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The opinions expressed within the documents in both releases are those of the authors and individuals interviewed. None of these communications occurred on the night of 4 August. a woman's right to choose in the first trimester. C. supplies and shoes 1. The Turner Joy had not detected any torpedoes during the entire encounter, and Herrick determined that the Maddox's operators were probably hearing the ship's propellers reflecting off her rudder during sharp turns.12 The destroyer's main gun director was never able to lock onto any targets because, as the operator surmised, the radar was detecting the stormy sea's wave tops. See Summary Notes of the 538th meeting of the National Security Council. . 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. No, that's not true. The incident was utilized by the Johnson Administration to publicly justify and escalate military operations in the region. What really happened to the USS Maddox on that dark night in the Gulf of Tonkin? He arrived overhead at 2135. Next, the best we have as Robert McNamara deemed him, General William Westmoreland was appointed the commander of operations in Vietnam in April of 1964. 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. They used a questionable report of a North Vietnamese attack on American naval vessels to justify the president's policy to the electorate and to defuse Republican senator and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's charges that Lyndon Johnson was irresolute and "soft" in the foreign policy arena.30, For his part, McNamara never admitted his mistakes. What was the intention of the War Powers Resolution? A few days after the Tonkin Gulf Resolution was passed, he commented, "Hell, those damn, stupid sailors were just shooting at flying fish. 5051. Probably the best one LBJ ever came up with and certainly his most everlastingly devastating was, "We were attacked [in the Gulf of Tonkin]." In August of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson needed a pretext to commit the American people to the expanding covert war in south East Asia. As the battle continued, he realized the "attacks" were actually the results of "overeager sonar operators" and poor equipment performance. At 1440, the destroyer detected three North Vietnamese patrol boats approaching her position from the west. Libby Prison. In fact, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, as it became known, turned out to be a fictitious creation courtesy of the government to escalate war in Vietnam leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of U.S. troops and millions of Vietnamese, fomenting the largest anti-war movement in American history, and tarnishing . 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. Anderson, David L., Editor. On August 2, 1964 the USS Maddox was on DEOSTO Patrol in international waters off North Vietnam. On November 22, 1963, John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. McMasters, Dereliction of Duty, p. 119; Stockdale, In Love and War, p. 19. OPEC's embargo of oil exports to the United States in retaliation for American intervention in the Middle East. Although the raid was successful (the oil depot was completely destroyed and 33 of 35 vessels were hit), two American aircraft were shot down; one pilot was killed and the second captured.20, On 7 August, Congress, with near unanimity, approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which President Johnson signed into law three days later. Until then, the United States supported South Vietnam by every means at its disposal, short of fully engaging its military. Both the Maddox and the C. Turner Joy fired repeatedly into the stormy night. The Pentagon Papers, published in the 1970's subsequently proved that the claims, along with the rest of the information published by the American government justifying US involvement in Vietnam were falsehoods. The destroyers were sent to the area in 1964 in order to conduct reconnaissance and to intercept North Vietnamese communications in support of South Vietnamese war efforts. What was true about the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 24. money and clothing 4. . operating in the coastal waters, inspecting suspicious incoming junks, seeking to deter and prevent the infiltration of both men and material." . Seventh Fleet and that led to the Gulf of . 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. ed. It showed the military superiority of the South Vietnamese. The resolution served as the principal constitutional authorization for the subsequent vast escalation of the United States military involvement in the Vietnam War. Gunfire and torpedoes were exchanged while F-8 fighters from USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) raced to the scene. It was probably his kid, so history has been mad at the wrong person all along. Johnson was also about to go on national television to describe the attacks and request the authority to undertake a military response, even though the decision had already been made. It showed the military superiority of the South Vietnamese. 8. 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. See LTCOL Delmar C. Lang's chronology of the SIGINT reports (14 Oct 1964) on National Security Agency homepage, http://www.nsa.gov/vietnam/. The fictitious Gulf of Tonkin incident helped draw the United States deeper into the Vietnam War. Which of the following resulted from American commitments to free trade? Did the North Vietnamese actually attack US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin? What was true about the Gulf of Tonkin incident? The relocation of American manufacturing overseas, The southern strategy involved attracting Democratic voters to the Republican Party.. . On 30 May 2006, NSA released the second and final installment of Gulf of Tonkin materials. On August 2, it was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. They are part of the South Vietnamese Navy . Drea, "Tonkin Gulf Reappraisal," p. 5. What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and why was it important? 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. 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. Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History (New York: Penguin Books, 1983) p. 372. 28. The following night, August 3 three more MACV-SOG vessels attacked targets on the mainland of North Vietnam. And why were highly skilled seamen and technicians from the Norwegian Navy involved. Answer (1 of 8): Yes. After this was reported to Washington, Robert McNamara urged President Johnson to retaliate. . Answers: 3. For more than 90 minutes, he made runs parallel to the ships' course and at low altitude (below 2,000 feet) looking for the enemy vessels. With the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the United States committed its full strength to the conflict. On 6 August, when called before a joint session of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees to testify about the incident, McNamara eluded the questioning of Senator Wayne Morse (D-OR) when he asked specifically whether the 34A operations may have provoked the North Vietnamese response. It was certainly convenient as a reason for expanding American involvement in the Vietnam War. Stockdale reported seeing no torpedo boats. President Johnson signed it on August 10, giving the executive far greater power to conduct military operations, without a declaration of war, than had ever been granted before. McNamara again eluded the question, "They have advanced closer and closer to the 17th parallel, and in some cases, I think they have moved beyond that in an effort to stop the infiltration closer to the point of origin."26. C. It showed the willingness of North Vietnam to make peace. C. She asked free Black people to pose as enslaved servants in and The featured story comes from the Counter Currents website and was titled: Covert Operations In Continue reading Have interviewed witnesses who made positive visual sightings of cockpit lights or similar passing near MADDOX. You've read 1 out of 5 free articles of Naval History this month. naval event, Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam [1964]. Resulted from a minor naval conflict c. The Johnson administration distorted the incident to provide a pretext for escalating American involvement in Vietnam d. Resulted from a minor naval conflictc. T ruthout. She retired Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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. C. Turner Joy, on two separate occasions in the Gulf of Tonkin, a body of . Nearly 200 documents the National Security Agency (NSA) declassified and released in 2005 and 2006, however, have helped shed light on what transpired in the Gulf of Tonkin on 4 August. The National Security Agency originally claimed that another sea battle, the Second Gulf of Tonkin incident, occurred on August 4, 1964, but instead evidence was found of "Tonkin ghosts" (false radar images) and not actual North Vietnamese torpedo boats. by John Prados. The Gulf Tonkin Incidents were the pretext for President Johnson to create and ultimately pass the Gulf Tonkin Resolution, which ultimately allowed the US to escalate the Vietnam War (also known as the Second Indochina War) into a large-scale war. 18. 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. What was the most significant impact of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution? What was true about the gulf tonkin incident? By the night of August 4, the U.S. military had intercepted North Vietnamese communications that led officials to believe that a North Vietnamese attack on its destroyers was being planned. CH 13 Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles Vocab, Chapter 9: Cellular Respiration and Fermentat, US Citizenship and Naturalization Test 2019 (, Cole Conlin, Elizabeth Millan, Max Ehrsam, Parthena Draggett, An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese Workbook, Betsy Kerr, Guy Spielmann, Mary Rogers, Tracy D.Terrell, la prise de conscience de notre impact sur la plan. 12. Torpedo boats and fuel storage facilities were destroyed. Several reported torpedoes were probably boats themselves which were observed to make several close passes on MADDOX. Fill each blank with the word from the list below that best fits the context. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Inlet of Tonkin episode, complex maritime occasion in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the shore of Vietnam, that was introduced to the U.S. Congress on August 5, 1964, as two unmerited assaults by North Vietnamese torpedo water crafts on the destroyers. 14. Hanyok, "Skunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds," p. 3. Aware of North Vietnamese intent from the earlier SIGINT message, Captain Herrick ordered gun crews to open fire if the fast-approaching trio closed to within 10,000 yards of the destroyer, and at about 1505 three 5-inch shots were fired across the bow of the closest boat. On 2nd August, 1964, three North Vietnamese torpedo boats travelled towards the Maddox. 5-8; Andrade and Conboy, "The Secret Side.". The reply is being given as I speak to you tonight. The attacks were unprovoked. We sacrificed two comrades but all the rest are okay. 15. In large part due to the passage of this resolution, American forces became even more deeply mired in the Vietnam War. How did the United States respond to the independence movement in Vietnam? Seventh Fleet in the Gulf of Tonkin on August 2 and August 4, respectively. 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. The attacks were unprovoked. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. CIA Director John McCone answered matter-of-factly, "No, the North Vietnamese are reacting defensively to our attacks on their offshore islands . 1 See answer Advertisement mahak08 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. A. Some historians do not let the Johnson administration off so easily. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution effectively launched Americas full-scale involvement in the Vietnam War. Besides the situation in Vietnam, Johnson was very concerned with the upcoming election of 1964. Jim and Sybil Stockdale, In Love and War (New York: Harper and Row, 1984), p. 23. COMUSMACV 291233ZJuly64. On Friday night, as you probably know, we had four TP [sic] boats from [South] Vietnam, manned by [South] Vietnamese or other nationals, attack two islands, and we expended, oh, 1,000 rounds of ammunition of one kind or another against them. . 29. Requested by Johnson, the resolution authorized the chief executive to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, directed by Errol Morris, Sony Pictures, 2003. All of his policy decisions, foreign and domestic, were considered through the prism of the November vote. Updates? Targets would disappear, and then new targets would appear from the opposite compass direction. 16. Naval Forces Southern Command in Mayport Florida. Updates? Earlier in 1963, the US-backed president of South Vietnam, Diem, and his brother were assassinated as well. These new documents and tapes reveal what historians could not prove: There was not a second attack on U.S. Navy ships in the Tonkin Gulf in early August 1964. It was the basis for the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which committed major American forces to the war in Vietnam. Funny how no one mentions the fact the Gulf Of Tonkin incident, the false flag event that 'justified' the Vietnam war. No actual visual sightings by MADDOX. In his speech, he outlined his intent to retaliate and would formally request from Congress the power to take such action. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Subscribe now and never hit a limit. However, the initial incidents have stirred up great controversy given the varying accounts of the It was the beginning of the United States air assault against North Vietnam that lasted until the end of the war. One of the pilots, Navy Commander James Stockdale, commanding officer of VF-51, recalled that they passed over the unscathed Maddox at 1530, minutes after the 22-minute surface engagement had ended. President Jonson took these claims to Congress which subsequently passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This final release includes additional articles, chronologies of events, oral history interviews, and other related memoranda. 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. For more on this topic see the following: Grand Delusion: U.S. Strategy and the Tonkin Gulf Incident, The Secret Side of the Tonkin Gulf Incident. War is an enemy of all the humanity and human civilization. It also declared that the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia was vital to American interests and to world peace. August 5, 2014. Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was a pair of alleged attacks by North Vietnamese gunboats on two American destroyers in August of 1964 in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, in 1964, was a major turning point in United States military involvement in Vietnam. There's no question but what that had bearing on it. Additionally, messages that were forwarded contained "severe analytic errors, unexplained translation changes, and the conjunction of two messages into one translation." 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. The Gulf of Tonkin incident is considered a false flag ope. "23, Relying on faulty and misinterpreted intelligence about the 4 August incident, an overanxious President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered retaliatory U.S. air strikes, which he announced to the American public at 2336 Washington time that night.Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, The historian also concluded that some of the signals intercepted during the nights of 2 and 4 August were falsified to support the retaliatory attacks. The Maddox fired warning shots, but the torpedo boats continued and opened fire in return. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred in August 1964. Edwin E. Mose, Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1996), pp. On an audio tape from the Johnson Library declassified in December 2005, he admitted to the President the morning after the attacks that the two events were almost certainly connected: And I think I should also, or we should also at that time, Mr. President, explain this OPLAN 34-A, these covert operations. 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. Explanation: In 1964, the American government claimed that American naval ships had been attacked in territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. 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. Five months ago that teamworkabout which we still know very littleresulted in the destruction of two pipelines, on orders of President Biden, with international implications yet to be determined.