How was the US involved in Vietnam War?

Answer 1

The United States became involved in the Vietnam War after the defeat of the French forces in 1954. The U.S. goal was to avoid a Communist takeover and to maintain production of rubber, which was a very important commodity prior to the use of modern steel-belted tires with synthetic treads.

Involvement was primarily political and advisory until 1963. The government of President Diem was extremely unpopular and oppressive, and was having difficulty maintaining loyalty of the military. The CIA, without direction from President Kennedy, arranged the assassination of President Diem, causing chaos in the government and installation of a very unpopular military-led government, widely regarded as a puppet to the US.

After President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, President Johnson was persuaded to send in additional troops. A phony incident in the Gulf of Tonkin helped sway a reluctant Congress into funding troop increases. Under President Johnson, Secretary of Defense McNamara, and General Westmoreland, the US increased troop strength from 16,000 in 1963 to about 536,000 at the end of 1968. From 1963 onward the US Military was directly involved in all aspects of combat, throughout the country, including extensive bombing of North Vietnam and neighboring Cambodia.

Mounting antiwar pressure forced the Nixon administration to begin to scale back ground involvement and nearly all combat troops were out by 1973, although bombing and naval activity continued. Without the extensive support of the US, the South Vietnamese government collapsed on April 29-30, 1975 and the last of US and allied forces were pulled out in a massive evacuation.

About 3.2 million American service people served in the Vietnam War zone with about 58,000 killed and approximately 300,000 wounded.

Answer 2

The US was involved in Vietnam War in the 1960's to help fight for freedom.