In 1961, President John F. Kennedy increased military, technical and economic aid to help Diem counter the fighting. In addition, he strongly supported the South to prevent the domino theory from happening. This idea claimed that if one South East Asian country fell to communism the others would follow. A couple years later, Diem and his brother were killed in 1963. President Kennedy was also assassinated three weeks later in Dallas, Texas.
The US increased assistance for the South under President Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. On August 2nd, 1964, torpedo boats from the North crashed into the US destroyers located in the Gulf of Tonkin. Congress then signed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, allowing Johnson to start regular bombing and engage in more activity. The bombing also took place in the neighboring country of Laos to disrupt the flow of supplies along the Ho Chi Minh trail as well as decrease the number of communists in Laos. With over 2 million tons of bombs dropped on the country, these events made Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. In March 1965, Johnson sent additional forces into battle, with numbers increasing to 175,000 troops by the end of the year. Other countries such as South Korea, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand also supported the South, though with less contributions. North Vietnam was supported by communist countries such as China and the Soviet Union. However, thoughts against violence began to peak among the American public. The US aimed to target the northern region by air and the southern by ground. However, to avoid the risk of killing allies, they cleared areas called free fire zones. Once inhabited by citizens, these areas were evacuated so that only the enemy remained. The southern citizens had been moved to camps surrounding Saigon and several other cities. The US was slowly but surely decreasing the number of Northern troops, but they refused to back down. The North still had hope that they could reclaim invaded territory and gather more supplies such as ammunition, manpower and weapons, despite their substantial losses.
By November 1967, over half a million soldiers had been sent to Vietnam with 15,058 dead. Doubts grew as they questioned their government’s choices. If they claimed they were winning the war, then why were drafts increasing? With some developing mental health illnesses such as Post Trauma Stress Disorder and drug abuse, soldiers would occasionally attack their officers. In addition to the many soldiers against the war, citizens of the US sparked the anti-war movement from July 1966 to December 1973. This movement included protesting and mass killings of soldiers in the US and Vietnam. During the second year of this movement, over 35,000 people protested in front of the Pentagon. Though Vietnam War Protests started as peaceful complaints, violence escalated as the government bombed Vietnam more frequently. On November 15, 1969, over 250,000 Americans gathered in Washington D.C. to protest, making it the largest anti-war movement of its time. 4 students were shot and killed during a protest at Kent State University in Ohio, and 2 were killed at Jackson State University in Mississippi. Undoubtedly, the anti-war movement became an important part of American history for both its controversy and impressive numbers. Many youths had conflicting opinions. To some, the drafting was an inhumane act on the government’s part. To others, supporting the government seemed like the only patriotic thing to do during such dire circumstances.
After the bombing in the North heightened, communists staged coordinated attacks known as the Tet Offensive. Based on the Lunar New Year Festival “Tet”, northerners