||||A common mistake among the general public is to talk about the Vietnam War. Technically, war was never declared; President Johnson never requested a declaration of war. It was called the Vietnam Conflict. Instead, he simply requested a resolution that would give him the authority to take "all necessary measures to repel any armed attacks" against American forces and "to prevent further aggressions" (Dougherty). So, with that kind of all-powerful resolve, was it even necessary to declare war? Some believe that there was a necessity and should have been a declaration of war; others would disagree and say a declaration of war was unnecessary. 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, one must 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 rose to this position, he was given the task of 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 kept Kennedy's administrative staff on. He wanted to be known for his successes in areas such as domestic policy, civil rights and medical care. But Vietnam was a ghost that haunted Johnson for the rest of his life (Turner 176). According to Robert McNamara, during 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 late summer 1964 was becoming more anxious; whereas before August 1964, Americans...... middle of paper .... ..s. San Diego: Green Haven, 1998. Frankel, Benjamin. American military intervention in Vietnam: history is contested, April 1999: 331+. Mc Master, RH Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Robert McNamara. Joint Chiefs of Staff: And the Lies That Led to Vietnam New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997. McNamara, Robert S. Looking Back: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam New York: Random House Publishers, 1995. Moise, Edwin E. The Gulf of Tonkin 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. 2002.>.

Essay / ||||A common mistake among the general public is to talk about the Vietnam War. Technically, war was never declared; President Johnson never requested a declaration of war. It was called the Vietnam Conflict. Instead, he simply requested a resolution that would give him the authority to take "all necessary measures to repel any armed attacks" against American forces and "to prevent further aggressions" (Dougherty). So, with that kind of all-powerful resolve, was it even necessary to declare war? Some believe that there was a necessity and should have been a declaration of war; others would disagree and say a declaration of war was unnecessary. 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, one must 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 rose to this position, he was given the task of 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 kept Kennedy's administrative staff on. He wanted to be known for his successes in areas such as domestic policy, civil rights and medical care. But Vietnam was a ghost that haunted Johnson for the rest of his life (Turner 176). According to Robert McNamara, during 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 late summer 1964 was becoming more anxious; whereas before August 1964, Americans...... middle of paper .... ..s. San Diego: Green Haven, 1998. Frankel, Benjamin. American military intervention in Vietnam: history is contested, April 1999: 331+. Mc Master, RH Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Robert McNamara. Joint Chiefs of Staff: And the Lies That Led to Vietnam New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997. McNamara, Robert S. Looking Back: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam New York: Random House Publishers, 1995. Moise, Edwin E. The Gulf of Tonkin 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. 2002.>.

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