The area used to be called French Indochina. After WWII this all began. The Vietnamese were fighting the Vichi french and the Japs, and we were allies. It was said they would get independence after WWII. Even though the French were diminished, they tried to hold on to French Indochina. However, the French lost and Vietnam was independent, and then split into 2. North Vietnam was communist and South Vietnam was democratic. In 1950 we started helping. The french were supported by us to win over communism but they failed. Then we sent military advisors to help in 1960 under Eisenhower. Under JFK in the 60's, sent more advisors and the Green Berets. Then it was Johnson who really started it, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. It looked like our ships had been attacked by the North Vietnamese, and Congress gave Johnson the go ahead, and there were many more combat troops deployed. Then more troops were sent and more troops and more troops were sent. Then they decided some more troops would help. And then more troops, to sent them over the edge. But that didn't work, so more troops. THen in 1968 the Vietnam war started going down, both in people's opinions and conflict. 536000 troops were in there,the Tet Offensive began, with the enemy that was "on their heels" abandoned guerrilla warfare for a bit and launched a huge offensive, and we annihilated them, which made us seem like liars. There was the My Lai massacre (504 vietnamese civilians were mutilated and raped), war protests, draft dodgers, and the Kent St. Massacre of 1970. In 69 Nixon called for the end of the war. 70-72 Nixon bombs Laos and Cambodia, destroyed the Ho Chi Mihn Trail, and in 73 the US pulled out of Vietnam. "Peace With Honor". All of Vietnam became communist after that.
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