What really happened at the Gulf of Tonkin?
Gulf of Tonkin incident, complex naval event in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam, that was presented to the U.S. Congress on August 5, 1964, as two unprovoked attacks by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on the destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy of the U.S. Seventh Fleet and that led to the Gulf of Tonkin …
Was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident real?
One real and one phantom firefight embroiled the United States in the Vietnam War. After World War II, France reoccupied its former colonies in Southeast Asia, only to be kicked out again by the forces of Communist leader Ho Chi Minh.
Why was the U.S.S. Maddox attacked?
The U.S.S. Maddox is attacked by North Vietnamese PT boats. The Maddox had been sailing in the Gulf of Tonkin since July 28, 1964, to support covert South Vietnamese forces operating against North Vietnamese shore installations.
Who fired the first shot in the Vietnam War?
Henry Bluechel, Dewey refused to stop at a roadblock manned by three Viet Minh soldiers. He yelled back at them in French and they opened fire, killing Dewey instantly.
Where was the USS Maddox when it was fired upon?
the Gulf of Tonkin
On 2 August 1964, North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats attacked the USS Maddox (DD-731) while the destroyer was in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. There is no doubting that fact.
Why did President Lyndon Johnson send American soldiers to Vietnam?
Their mission was to protect an air base the Americans were using for a series of bombing raids they had recently conducted on North Vietnam, which had been supplying the insurgents with ever larger amounts of military aid.
How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam?
997 soldiers
997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.
When did the Viet Cong sink the USS Card?
On May 2, 1964, before even the Gulf of Tonkin Incident that heralded major US involvement in the Vietnam War, a Viet Cong or North Vietnamese frogman placed an explosive charge against the hull of the USS Card (USNS Card at the time of sinking), blowing a hole in the ship and sinking 48 feet as she lay berthed at the dock at Saigon.
When did North Vietnam sink an aircraft carrier?
The North Vietnamese government even commemorated the event by portraying the operation on a 1964 postage stamp. Naval vessels often have a mystique about them — they look formidable, bristle with weapons and aircraft, and have the ability to project a nation’s power anywhere on the planet.
What was the cause of the sinking of the USS Maine?
In the evening of 15 February 1898, Maine sank when her forward gunpowder magazines exploded. Nearly three-quarters of the battleship’s crew died as a result of the explosion. While the cause of this great tragedy is still unsettled, contemporary American popular opinion blamed Spain, and war followed within a few months.
What was the first attack on North Vietnam?
The First Attack. On July 31, 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox commenced a Desoto patrol off North Vietnam. Under the operational control of Captain John J. Herrick, it steamed through the Gulf of Tonkin collecting intelligence.