-
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Image Source: EDSITEment
Description: Allegations of attacks on United States naval vessels by North Vietnam led Congress to adopt the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Significance: Provided broad war powers to President Johnson, increased U.S. military presence in Vietnam, and opened the way for full-scale war without a declaration of war. -
My Lai Massacre
Image Source: My Lai Massacre Museum
Description: American soldiers tortured and killed over 500 unarmed Vietnamese civilians and prisoners in the village of My Lai.
Significance: When this became public, it generated outrage and distrust in the military and government and brought anti-war movements back into the public eye. -
Tet Offensive
Image Source: NPR
Description: A large-scale surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces on U.S. forces during the Vietnamese New Year.
Significance: This shattered U.S. confidence in how well the war was going and shifted U.S. public opinion against the war in large numbers. -
Kent State Shootings
Image Source: Zinn Education Project
Description: National Guard troops fired on students protesting at Kent State University, leading to four dead students.
Significance: This became a symbol of those who were divided over the war, and protests against the war increased on campuses across the U.S. -
Fall of Saigon
Image Source: Wikipedia
Description: North Vietnamese forces took the capital of San Hoa and the country of South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam.
Significance: This was the end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam and was a definitive end to American military efforts in Vietnam.