to pave the way for war in Vietnam. Messages declassified in 2005 and recently released tapes from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library reveal confusion among the leadership in Washington. Was the Gulf of Tonkin incident staged USS Maddox On November 22, 1963, John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. On November 22, 1963, John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The Kerner Commission explained urban riots as the result of which of the following, Black frustration with the hopelessness of urban poverty, The Stonewall incident that catalyzed the gay rights movement occurred when __________, Bar patrons in New York City protested a police raid. By Lieutenant Commander Pat Paterson, U.S. Navy, Lieutenant Commander Pat Paterson, U.S. Navy. That report had been misinterpreted, however. No actual visual sightings by MADDOX. President Johnson signed it on August 10, giving the executive far greater power to conduct military operations, without a declaration of war, than had ever been granted before. Suggest complete evaluation before any further action taken.. (20) The more astute cardboard-roll hangers wait until they have been placed in the closet, out of view, before they collapse. Fill each blank with the word from the list below that best fits the context. Omissions? In exchange for Lee's surrender, Grant offered Quoted in Robert McNamara's In Retrospect, (New York: Vintage, 1996) p. 133. 25. 27. The truth was very different. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was a false flag operation organized by the secret services of the United States, to be used as a pretext in their participation in the Vietnam War; this simulated a false attack by North Vietnamese forces against United States Navy ships in Southeast Asia, which had penetrated waters that the United States claimed as The simple answer is that the Norwegian Navy has a long and murky history of cooperation with American intelligence. This group consisted of Army Special Forces, Navy Seals, and CIA operatives, among other covert entities. Libby Prison. For more than 90 minutes, he made runs parallel to the ships' course and at low altitude (below 2,000 feet) looking for the enemy vessels. Calls between the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the National Military Command Center; headquarters of the Commander in Chief, Pacific; and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara were frequently exchanged during the phantom battle. Instead, it's believed that the crewmembers of the Maddox mistook their own sonar . Late that night, radar images on the C. Turner Joy indicated that they were being approached by speeding vessels.