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US Involvement |
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Why Were We Involved?
The belief known as the “domino theory” caused the United States to become involved with Vietnam . American policymakers thought that if the whole country of Vietnam fell to a Communist government, so would the rest of Southeast Asia . Because of this, the United States government created the anti-Communist South Vietnamese government. Rebellion in the South broke out due to the governments repressive policies and in 1960 the NLF was made with the purpose to overthrow the South Vietnamese government and reunify the country. United States troops were sent into Vietnam in 1965 to prevent the collapse of the South Vietnamese government. The United States was basically there to make sure Communism did not spread to the rest of Southeast Asia and to maintain the border between North Vietnam and South Vietnam .
Were There Any Resolutions?
While in Vietnam, we ultimately did not resolve anything. We failed to complete our goal. During the year of 1975, Vietnam was reunified under a Communist government. Vietnam officially became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976. Throughout the war, about 3.2 million Vietnamese were killed. About 1.5 million to 2 million Lao and Cambodians were killed. Approximately 58,000 Americans lost their lives during the years of the war.
Were Our Troops Welcome?
During the United States' participation in Vietnam, they were not exactly welcomed warmly. For example, in February of 1965, an American military base near Pleiku was attacked by the Viet Cong. After this, 3,500 Marines were sent into South Vietnam . These were the first ground forces to land in Vietnam. This attack on the base shows how welcome we really were. The Vietnamese did not want the U.S. there in Vietnam or in Southeast Asia, for that matter, and they were willing to fight for that cause. However, the U.S. was welcomed by the locals in which they were protecting. But, the hostile Viet Cong weren't exactly pleased to see the troops. |
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