The Vietnam War: The War that Never Was

A common mistake among the general public is to talk about the Vietnam War. Technically, it never was declared a war; President Johnson never asked for a declaration of war. It was called the Vietnamese Conflict. He instead only asked for a resolution that would give him the authority to take "all necessary measures to repel any armed attack" against U.S. forces and "to prevent further aggression" (Dougherty). So, with this kind of all-powerful resolution, was there even a necessity for declaring war? Some believe there was a necessity, and that there should have been a declaration of war; others would disagree and say there was no need for a declaration of war. But who really knows the right answer? That question can only be answered on an individual basis. And before anyone can make a decision on these issues, the context must be understood.

In 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and then Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson became the President of the United States of America. When he stepped into that position, he was given the job of not only leading the American people, but of handling the situation in Vietnam (Turner 287). He tried his best to keep the government running, as Kennedy would have; he even kept Kennedy's administration personnel. He wanted to be known for being successful in areas such as domestic policy, 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 of the United States in the late summer of 1964 was becoming more anxious; whereas before August of 1964, American...

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McNamara, Robert S. In Retrospect: The Tragedy's and Lessons of Vietnam. New York: Random House Publishers, 1995.

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Thomson, James C. Jr., Home page. April 1968. 23 Oct. 2002.

<http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/68apr/vietnam.htm>.