Vietnam was the longest war in American history and the most unpopular American war of the 20th century. It resulted in nearly 60,000 American deaths and in an estimated 2 million Vietnamese deaths. Even today, many Americans still ask whether the American effort in Vietnam was a sin, a blunder, a necessary war, or whether it was a noble cause, or an idealistic, if failed, effort to protect the South Vietnamese from totalitarian government.
Summary:
Between 1945 and 1954, the Vietnamese waged an anti-colonial war against France, which received $2.6 billion in financial support from the United States. The French defeat at the Dien Bien Phu was followed by a peace conference in Geneva. As a result of the conference, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam received their independence, and Vietnam was temporarily divided between an anti-Communist South and a Communist North. In 1956, South Vietnam, with American backing, refused to hold unification elections. By 1958, Communist-led guerrillas, known as the Viet Cong, had begun to battle the South Vietnamese government.
To support the South's government, the United States sent in 2,000 military advisors--a number that grew to 16,300 in 1963. The military condition deteriorated, and by 1963, South Vietnam had lost the fertile Mekong Delta to the Viet Cong. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson escalated the war, commencing air strikes on North Vietnam and committing ground forces--which numbered 536,000 in 1968. The 1968 Tet Offensive by the North Vietnamese turned many Americans against the war.
The next president, Richard Nixon, advocated Vietnamization, withdrawing American troops and giving South Vietnam greater responsibility for fighting the war. In 1970, Nixon attempted to slow the flow of North Vietnamese soldiers and supplies into South Vietnam by sending American forces to destroy Communist supply bases in Cambodia. This act violated Cambodian neutrality and provoked antiwar protests on the nation's college campuses.
From 1968 to 1973, efforts were made to end the conflict through diplomacy. In January 1973, an agreement was reached; U.S. forces were withdrawn from Vietnam, and U.S. prisoners of war were released. In April 1975, South Vietnam surrendered to the North, and Vietnam was reunited.
Consequences
1. The Vietnam War cost the United States 58,000 lives and 350,000 casualties. It also resulted in between one and two million Vietnamese deaths.
2. Congress enacted the War Powers Act in 1973, requiring the president to receive explicit Congressional approval before committing American forces overseas.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1970
To Month/Year
December / 1970
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember CAPT PAUL A. LUTZ, COMMANDING OFFICER LCDR JOHN I. MALONEY, EXECUTIVE OFFICER LCDR HARRY J. COUGAN, ENGINEER OFFICER LCDR ROGER D. WILLIAMS, OPERATIONS OFFICER LCDR ROBERT S. BORDEN, SQUADRON CHAPLAIN LCDR THOMAS J. SADDORIS II, USPHS LTJG JOEL E. KARR LTJG JOHN D. MCDEVITT LTJG BRIAN P. KELLY LTJG DONALD A. KIRKHAM LTJG PAUL E. PETRY LTJG DOUGLAS L. COX LTJG ROBERT C. WISE ENS CHARLES R. BROWN ENS PAUL C. JACKSON CW02 CARROLL F. SCHROEDER JR. CW02 FRIEND J. CORNELL CW02 DONALD G. BRAUER CW02 JERRY D. MURDOCK
SA RONALD ALBINO EN2 RUSSELL A. ALLYSON EM2 RICHARD M. AMES YN3 STUART T. AMES III TN DAVID A. ANDAYA JR. TN MANUEL L. ANGELES FN JOHN A. ARRINGTON FN MICHAEL D. ASKEW ET3 ALLAN J. BABINEAU SA STEPHEN A. BAILLIE TN JAIME P. BALDUEZA SN BARRY L. BAUCOM ET3 THOMAS G. BAUM SN RAYMOND J. BERGERON EMl BERNARD A. BLAIR RM3 THOMAS J. BLAISDELL RM3 ROBERT C. BRAGDON EN3 DONALD P. BROOKS FN SIDNEY BROWN S03 PETER L. BROWN S03 DENNIS W. BULA EN3 BARRY RAY BURKHOLDER ETN3 DON A. CAPO DC3 PETER A. CARANGELO BT3 HAROLD A. CARLE III ETN2 THOMAS F. CARROLL III SN IAN D. CHASE ENC WILLIAM S. CHEEVER S03 GILBERT D. CLAPPER ENI JOHN D. CLOGSTON RD2 MICHAEL A. CONNORS CS3 FRANCIS J. CORTRIGHT JR. QMCM SAMUEL E. COX SK3 JAMES J. CUMMINGS DC3 JAMES S. DALBECK SA HENRY C. DAMM SA JOHN R. DAMPIER QM2 BARRY L. DANIEL RD3 PHILIP M. DISTEFANO JR. SDI BERNARDO C. DIZON SD2 RODOLFO D. DOLLOSA BMC JEREMIAH J. DONAHUE SA DAVID M. FARLEY QM3 PAUL E. FASTIE GMC ROBERT J. FEENEY SN WILLIAM K. FITZSIMMONS HMC WILLIAM T. FLEMING JR. TN JUANITO A. FUERTES SD3 JOSEPH S. GABAT RD3 DONALD J. GILL JR. SN MICHAEL A. GIORGILLI TT3 WALTER D. GLISHKE SA GEORGE B. GORDON SA JEFFREY H. GRANT BT3 MICHAEL F. GREENE ETN3 ANDREW J. GREENER GM2 JOHN C. GRIFFITH ET2 JOHN K. GUNTHER SA RALPH E. GWALTNEY SN WILLIAM P. HAMMEL FNJAMES C. HARPER RD3 ROBERT F. HATCHER FN DANNY E. HAWN RMC JOSEPH A. HEDGES QM1 MICHAEL D. HENDERSON SN JAMES P. HIMELSBACH ENC ARTHUR J. HOWE S03 KENNETH B. HUNT SK1 ROBERT D. HUTSON SN PAUL 0. JACKSON FN JOHN H. HOWARD BM1 ROBERT L. KANE GM3 GABY L. KEEN ENC FRANKLIN M. KEEZER QM3 THOMAS D. KITTLE EN1 OWEN A. KING SN GLEN D. LABENBURG RDC JOSEPH R. LAMBERT SN WILLIAM J. LAMSON ET1 ALEXANDRE LEGAULT SK3 JOSEPH J. LEPORACCI YN3 THOMAS D. LISENBY BM3 ROBERT W. LOUGEE EN2 ROGELIO L. LUMIBAO FA LEON E. LONG CS2 FEDERICO D. MANUEL RM3 RICHARD A. MARSHALL FN ROY C. MARTINSEN EN1 PETER MASON DC3 ROBERT R. MCKAY JR. FN VINCENT P. MCPHERSON BM2 JAMES A. MEESE S02 WILLIAM R. MICHELS QM1 JIMMIE D. MILLER RM1 RICHARD E. MOISON SN Roy Mooney SK3 GENE G. MUMFORD FT2 LEO R. NUNES EN3 JOHN J. ONEIL JR. DCC WALTER T. OSWALT RM3 PHILIP E. PAQUETTE JR. FN GEORGE L. PASERO SN GERALD R. PELOQUIN SN DAVID S. PETERS CSC ANTHONY PETRUSAWICH RM3 DAVID A. PETTERSEN YN2 RICHARD C. PIPPIN EM2 GEORGE W. POTTS II YNC WILLIAM J. QUINAN RM1 ERNEST F. RACKLIFF GMI DAVID R. RAYMOND SN WILFRED REMILLARD RM1 WILLIAM L. ROBINSON BM3 CHRISTOPHER S. RODES SKC EARL A. RYDER JR. TN TEOFILO R. SABAL JR. FTC GERALD W. SCHMER FN JOHN W. SCARBER BM3 JACK L. SCHNEIDER FT1 BILLY W. SEAVERS SN ROLAND J. SOURIOLLE SN ANSEL D. SMITH SN STEVEN H. SMITH CS2 DAVID E. SNOW SN JOHN E. SPARKS BMC VERNON T. SPRINGER FN JACK F. STARKEY JR. SOC CARL M. STUART GM3 ROBERT J. STEWART SD2 ELIGIO A. TALACTAC ETC KENNETH W. THERIAULT CSI FERNANDO R. TIONGSON FN RICHARD E. TRAHAN FN HAROLD F. TRIPP JR. EM2 FLORENCIO J. VENTURA SN STEPHEN P. VIEIRA, TN FEDERICO C. VILLANUEVA JR. ET3 JOHNNY M. WATSON EN1 JAMES M. WILKES JR. SN PHILIP C. WILLIAMS SA LEANDER V. WILLETTS ENC CLIFTON L. WILSON BM3 HUGH WILTON III S03 DANIEL P. WITMER S02 STEVEN A. WOOD SN TIMOTHY WYSOCKI S03 CHARLES K. YARMAN SN RONALD YAWORSKY
Memories The interdiction of SL3 Steel-Hull Infiltration Trawler, 21-22 November 1970 Full description By Capt Lutz at: http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/VTN_Lutz_Sherman.asp