Vietnam War
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
By: Taylor Chaff

WHAT HAPPENED?

• On August 4, 1964, North Vietnamese torpedo boats ellegedly attacked U.S.
• destroyers without provocation. The U.S. Ships were reporting intelligence
• to South Vietnam. LBJ decided to retaliate by immediatly launching air
• attacks on North Vietnam. On August 7, 1964, congress passed a
• resolution allowing all U.S. Forces to repel attacks. This was put off by congress in 1970.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

• Retired Vietnamese general No Nguyen Giap, in a meeting in 1995,
• with former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, denied that the
• Northern Vietnamese had attacked the U.S. Destroyers on August 4,
• 1964. In 2001, a taped conversation with LBJ and McNamara had been
• revealed. LBJ expressed doubt that the attack ever accurred.

WHY IT HAPPENED?

• LBJ wanted to accomplish what JFK invisioned. That included not letting
• Comunism spread. We were aiming towards going into war and this is one
• of the events that contributed to that.
• "Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind."
• -JFK

TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION

LBJ SIGNING THE TONKIN GULF RESOLUTION

GULF OF TONKIN

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RESOURCES

• Infoplease.com
• Pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/

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