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Vietnam War Draft
President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 which created the country's first peacetime draft and formally established the Selective Service System as an independent Federal agency.
From 1948 until 1973, during both peacetime and periods of conflict, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the armed forces which could not be filled through voluntary means. -
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Vietnam Draft Resistance
Anti-war college students protesting the draft that could include them in a few years, many riots and anti-war speeches were given, few people who protested the draft were punished even though it was illegal, out of 209,517 accused only 9,000 were convicted of protesting. -
John F. Kennedy in Vietnam War
It was during Kennedy’s presidency that the ‘Strategic Hamlet’ programme was introduced. In 1961, Kennedy agreed that America should finance an increase in the size of the South Vietnamese Army from 150,000 to 170,000. He also agreed that an extra 1000 US military advisors should be sent to South Vietnam to help train the South Vietnamese Army. Both of these decisions were not made public as they broke the agreements made at the 1954 Geneva Agreement. -
The Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is also known as the USS Maddox Incident. The USS Maddox was performing signals and engaged three North Vietnamese Navy torpedo boats of the 135th Torpedo Squadron. A sea battle resulted leading to the usage of torpedo boats. The US decided to get involved in the battle between North and South Vietnam, even though they had no business to do so. It is not for sure if there was a real battle. No one is sure that America was intentionally fired on, or if it was an excuse to go -
Tet Offensive
North Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong forces attacked both towns and cities in South Vietnam, breaking the ceasefire that had been called for the Vietnamese holiday of Tet (the lunar new year). The Communists attacked around 100 major cities and towns in South Vietnam. The size and ferocity of the attack surprised both the Americans and the South Vietnamese, but they fought back. The Communists, who had hoped for an uprising from the populous in support of their actions, met heavy resistance. -
American Anger
America was given hard choices while Lyndon Johnson was President. America got news that geurrillas were being supported by certain people. -
My Lai Massacre
The Vietnam mass murder of between 347 and 504 under armed citizens in South Vietnam. The United States soldiers were the cold-blooded killers, most of the victims were children, women, and elderly people, and the women were gang raped afterward. -
The Evacuation of Saigon
This was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front. North Vietnamese forces under the command of the General Văn Tiến Dũng began their final attack on Saigon, which was commanded by General Nguyen Van Toan on April 29 -
Important Advisors of the Vietnam War
- General Anthony Zinni
- Lt. Col. James Willbanks
