Kennedy Assassination, Johnson Changes U.S. Involvement (November 22,1963)
Around 12:30 p.m. President Kennedy was shot in his motorcade and at 1:00 p.m.
was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital. On Air Force One, a
grim-faced Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office. Lyndon was a major
supporter of the 'Domino Theory' and was keen to support South Vietnam against
the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam. Lyndon was advised to send in
US troops to bolster the South Vietnam Army, knowing that they couldn't handle
the situation alone. Worrying that the unpopular move of sending troops into
South Vietnam would endanger his election in 1964, he decided he would only send
help after the November 1964 election was over. However, this eleven month gap
would be too long for the survival of the South Vietnamese. Johnson in response
carried out 'Operation Plan 34B', which involved sending Asian Mercenaries into
North Vietnam. As part of this operation the 'USS Maddox" was sent into the Gulf
of Tonkin to investigate North Vietnamese naval defenses, where it was attack by
3 North Vietnamese torpedo boats. With this attack Congress gave Johnson all the
support he deemed necessary against North Vietnam. Johnson won the 1964
presidential election with ease, and not long after that US troops were being
sent into South Vietnam
was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital. On Air Force One, a
grim-faced Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office. Lyndon was a major
supporter of the 'Domino Theory' and was keen to support South Vietnam against
the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam. Lyndon was advised to send in
US troops to bolster the South Vietnam Army, knowing that they couldn't handle
the situation alone. Worrying that the unpopular move of sending troops into
South Vietnam would endanger his election in 1964, he decided he would only send
help after the November 1964 election was over. However, this eleven month gap
would be too long for the survival of the South Vietnamese. Johnson in response
carried out 'Operation Plan 34B', which involved sending Asian Mercenaries into
North Vietnam. As part of this operation the 'USS Maddox" was sent into the Gulf
of Tonkin to investigate North Vietnamese naval defenses, where it was attack by
3 North Vietnamese torpedo boats. With this attack Congress gave Johnson all the
support he deemed necessary against North Vietnam. Johnson won the 1964
presidential election with ease, and not long after that US troops were being
sent into South Vietnam