Lesson Plan 1 5 Beginnings of War 1953 Eisenhower greatly increases aid to France in fighting Vietnam May 1961 President Kennedy sends 400 Green Berets Special Advisors to South Vietnam to train South Vietnam soldiers on methods of counterinsurgency ID: 425811
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Slide1
The Vietnam War
Lesson Plan 1 – 5Slide2
Beginnings of War
1953: Eisenhower greatly increases aid to France in fighting VietnamSlide3
May 1961
President Kennedy sends 400 Green Berets “Special Advisors” to South Vietnam to train South Vietnam soldiers on methods of counter-insurgencySlide4
1963 - 1965
President Johnson
What Happened:
Nov. 24, 1963: Pres. Johnson declares he will not lose Vietnam
March 8, 1965: The first combat troops land in Vietnam, 3500 Marines land on China Beach in
DaNang
1965: Pres. Johnson ask Congress for an additional $7.2 billion for the war
effortSlide5
November 1965
Nov. 14-16, 1965: the Battle of
Ia
Drang
Valley marks the first major battle between U.S. forces and Viet Cong forces
Nov. 27, 1965: 35,000 American Anti-War protestors surround the White HouseSlide6
The War Continues
Battle for Hue raged for 26 days as U.S. and South Vietnamese forces try to recapture the site seized by the Communist during the
Tet
Offensive.
Previously, a religious sect in the middle of a war zone, Hue is nearly leveled.
Thousands of people were murderedSlide7
American Strategy
After the
Tet
Offensive, a U.S. Army officer stated, “It became necessary to
destroy
the town to save it”. This became a summary of America’s
i
mpact
on Vietnam
“The American strategy had atrocity built into it”, stated Mark H. LytleSlide8
Calley
and the My Lai Massacre
Lieutenant William
Calley
was seen as a scapegoat for the Army’s failure to instill within the troops morale and discipline.
Calley
personally ordered groups of villagers into a ditch where he shot them down.
He ordered his men of Charlie Company to kill everyone in the village.
He was sent to prison for life was the sentence was reduced and he was let out in 1974 when he became an insurance agentSlide9
My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre: on March 16, the men of Charlie Company, 11
th
Brigade
, entered the village of My Lai
When the news of the atrocities surfaces, it will send shockwaves through the U.S. and
strengthen
the resolve of the Anti-War MovementSlide10
My Lai
During the 1
st
Platoon’s movement thru the southern half of the sub-hamlet, widespread killing happened, mostly women, children, and old men
According to the Peers Report, 60 – 70 Vietnamese men, women and children were murdered. Rape was also reported.Slide11
A Nation Shocked
Kerry testifies to incidents that send the nation into shock and outrages protestors.
He told “troops had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned the food stocks, and generally ravaged the countrysideSlide12
Kerry Testifies
1971: John Kerry testifies to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
“How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?” John Kerry (1971)
According to James
Loewen
, author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me” My Lai was the most famous instance of what Kerry called “not isolated instance but on a day-to-day basis”.Slide13
Kerry’s Legacy
In 2004, then Senator John Kerry made a bid for the presidency.
His testimony about the travesties and brutality of the Vietnam’s populace were used against him in campaign ads. He lost the presidency.
Among many Vietnam Vets today, Kerry’s testimony is still a sore spot. Many feel he betrayed his fellow soldiersSlide14
The Anti-War Movement
Protest to the War began in the early sixties but escalated in 68’ and after Kerry’s testimony
Popular sayings during the time were, “Hey, Hey LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?” Slide15
“Hell NO, We Wont GO!”
The Student Peace Union (SPU) emerged on college campuses across the United StatesSlide16
Protestors vs
Soldiers
The small antiwar movement grew into an unstoppable force, pressuring American leaders to reconsider its commitment to the Vietnam WarSlide17
Kent State
On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators
Killing four and wounding nine Kent State StudentsSlide18
End of War
The Paris Peace Accords ending the conflict were signed January 27, 1973, and were followed by the withdrawal of the remaining American TroopsSlide19
Ceasefire
“The terms of the accords called for a complete ceasefire in South Vietnam
This allowed the North Vietnamese forces to retain the territory they had captured, released U.S. prisoners of war, and called for both sides to find a political solution to the conflict”Slide20
Withdrawal
With U.S. forces gone from Vietnam, the country stood alone
The situation worsened in December 1974, when Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1974, cutting off all military aidSlide21
The Legacy of War
During the Vietnam War, America lost 58,119 soldiers killed, 153,303 wounded, and 1948 still missing in action
Casualty figures for citizens of Vietnam are estimated 2-4 million Vietnamese were killed during the conflict