Essay on Vietnam War and Its Effect on America - 1769 Words

In 1965, the United States of America officially enter the war against North Vietnam. After the Gulf of Tonkin incident where North Vietnamese attacked two U.S. ships on August 2nd and 4th, 1964, this event was a chance for U.S. President Lyndon Johnson to give authority for U.S. to enter war in Vietnam. United State involvement in Vietnam War was an approach to seize the communist aggression. A campaign authorized by President Johnson called â€Å"Operation Rolling Thunder† which started on February 24th, 1965 is a series of extensive bombing directed towards the North Vietnamese predicted to be eight weeks long until the North Vietnamese surrender to U.S. power. However, this campaign lasted two years longer than expected. On March 8th,†¦show more content†¦Why are these realities our concern? Why are we in South Vietnam? We are there because we have a promise to keep. Since 1954 every American President has offered support to the people of South Viet-Nam. We have helped to build, and we have helped to defend. Thus, over many years, we have made a national pledge to help South Viet-Nam defend its independence. And I intend to keep that promise... We are also there to strengthen world order. Around the globe, from Berlin to Thailand, are people whose well being rests, in part, on the belief that they can count on us if they are attacked. To leave Viet-Nam to its fate would shake the confidence of all these people in the value of an American commitment and in the value of Americas word. The result would be increased unrest and instability, and even wider war. We are also there because there are great stakes in the balance. Let no one think for a moment that retreat from Viet-Nam would bring an end to conflict. The battle would be renewed in one country and then another. The central lesson of our time is that the appetite of aggression is never satisfied. To withdraw from one battlefield means only to prepare for the next. We must say in Southeast Asia as we did in Europe in the words of the Bible: Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further.... Our objective is the independence of South Viet-Nam, and its freedom from attack. We want nothing forShow MoreRelatedEffects Of The Vietnam War On America1559 Words   |  7 PagesDoogan America in history 3H, Pd. 8 20 January 2015 Effects of the Vietnam War The Vietnam War is one of the most debatable and controversial wars in U.S. History. To this day people are questioning why we ever entered a war that was over 8,000 miles away. Why would we put our soldiers through such harsh fighting conditions and why would we spend so much money on a war that was not ours? Some people say that U.S. involvement was necessary to help end Communism and important to keep South Vietnam fromRead MoreThe Vietnam War And Its Effects On America2000 Words   |  8 Pagesstallion of equality with triumphant fervor from World War II, the United States of America prioritized the containment of communism as its foreign policy outlined by the Truman Doctrine in 1947. The U.S eventually found itself in the middle of rising communist nations in the Pacific and European theaters. In an increasingly expensive and hopeless effort to prevent communist Ho Chi Minh unifying Vietnam under the red flag of the hammer and sickle, America officially sent troops to the Sou theast Asian nationRead MoreEffects of the Vietnam War on America1293 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War, from first hand point of thought is where a great deal of the confusion had started in the United States. It was certainly a rough decade during that time period, ranging four presidencies during the war itself with the exception of Harry Truman helping the French in the beginning. When in class we talk about the national approval rating for the American people towards their government and it is surprisingly low, about a quarter of the population. Through first hand interviews ofRead MoreEffects Of The Vietnam War On America2038 Words   |  9 PagesThe Vietnam War is an event in history that resonates through time way past the period of its actual occurrence. Aside from being the only war that the United States has ever lost, the Vietnam War resulted in around 58,000 American deaths, 3 to 4 million Vietnamese deaths, hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars spent, and a nation divided over its purpose and worth. Although the effects of the Vietnam War may not be a common or pressing topic in current times, the Americans who were involved in theRead More End of the Vietnam war and effects on america Essay1437 Words   |  6 Pagesnegotiations to end the war to began. Between 1968 and 1969, contacts in Paris between North Vietnam and the United States were expand ed to include South Vietnam and the NLF. Under the leadership of President Richard M Nixon, the United States changed its tactics to combine U.S. troop withdrawals with intensified bombing and the invasion of Communist sanctuaries in Cambodia . Due to the length of the war, the high number of U.S. casualties, and the exposure of U.S. involvement in war crimes such as theRead MoreThe Vietnam War On American Society932 Words   |  4 Pagesaccentuating the growing success and power that Vietnam held. America was calm at first as they held the belief that Vietnam would serve as a barrier to communism. Unfortunately, when communism kept spreading, America panicked. American troops were sent into Vietnam and the citizens of America were lied to about the reason for the presence of the troops in Vietnam. The years 1964 to 1975 were characterized by the negative effects of the Vietnam war on American society and how they heightened socialRead MoreThe United States Involvement During The Vietnam War947 Words   |  4 Pagesthose conflicts have turned out into wars. Looking back at America’s â€Å"track record† with war, America has a worthy past of having its citizen’s support. Obviously the two World Wars w e not controversial. The United States in the Korean War was criticized, fairly, for its strategy, but the need to defend South Korea was never questioned. In only the Vietnam War was the United States’ very participation criticized. This is such a gigantic change with prior wars that it bears study as to why it happenedRead MoreThe Vietnam War And The Cold War1494 Words   |  6 Pages When examining the Vietnam War you must first understand the involvement of the events surrounding the Cold War. The ‘Vietnam War’ as it is known is a product of the cold war era, by this I mean that events in the Cold War led to the US’s involvement and creation of issues causing the conflict. â€Å"The Vietnam War was a long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the UnitedRead MoreThe Vietnam War1737 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of the Vietnam War, was to end the awful spread of communism. As Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam’s communist president) fought to which spread North Vietnam’s political uses to Southern Vietnam. With this, the American Military Advisors sought to believe that a fall of Southern Vietnam to communist hands, would then lead to a total takeover of neighboring nations to fall under communism. The eff ect of the neighboring nations falling, was known as the â€Å"Domino Effect†. It all began when TheRead MoreThe Vietnam War Had A Tremendous Effect On The World1415 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War had a tremendous effect on the world, especially the United States. Not only did the war affect people in battle, but also left permanent effects on people all over the world. Over 57,000 U.S. citizens died and over 140,000 injured in battle. Multiple Americans were impacted by the war, vast amount of people died but more were injured. North Vietnam won the battle against South Vietnam and their allies. The Fall of Saigon in 1975 was the end of a gruesome war. The war had multiple