||||A common mistake among the general public is to talk about the Vietnam War. Technically war was never declared; President Johnson never called for a declaration of war. It was called the Vietnamese conflict. Instead he asked only for a resolution giving him the authority to take "all measures necessary to repel any armed attack" against American forces and "to prevent further aggression" (Dougherty). So, with this kind of all-powerful resolution, was there even a need to declare war? Some believe that it was necessary and that there should have been a declaration of war; others would disagree and say a declaration of war was not necessary. But who really knows the right answer? This question can only be answered on an individual basis. And before anyone can make a decision on these issues, they need to understand the context. In 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated and then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became President of the United States of America. When he entered that position, he was tasked with not only leading the American people, but also managing the situation in Vietnam (Turner 287). He did his best to keep the government running, as Kennedy would have done; he even retained Kennedy's administrative staff. He wanted to be known for being successful in areas such as domestic politics, civil rights, and medical care. But Vietnam was a ghost that would haunt Johnson for the rest of his life (Turner 176). According to Robert McNamara, in his first meeting with President Johnson on November 24, 1963, "...his instructions [on Vietnam] were clear: Win!" (McNamara 117). The mood in the United States in the late summer of 1964 was becoming more anxious; while before August 1964, American...... middle of paper......s. San Diego: Green Haven, 1998.Frankel, Benjamin. US military intervention in Vietnam: controversial history April. 1999: 331+.Mc Master, H.R. Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson. Robert McNamara. The Joint Chiefs of Staff: And the Lies That Led to Vietnam. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997.McNamara, Robert S. In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam. New York: Random House Publishers, 1995.Moise, Edwin E. Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1996. Morrison, WIlbur H. The Elephant and the Tiger. New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc., 1990. Turner J., Kathleen. Lyndon Johnson's double war. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1985.Thomson, James C. Jr., Home page. April 1968. October 23 2002.>.

Topic > ||||A common mistake among the general public is to talk about the Vietnam War. Technically war was never declared; President Johnson never called for a declaration of war. It was called the Vietnamese conflict. Instead he asked only for a resolution giving him the authority to take "all measures necessary to repel any armed attack" against American forces and "to prevent further aggression" (Dougherty). So, with this kind of all-powerful resolution, was there even a need to declare war? Some believe that it was necessary and that there should have been a declaration of war; others would disagree and say a declaration of war was not necessary. But who really knows the right answer? This question can only be answered on an individual basis. And before anyone can make a decision on these issues, they need to understand the context. In 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated and then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became President of the United States of America. When he entered that position, he was tasked with not only leading the American people, but also managing the situation in Vietnam (Turner 287). He did his best to keep the government running, as Kennedy would have done; he even retained Kennedy's administrative staff. He wanted to be known for being successful in areas such as domestic politics, civil rights, and medical care. But Vietnam was a ghost that would haunt Johnson for the rest of his life (Turner 176). According to Robert McNamara, in his first meeting with President Johnson on November 24, 1963, "...his instructions [on Vietnam] were clear: Win!" (McNamara 117). The mood in the United States in the late summer of 1964 was becoming more anxious; while before August 1964, American...... middle of paper......s. San Diego: Green Haven, 1998.Frankel, Benjamin. US military intervention in Vietnam: controversial history April. 1999: 331+.Mc Master, H.R. Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson. Robert McNamara. The Joint Chiefs of Staff: And the Lies That Led to Vietnam. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997.McNamara, Robert S. In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam. New York: Random House Publishers, 1995.Moise, Edwin E. Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1996. Morrison, WIlbur H. The Elephant and the Tiger. New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc., 1990. Turner J., Kathleen. Lyndon Johnson's double war. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1985.Thomson, James C. Jr., Home page. April 1968. October 23 2002.>.