TheTheUSSMaddoxwasfireduponontwoseparateoccasionsintheGulfofTonkinthiswas

laterknownastheGulfofTonkinincidentandwastheleadingcauseoftheVietnamwar,but
eventuallythisinformationwasbecameverycontroversialanditwasthoughtthatoneorbothof
theseattackswerefalse.

Allthroughoutthe1900stheU.S.wastryingtostopcommunismfromspreading.This
startedwiththecoldwarandastensionsgrew,sidesstartedtoform.WhenVietnamgained
freedom,communismbecameakeypartoftheirpolitics.TheU.S.didnotlikethisMcGeorge
Bundy,theSpecialAssistantforNationalSecurityAffairswrotetoPresidentLyndonB.Johnson
andsaid,ItisrecommendedthatyoumakeaPresidentialdecisionthattheU.S.willuse
selectedandcarefullygraduatedmilitaryforceagainstVietnam.(Bundy).TheU.S.didnotwant
communismtocontinuetospreadtoSoutheastAsia.Mentionedearlierintheletter,Bundyalso
wrote,TheU.S.cannottoleratethelossofSoutheastAsiatoCommunism.Eventhoughthe
U.S.didnotwantcommunismtospread,Ithinkitwasnoreasontostartawaritwas
unacceptableandweshouldlearnfromthisandnottrytogetinvolvedineverything.
TheU.S.wastryingtoscareVietnamwithoutofficiallygoingtowar.Onatranscriptofa
phonecallbetweenBundyandPresidentJohnson,Bundysaid,Mr.President,youcando,
whatIthinkKennedydidatleastoncewhichistomakethethreatwithouthavingmadeyour
owninternaldecisionthatyouwouldactuallycarryitthough.(PrimarySource#8).Ithinkthat
theUSSMaddoxincidentwastheirwayofofficiallyputtingtheblameofthestartoftheVietnam
waronVietnam,andofficiallystartingthewar.OnAugust2,1964,whileperformingapatrol,the
USSMaddoxreportedbeingfireduponby3Vietnamesetorpedoboats.Thesecondincident
occurred2dayslaterwhentheUSSMaddoxallegedlygotintoanotherseabattle.OnJune5,
1964,atelegramsentfromtheAmbassadorHenryCabotLodgeinSaigontotheU.S.
DepartmentofStatestated,EyesonlyforRuskandMcNamara,andthenproceededtosay,
Wewantascreamfromthemthattheyhadbeenhitbysomethingcomingfromourside.I
wouldnotobjectiftheyblamedus.Theycouldprovenothing.Wecouldeitherbetotallysilent,
orchallengethemtoprovideproof,orsaywearelookingintoit.(PrimarySource#7).Thisis
oneofthemainpointstowhyIthinkthattheGulfofTonkinwasastunttoshowpowerover
Vietnamandtotoscarethemwhilestillnotmakingitourfault.
Theinformationthatthepublicandalotofgovernmentofficialswerereceivingwasin
favorofgoingtowarwithVietnam,onAugust5,1964NBCTVjournalistElieAblewasquesting
SecretaryofStateDeanRuskaboutwhytheVietnamesewouldlaunchanunprovokedattack
hisresponsewasWellIhaven'tbeenablequitefrankly,tocometoafullysatisfactory
explanation.ThereisagreatGulfofunderstandingbetweentheirworldandareworld,
ideologicalandincharacter.theyseewhatwethinkofastherealworldinwhollydifferent
terms.Theyveryprocessesoflogicaredifferent.Sothatit'sverydifficulttoenterintoeach
other'smindsacrossthatgreatideologicalgulf.Ican'tcometoarationexplanationonit.
Perhapstheywillofferonesomeday.Butthusfarwehavetotakeitasweseeit.Andthe
essentialfactwasthatarevesselswerebeingattackedatthehighseasbytheseboatsandwe
hadtodosomethingaboutit.(PrimaryResource#2).Afterlookingoverthisinformationitlooks
likewhatthegovernmentwassayingisfarfromthetruthandwastherewayofgettingthe
nationtobeforwar.Theimagethatthegovernmentwasshowingthepublicwasjustastuntto

makeitseemrighttogotowar,allofthisshouldhavebeenavoidedalongwiththeentirewar.
EveniftheGulfofTonkineventdidhappenitisstillnotareasontostartawar.