Chapter 29 Section 2 U.S. Involvement Grows
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Chapter 29 Section 2U.S. Involvement Grows
“Americanizing” the War
• Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and General William Westmoreland, Commander US Forces in South Vietnam believed the US needed to increase its military presence in South Vietnam beyond the role of advisors to the South Vietnamese Armed Forces (ARVN)
• This called for more troops and airstrikes against targets in North and South Vietnam
General William WestmorelandCommander US Forces in South Vietnam
Robert McNamaraSecretary of Defense
A Green Beret on patrol with ARVN troops
An American door gunner covering ARVN troops
US Helicopters prepare to transport ARVN troops into battle, 1965
Rolling Thunder
• In March 1965, following a Vietcong attack on US troops at Pleiku, President Johnson ordered the bombing of North Vietnam
• Code named “Operation Rolling Thunder”• Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps warplanes
attacked strategic targets in North Vietnam and Vietcong strongpoints in South Vietnam
• Lasted until November 1968
Phillipsburg HS graduate 1st Lieutenant (later Major) Bruce Lawrence, KIA July 5, 1968 over North Vietnam when his F4 Phantom was hit by a surface-to-air missile (SAM)
F-4 Phantom
North Vietnamese SA-2 SAM
Agent Orange• Agent Orange is a chemical used by the U.S. Army
in the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971 to remove forest cover, destroy crops, and disrupt agriculture food production.
• It is called “Agent Orange” because of the orange band that identifies the barrel the chemical came in. There were also Agents Purple, Green, and Pink.
Agent Orange• The U.S. military dumped some
20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides on about a quarter of former South Vietnam between 1962 and 1971.
• The defoliant decimated about 5 million acres of forest — roughly the size of Massachusetts — and another 500,000 acres of crops, the report said.
Agent Orange• The chemical have been shown to
cause serious skin diseases as well as a vast variety of cancers in the lungs, larynx, and prostate. Other effects include cleft palate, mental disabilities, hernias, and extra fingers and toes.
• The scariest impact is that the disease and deformities caused by the chemical can span across generations.
The Marines Land
• On March 8, 1965, US Marines arrived to defend the airbase at Da Nang. More troops soon followed.
• By the end of 1965, there were 184,300 US troops in Vietnam
• 636 Americans had been killed in the war to date
March 8, 1965- The first deployment of U.S. battalion-sized U.S. combat units to Vietnam
Pictured are Marines from 3rd Battalion, 9th Regiment
The 1st and 3rd Battalions soon followed, bringing the strength of the 9th Marine
Expeditionary Brigade up to 5,000 troops.
The Vietcong
• The Vietcong (VC) were South Vietnamese communists fighting for unification with North Vietnam
• They waged guerilla warfare, dressed as civilians and hid after attacking US troops
• They were supplied by the North Vietnamese by the Ho Chi Minh Trail that went through Laos and Cambodia
• The VC were highly motivated and suffered great hardships
The Vietcong and North Vietnamese dug a complex series of tunnels, from which they mounted surprise attacks.The U.S. dropped napalm to burn these jungle hideouts.
Mounting Costs
• By the end of 1968, 500,000 US troops were in country
• Over 30,000 Americans had been killed
Friend or Foe?
• The VC looked no different from the average civilian
• Women and children were often used to attack US troops
• The VC used booby traps, mines and human bombs to kill US troops
Vietcong & NVA Strategy
• The VC and NVA knew they could not match US firepower
• They relied on hit-and-run tactics to harass American forces
• Many attacks occurred at night• The goal was to erode American’s will to fight
through attrition
U.S. Troops Fulfill Their Duty• Americans served in Vietnam
for a variety of reason• Many volunteered to serve
their country• Some fought to stop
communism• Some fought to protect the
South Vietnamese• Many were drafted and had no
choice but to serve
Morale Declines• Morale declined for many
reasons– The majority of troops after
1965 were draftees– Losses continued to mount– US Troops felt the South
Vietnamese people were indifferent to their presence and should be defending their own country
– A growing anti-war movement at home undermined morale
Economic Problems at Home
• Johnson’s Great Society programs were very expensive
• The cost of fighting in Vietnam was also very high
• Massive government spending had lowered the unemployment rate but inflation was very high
• These factors led to increased taxes
The Anti-War Movement
• By 1967, opposition to the war was widespread• Two camps had emerged, Doves and Hawks• Doves questioned the war. They included liberal
politicians and students who saw the conflict as a localized civil war.
• Hawks supported Johnson’s war policies. They were mostly conservatives who believed the war was crucial to a U.S. Cold War victory.
13 of the 58,272 listed on the Wall attended Phillipsburg High School
Phillipsburg’s Roll of Honor
MajorBruce Edward Lawrence
Pilot(Phillipsburg, NJ)
557th Tactical Fighter SquadronUSAF
Tour of duty began on November 9,1968KIA
July 5, 1968Surface-to-Air Missile Hit
North VietnamPHS Class of 1960
Staff SergeantTerrance Edward Smith
Infantry (Phillipsburg, NJ)
25th Infantry DivisionUSA
Tour of duty began on April 23, 1967KIA
March 24, 1968Enemy Action
Tay Ninh ProvinceAttended PHS 1962
For Gallantry in Action, Staff Sergeant Smith distinguished himself by heroic actions on March 24, 1968, while serving as a platoon sergeant with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 14 Infantry on a combat operation in the Republic of Vietnam. When his unit was pinned down by intense enemy fire, Sergeant Smith reacted instantly to the situation and led his platoon to protective cover. He repeatedly exposed himself to the enemy fire to direct his men's fire and when a group of his men were trapped by the enemy fire he maneuvered to their position. After maneuvering these men to within 25 meters of the friendly positions, Sergeant Smith was mortally wounded by the intense enemy fire. His valorous actions saved several lives and were of immeasurable value to the successful completion of the mission.
Silver Star Citation (Posthumous)
Private First ClassJames Robert Morris
Rifleman(Phillipsburg, NJ)
3rd Battalion 7th Marine RegimentUSMC
Tour of duty began on November 28,1967KIA
January 31, 1968Enemy Action
Quang Nam ProvincePHS Class of 1964
SergeantAlbert Aleya Outwater Jr
Platoon Guide(Phillipsburg, NJ)
3rd Battalion 3rd Marine RegimentUSMC
Tour of duty began on July 17,1967.KIA
July 21, 1967 Enemy Action
Quang Tri ProvincePHS Class of 1964
CorporalAlbert Shiller
Rifleman(Alpha, NJ)
9th Infantry DivisionUSA
Tour of duty began on November 12, 1967KIA
April 2, 1968Wounds received from enemy booby trap
Binh Duong ProvincePHS Class of 1964
Specialist 4Daniel John Myers(Stewartsville, NJ)
1st infantry DivisionUSA
Tour of duty began on July 27, 1966KIA
January 30, 1967Non-Hostile Vehicle Accident
Di An, South VietnamPHS Class of 1965
Specialist 4Dennis Kline
(Phillipsburg, NJ)25th Infantry Division
USATour of duty began on July 15, 1966
KIAMarch 21, 1967
Friendly Fire (Air Strike)Hug Nghia ProvincePHS Class of 1965
PrivateRobert John Marcantoni
Rifleman(Phillipsburg, NJ)
3rd Battalion 7th Marine RegimentUSMC
Tour of duty began on April 23, 1967KIA
April 10, 1968Enemy Action
Quang Nam ProvincePHS Class of 1965
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWilliam M. Konyu
Bell UH-1H Helicopter Pilot(Phillipsburg, NJ)
101st Airborne DivisionUSAMIA
April 16, 1969Helicopter Crash-Hostile Fire
Quang Nam ProvincePHS Class of 1965
Sergeant James L. Suydam(Phillipsburg, NJ)
199th Light Infantry BrigadeUSAMIA
October 9, 1969Non Hostile Helicopter Crash
Tay Ninh ProvincePHS Class of 1966
Private First ClassArthur Mortimer Rowe
Rifleman(Phillipsburg, NJ)
2nd Battalion 1st Marine RegimentUSMC
Tour of duty began on April 12, 1968WIA- May 19, 1968DOW- June 1, 1968
Enemy ActionKhe Sahn
Attended PHS 1966
Private First ClassRobert Franklin Bacon
Trooper(Phillipsburg, NJ)
1st Air Cavalry DivisionUSA
Tour of duty began on June 3, 1969KIA
July 17, 1969Enemy Action
Binh Duong ProvinceAttended PHS 1966
CorporalJohn Edgar Marason
Armored Vehicle Crewman(Phillipsburg, NJ)
173 Airborne BrigadeUSA
Tour of duty began on November 9,1968KIA
December 2, 1968Enemy Action
Binh Dinh ProvincePHS Class of 1967
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