0 - The Black Vault

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THE BDM CORPORATION
,. The US Mil 4 tary Commitment To Vietnam: 1965 to 1968
The decision to expand the US commitment in Vietnam and to consider
mobilizing the Reserves was the result of increasing political instabiiity
and military weakness in South Vietnam as well as advancements by the
VC during 1964 and 1965. Though the GVN political and military situation
wai deteriorating in 1964,
the US did not modify its objectives 4 n Vietnam
or develop new plans for the commitment of US ground forces. It was not
until August of 1964 when two US
destroyers reported being under attack in
the Gulf of Tonkin by North Vietnamese patrol boats that the US
began to
alter its strategy, The US responded with air attacks against North Vietnam
and by adopting the Southeast Asia Resolution which permicted the US to
carry out military action against North Vietnam.
After the elections in November of 1964,
witn the support of a
popular mandate and the Southeast Asia Resolution, President Johnson'S
approach to the persistent political and milita-y instability in Vietnam
began to change with regard to ground force commitments.,
In February of
-1965 the Khanh regime fell and the VC attacked US facilities in Pleiku.,
Retaliatory measures consisted or air strikes on the North and the landing
of two US Marine battalions at Da Ndng to assume responsibility for security
of the air base there. This was the first time US ground combat troops had
been commitLed in Asia since the Korean war. The ARVN experienced several
disastrc.s defeats in. the spring of 1965.
It seemed that air strikes were
not effective in stopping North Vietnamese determination. Two
additional
marine battalions were sent to RVN ir April of 1965. The year of GVN
political-military collapse had broken the psychological
the presence of US combat units,
barrier against
In July of 1965 Secretary McNamara reported to the President that
the VC were gaining in strength.
The pace of the war had increased and thrý
ARVN had suffered serious setba,:ks. Political and economic stability was
deteriorating rapidly. The GVN Chief of State, General Thieu, and P,'im,
Minister Marshal Kv had requested large-scale ground troop assistance from
the US.
Secretary McNamara was convinced that the GVM would fall without
additional American assistance anw
recommended an, increase in American
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