what was true about the gulf of tonkin incident

Unbelievable, but true. How did the United States respond to the independence movement in Vietnam? 9. The Maddox nevertheless reported at 2040 that she was tracking unidentified vessels. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution effectively launched America's full-scale involvement in the Vietnam War. a spy ring? Vietnam was 12 hours ahead of Washington time, so the "attacks" in the evening of 4 August in the Gulf of Tonkin were being monitored in Washington late that morning. Crazy. 15. Until then, the United States supported South Vietnam by every means at its disposal, short of fully engaging its military. In August 1964, the United States entered the Vietnam War after reports of an unprovoked attack in the Gulf of Tonkin. Pierce-Arrow was a limited airstrike on North Vietnamese targets on August 5, 1964. Codenamed Operations Plan (OPLAN) 34A, the activities were conceived and overseen by the Department of Defense, with the support of the Central Intelligence Agency, and carried out by the South Vietnamese Navy. 1. Led by Commander James B. Stockdale, the four Crusaders strafed one of the boats, claiming it sunk . August 5, 2014. What was the intention of the War Powers Resolution? The Tonkin Gulf Resolution, essentially unchallenged by a Congress that believed it was an appropriate response to unprovoked, aggressive, and deliberate attacks on U.S. vessels on the high seas, would open the floodgates for direct American military involvement in Vietnam. C. supplies and shoes 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. As far as Vietnam was concerned, Johnson tried, and largely succeeded, balancing support for the US allies in the south but not committing too many resources, especially soldiers, to the fight in Asia. 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. The Maddox fired warning shots, but the torpedo boats continued and opened fire in return. The opinions expressed within the documents in both releases are those of the authors and individuals interviewed. However, it is important to put what we do know into context. Si une phrase est fausse, corrigez-la. 23. However the human race LOVEs . President Johnson acted before all the facts became known. In early August 1964, Johnsons and McNamaras zeal for aggressive action in Southeast Asia led to full U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, which cost the lives of more than 58,000 American service men and women.Lyndon Baines Johnson Library. Reduce the president's ability to wage war without congressional consen The destroyers reported automatic-weapons fire; more than 20 torpedo attacks; sightings of torpedo wakes, enemy cockpit lights, and searchlight illumination; and numerous radar and surface contacts. 29. The following day, the Maddox found that it was being approached by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats. 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. Paula March 1, 2023 at 16:24 . The Gulf of Tonkin theory. 20. Answer. On August 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution or the Southeast Asia Resolution, Pub. Pat Bauer graduated from Ripon College in 1977 with a double major in Spanish and Theatre. Quoted in Robert Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds, and the Flying Fish: The Gulf of Tonkin Mystery, 24 August 1964," Cryptological Quarterly, Winter 2000/Spring 2001, p. 6. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 3. I, Vietnam 1964 (section 278). Targets would disappear, and then new targets would appear from the opposite compass direction. The targets were military or directly applicable to the North Vietnamese ability to wage war on South Vietnam. operating in the coastal waters, inspecting suspicious incoming junks, seeking to deter and prevent the infiltration of both men and material." 4. 5. Was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident true? Johnson and McNamara recording, 03 August 1964 at 10:30 a.m., recording provided by the, Presidential Recordings Program, Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. The witness was asked to __________ a statement she made that did not seem to ________with her earlier testimony. Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History (New York: Penguin Books, 1983) p. 372. 28. Several years later, as the American public became increasingly disillusioned with the Vietnam War, many congressmen came to see the resolution as giving the president a blanket power to wage war, and the resolution was repealed in 1970. It's a very good rule."31. Can the omission of evidence by McNamara be forgiven? Indiquez si les phrases suivantes sont vraies ou fausses. Executive Sessions of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Historical Series, version XVI, Washington: Government Printing Office, 1988, p. 293. 384, enacted August 10, 1964, was a joint resolution that the United States Congress passed on August 7, 1964, in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident . . Some historians do not let the Johnson administration off so easily. The Vietnam War: A Concise History. The Johnson administration distorted the incident to provide a pretext for escalating American involvement in Vietnam d. Episode 2450 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story more about how the Norwegian Navy participated in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. He was a decorated war hero from World War II and the Korean War, with a great enough public presence to consider politics if he so chose after his military career. But, interestingly, on Sept. 18, a similar incident occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin. 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. . CIA Director John McCone answered matter-of-factly, "No, the North Vietnamese are reacting defensively to our attacks on their offshore islands . Fifty years ago, in what came to be known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the U.S.S. The US Navy destroyer had shipping container on its decked fitted out with electronic monitoring equipment gathering radio/radar (signals intelligence) information on North Vietnam. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. "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. In addition to the difficult detection conditions, the Maddox's SPS-40 long-range air-search radar and the Turner Joy's SPG-53 fire-control radar were both inoperative.9 That night, Herrick had the two ships move out to sea to give themselves maneuver space in case of attack. 13. Unlike much else that followed, this incident is undisputed, although no one from the US government ever admitted publicly that the attack was likely provoked by its covert actions. An intercepted SIGINT message, apparently from one of the patrol boats, reported: "Shot down two planes in the battle area. Updates? Yes it happened. . 8. OD. Financial and material aid was increased. On the night of 30-31 July, the destroyer was on station in the Gulf of Tonkin when a 34A raid was launched against Hon Me Island. "17, McNamara considered the report, coupled with Admiral Sharp's belief the attack was authentic, as conclusive proof. of the Biden Administrations decision to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines, why did much of the secret planning and training for the operation take place in Norway? In contrast, during the 2 August attack NSA listening posts monitored VHF communications between North Vietnamese vessels, HF communications between higher headquarters in Hanoi and the boats, and communication relays to the regional naval station. You've read 1 out of 5 free articles of Naval History this month. McMasters, Dereliction of Duty, p. 119; Stockdale, In Love and War, p. 19. History, 21.06.2019 16:00. There were a number of key events in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident: The USS Maddox was sent to support the South Vietnamese mercenaries. Within time, the conflict in Vietnam would likely have occurred anyway, given the political and military events already in motion. The North Vietnamese were oblivious to the confusion it would generate. Fill each blank with the word from the list below that best fits the context. On further examination, it was found to be referring to the 2 August attacks against the Maddox but had been routinely transmitted in a follow-up report during the second "attack." The timing of the retaliation order is significant because shortly after Maddox and Turner Joy reported the attack, there was significant doubt that any action was taken by North Vietnam at all. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 13. Seventh Fleet and that led to the Gulf of Tonkin. 8. 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. In the early hours of the next day, Maddox communication technicians intercepted SIGINT reports of North Vietnamese vessels getting under way, possibly intent on attacking the destroyer. Operations carried during peace-time by civilian organisation, as well as covert government agencies, may by extension be called false flag operations if they seek to hide the real organisation behind an operation. McMasters, Dereliction of Duty, p. 108. Sharp admitted that there was a "slight possibility" because of freak radar echoes, inexperienced sonarmen, and no visual sightings of torpedo wakes. Instead, it's believed that the crewmembers of the Maddox mistook their own sonar . The Gulf of Tonkin incident is the name given to two separate confrontations involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in 1964 that gave 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B Johnson, the authority to deploy military forces in Southeast Asia without formally declaring war. What was true about the Gulf of Tonkin incident? In the Gulf of Tonkin incident, North Vietnamese torpedo boats supposedly attacked the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin, off Vietnam, in a pair of assaults on August 2 and 4 of 1964. 14. there was nothing there but black water and American firepower."11. 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. In reality, there was no coordination between the forces conducting the operations. President Johnson is overcome with grief as he listens to a tape sent by his son-in-law, Captain Charles Robb, from Vietnam in 1968. But no declassified information had suggested that McNamara, Johnson, or anyone else in the decision-making process had intentionally misinterpreted the intelligence concerning the 4 August incident. 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. Jim and Sybil Stockdale, In Love and War (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1990, rev. The event led the U.S. to believe that North Vietnam was targeting its intelligence-gathering mission, and therefore the Turner Joy was sent to reinforce the Maddox. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution effectively launched Americas full-scale involvement in the Vietnam War. What initially sparked the 1973 energy crisis? Almost immediately upon taking the helm in Vietnam, Westmoreland called for greater troop strength throughout South Vietnam. McNamara's intentional distortion of events prevented Congress from providing the civilian oversight of military matters so fundamental to the congressional charter. On August 2, 1964 the USS Maddox was on DEOSTO Patrol in international waters off North Vietnam. 11. Answer (1 of 8): Yes. She recruited volunteers from among the Union prisoners held at 3 What power did the Gulf of Tonkin give the President? Naval Academy. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 12. In contrast to the clear conditions two days earlier, thunderstorms and rain squalls reduced visibility and increased wave heights to six feet. Freak weather effects on radar and overeager sonarmen may have accounted for many reports. The simple answer is that the Norwegian Navy has a long and murky history of cooperation with American intelligence. In July 1964, Lieutenant General William C. Westmoreland, commander of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, shifted the operation's tactics from commando attacks on land to shore bombardments using mortars, rockets, and recoilless rifles fired from South Vietnamese patrol boats.1, The U.S. Navy, meanwhile, had been conducting occasional reconnaissance and SIGINT-gathering missions farther offshore in the Tonkin Gulf. False reports were also presented, and the president didn't know about them. O A. land and freedom The Gulf of Tonkin incident (Vietnamese: S kin Vnh Bc B) was an international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the Vietnam War.It involved both a proven confrontation on August 2, 1964, carried out by North Vietnamese forces in response to covert operations in the coastal region of the gulf, and a second, claimed confrontation on August 4 . This quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower shows the true picture of the war. Decommissioned in 1982, she is now a museum ship in Bremerton, Washington. 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 Did the North Vietnamese actually attack US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin? Stockdale reported seeing no torpedo boats. Lieutenant Commander Paterson is a foreign area officer and former history instructor at the U.S. Five nations with a multiparty system of government.conduct a brief search of secondary source to find a answer. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. Was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident true? The Maddox, on patrol in the area but probably unaware of the raids that had taken place, observed torpedo boats sent out in pursuit of the South Vietnamese vessels and thus withdrew, but it returned on August 1. 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. Reply. Stockdale and the other pilots, with orders to "attack and destroy the PT boats," made multiple firing runs on the enemy vessels. (19) Immediately after placing a load upon the hanger, however minuscule, the cardboard tube collapses into its natural equilibrium-the classic V-shape. The incident was utilized by the Johnson Administration to publicly justify and escalate military operations in the region. 1964 promised to be a volatile year in an already charged arena. He sent a flash (highest priority) message to Honolulu, which was received in Washington at 1327 on 4 August, declaring his doubts: "Review of action makes many reported contacts and torpedoes fired appear doubtful. 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. allowed for the president to send combat troops to Vietnam. 21. 4 What is the Gulf of Tonkin incident and why is it controversial? And quite frankly, I follow that rule. 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. Was the Gulf of Tonkin incident staged USS Maddox On November 22, 1963, John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. 1 See answer Advertisement mahak08 It's true. The United States was playing a dangerous game. After observing North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats pursuing the vessels that had attacked Hon Me, the Maddox withdrew from the area. We may never know the whole truth behind the Tonkin events and the motivations of those involved. Three days following the incident, Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving the President wide latitude in conducting military operations in Vietnam, and Johnson signed it into law on the 10th.Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, Subsequently, Secretary McNamara intentionally misled Congress and the public about his knowledge of and the nature of the 34A operations, which surely would have been perceived as the actual cause for the 2 August attack on the Maddox and the apparent attack on the 4th. On 4 August 1964 two U.S. destroyers were again in the middle of the Gulf of Tonkin. The first is done for you. But it wasn't true. No actual sightings by "Maddox". 16, No. Questions about the Gulf of Tonkin incidents have persisted for more than 40 years. Critique does not simply mean At the same time, the Vietnamese navy was undertaking a mission under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Defense to attack radar stations, bridges, and other such targets along North Vietnams coasts. Libby Prison. The North Vietnamese boats attacked with torpedoes and machine gun fire. When his wingman's aircraft developed trouble, Stockdale got permission to launch solo from the Ticonderoga. Besides the situation in Vietnam, Johnson was very concerned with the upcoming election of 1964. 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?" 6. In Hawaii, Pacific Fleet Commander-in-Chief Admiral U. S. Grant Sharp was receiving Captain Herrick's reports by flash message traffic, not voice reports. What power did the Gulf of Tonkin give the President? It was the basis for the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which committed major American forces to the war in Vietnam. The Maddox called in air support from a nearby carrier, the Ticonderoga. Paragraph 14, 15 Richard Nixon, quoted in Walter Isaacson, Kissinger: A Biography (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005 . 132 (01 Dec 2005). The president agreed and ordered Operation Pierce Arrow, an airstrike on North Vietnamese mainland targets. They are part of the South Vietnamese Navy . Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 19. 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. Corrections? Their overall objective was to disrupt North Vietnamese infiltration and support of South Vietnamese Communists, namely the Viet Cong. . On the afternoon of August 2, 1964, three North Vietnamese torpedo boats clashed with the American destroyer Maddox (DD-731) patrolling the coast. Fifty years ago, in what came to be known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the U.S.S. She hired former Confederate soldiers to gather information from NSAPAC REP VIETNAM 200100ZAUG64. Analyze the effects of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed under the Lyndon Johnson administration during the Vietnam War, Learn about some key points on the Gulf of Tonkin incident leading to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, 1964, https://www.britannica.com/event/Gulf-of-Tonkin-incident, HistoryNet - Gulf of Tonkin Incident: Reappraisal 40 Years Later, U.S. Department of State - Office of the Historian - U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War: The Gulf of Tonkin and Escalation, 1964. On hearing of the authorization's passage by both houses of Congress, the delighted President remarked that the resolution "was like Grandma's nightshirt. Johnson did not want to anger American voters by putting US servicemen in harms way, but he was conscious of the fact that if he did nothing he would be labeled soft on Communism by his Republican opponents. OPEC's embargo of oil exports to the United States in retaliation for American intervention in the Middle East. Re-engaging, the first PT boat launched a second torpedo and opened fire with her 14.5-mm guns, but Maddox shell fire heavily damaged the vessel.6. A plane piloted by Commander James Stockdale joined the action, flying at low altitude to see the enemy ships. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 47. Quoted in Robert McNamara's In Retrospect, (New York: Vintage, 1996) p. 133. The Mysteries of Tonkin Gulf. The police used tear gas and billy clubs against anti-war protesters, and members of the New Left and the black power movement who were demonstrating outside the convention. She participated extensively in the Vietnam War, and was one of the principal ships involved in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. 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. Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president later that day. Freak weather effects on radar and overeager sonarmen may have accounted for many reports. (Wikimedia Commons) F ifty-one years ago today, the United States . "28, Johnson himself apparently had his own doubts about what happened in the Gulf on 4 August. Still other targets appeared from the east, mimicking attacking profiles of torpedo boats. . Though not manned by American sailors, four ships under the command of MACV-SOG attacked two islands in the Gulf, Hon Me, and Hon Ngu. The Gulf of Tonkin incident (Vietnamese: S kin Vnh Bc B), also known as the USS Maddox incident, was an international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the Vietnam War. The attacks were unprovoked. Explanation: In 1964, the American government claimed that American naval ships had been attacked in territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. "22, Almost 90 percent of the SIGINT intercepts that would have provided a conflicting account were kept out of the reports sent to the Pentagon and White House. The reply is being given as I speak to you tonight. Hanyok conducted a comprehensive analysis of SIGINT records from the nights of the attacks and concluded that there was indeed an attack on 2 August but the attack on the 4th did not occur, despite claims to the contrary by President Johnson and Secretary McNamara. Foreign Relations of the United States, 19641968, vol. by John Prados. Suggest complete evaluation before any further action taken."13. Roe v. Wade, the court case that legalized abortion hinged on what legal idea? Both ships began firing at what they thought were torpedo boats, and again they sought air support. various battlefields. The Maddox, with its superior firepower and better defenses easily thwarted the attack. Gunfire and torpedoes were exchanged while F-8 fighters from USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) raced to the scene. What should have stood out to the U.S. leadership collecting all the data of these attacks was that, with the exception of the battle report, no other SIGINT "chatter" was detected during the attacks on 4 August. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you. 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 why were highly skilled seamen and technicians from the Norwegian Navy involved. According to John Prados of the independent National Security Archive, Hanyok asserted that faulty signals intelligence became "vital evidence of a second attack and [Johnson and McNamara] used this claim to support retaliatory air strikes and to buttress the administration's request for a Congressional resolution that would give the White House freedom of action in Vietnam. Initial successes, however, were limited; numerous South Vietnamese raiders were captured, and OPLAN 34A units suffered heavy casualties. Johnson and his advisers had approved retaliatory strikes on North Vietnamese naval bases as soon as the reports of the apparent attack of August 4 came in. C'estr difficile pour nous de changr nos modes de vie. Although the U.S. destroyers were operating more than 100 miles from the North Vietnamese coastline, the approaching vessels seemed to come at the ships from multiple directions, some from the northeast, others from the southwest. Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. 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 Resulted from a minor naval conflict The Johnson administration distorted the incident to provide a pretext for escalating American involvement in Vietnam Three patrol craft attacked a security garrison at Cua Ron (the mouth of the Ron River) and a radar site at Vinh Son, firing 770 rounds of high-explosive munitions at the targets.8 North Vietnamese installations had been attacked four separate times in five days. McNamara instead declared that "our Navy played absolutely no part in, was not associated with, was not aware of, any South Vietnamese actions, if there were any. Interpreting this as an act of North Vietnamese aggression, the US government responded by ordering greater military involvement in Vietnam. D. President Johnson acted before all the facts became known. C. It showed the willingness of North Vietnam to make peace. The third was left dead in the water and burning.7. What happened at the Gulf of Tonkin quizlet? a woman's right to choose in the first trimester. McMasters, Dereliction of Duty, p. 134. This assignment requires you to use themes from the readings and debate critically the meaning, scope, and/or practices. Jim and Sybil Stockdale, In Love and War (New York: Harper and Row, 1984), p. 23. The Maddox, however, was not. It also declared that the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia was vital to American interests and to world peace. New York: Oxford Press, 2008. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident, https://dailyhistory.org/index.php?title=Was_the_Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident_staged&oldid=23951. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). And why were highly skilled seamen and technicians from the Norwegian Navy involved? How to Market Your Business with Webinars.