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25,000 troops in Vietnam
The Vietnam war was characterized by small engagements (fights) that involved guerilla-type warfare.
For US soldiers, it was difficult to know the difference between friend (ARVN [South Vietnamese regular army]) and foe (VC [Viet Cong]) -
Anti-War Movement Gained National Momentum
when the U.S. began regular bombings of North Vietnam critics started to question the claim that we were there fighting against the spread of Communism. What started out as a small liberal minority of college students, prominent artists and intellectuals, and members of the hippie movement was soon becoming a national movement against the Vietnam War. -
March on Pentagon
one of the most prominent anti-war demonstrations. 100,000+ protestors peacefully gathered at the Lincoln Memorial and around 30,000 of them marched on the Pentagon later that night. The protestors encountered soldiers and U.S. Marshals that were protecting the building. A brutal confrontation ensued and after it all hundreds of protestors were arrested. -
Martin Luther King Jr. showed support
The Civil Rights leader, publicly opposed the war and supported the anti-war protestors. He believed the war’s diversion of federal funds from domestic programs was inappropriate and that came out against the war because of the casualties of African Americans vs. total of soldiers killed -
Tet Offensive sends Shock wave
The large scale attack from North Vietnamese troops sent shock waves across America. The anti-war protests intensified greatly, all over the country. -
Gallup Poll "Johnson's handling or the War"
35% approved of Johnson’s Handling of the war, 50% disapproved, the rest had no opinion. Around this same time members of the Vietnam Veterans against the War organization started joining demonstrations. Many of these men were in wheelchairs and crutches, images of them publicly throwing the medals the received for their fighting in the war were shown on TV. -
500,000 troops in Vietnam
Casualties began to mount and TV networks broadcast scenes from the battlefield. Weekly body counts became standard TV fare for nightly news. Which caused more people to become fed up with the war and turn to anti-war protests -
Kent State
days after the announcement to invade Cambodia, students staged a protest, setting fire to an ROTC building on Kent State campus, 28 national guardsmen opened fire on a crowd killing 4 students and wounding 9. This Escalated the unrest seen against the War.
