Vietnam War Flashcards
Napalm
Jellies petroleum substance used in flame throwers and bombs that sticks to surfaces including human flesh
1968 election
2 issues are vietnam war and law and order
Nixon wins
lowest winning majority since wilson
Democrats controlled both houses
Domino theory
The us idea that if Vietnam fell to the communists the rest of Southeast Asia would fall like dominos in a line
Saigon
fall of Saigon
-america abandons its embassy
-saigon becomes ho chi minh city
-white christmas was code for evactuation
-operation of the us evacuation of saigon
operation frequent wind
1968 election democrats
Robert Kennedy,McCarthy,Humphrey
Democrats pick Humphrey
Guerrilla warfare
Using sabotage hit and run and ambushes to fight over and
Tonkin gulf
Tonkin gulf incident
Had ships there that were attacked, and according to LBJ attacks were unprovoked
Tet
Vietnam new year
Pentagon papers
Secret documents leaked to NY times
Nixon
said he wanted to end the war
vietnamization
expansion of the conflict (secret war)
agent orange
Tiger
Nickname for the North Vietnamese
Hit and run
Outcome of the end of war
LBJ said wasn’t running again
American morale drops Disproportionate representation of minority's Racial probs Major drug use w Us backed out but left the troops Communists took over
Bob Dylan
Wrote antiwar protest songs
Conscientious objector
One whose beliefs prevent one from fighting a war
tet offensive
- they dont usually attack on holidays
- us military seen as defeated
- vietcong absorbed greatest loss of lives
- support of the war decreased
- johnson would not send more troops after
My lai
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Vietnamization
The twining and equipping of the south Vietnamese soldiers to replace American troops
click
Measurement in kilometers for marches when companies went into the bush for every 1000 m US units marched one click
Cambodia
war moves to cambodia
student protests ignites
Pol pot
leader of cambodia
Big green bird
Chopper
Treaty
paris peace accords
Body count
Number of casualties in a firefight often determine operations success
Containment
Opposing communism to keep it from spreading
Charlie
Nickname for the Vietcong
Agent orange
Chemical defoliant
Dropped to strip leaves so the enemy is more visible
Last troops
left Vietnam 1975
Nixon Presidency
first man to moon removed troops from vietnam visited china limit on anti ballistic missiles toured middle east us postal service inflation watergate
Claymore
US antipersonnel mine which throws off a fan shaped spray of fragments during its explosion. Used for defense
How was the Vietnam war different from others
Rather then fighting in trenches and such they fought in jungles
werent treated well when returned home
length of time fought was shorter
Hawk
One who supports a war
Deferment
A postponement of military duty
Ho Chi Minh
North Vietnam
Draft
Getting selected to fight in the war
American Independent party
Wallace, who opposed push to integrate
against coddles criminals
“win” in Vietnam
1968 election republicans
Nixon,Rockefeller,Reagan,Agnew,
Nixon is picked and wins
Ho Chi Minh trail
Supply route
How they supplied the VC
how troops were moved without being seen
John McCain
One of first POWS
Hanol hill
Became senator
Cherry
Newby
Us infantryman newly arrived to vietnam
Elephant
Nickname for the US
Slow
Grunts
US infantryman in Vietnam
Comparable to GI in World War II
Operation rolling thunder
Continual bombing of north Vietnam
Napalm
Dove
One who oppose the war
Diem
Leader of south Vietnam
LBJ
sent ground forces
war escalated under his presidency
what was nixon part of
HUAC
Protests in election
Democratic Nat. Convention
Yippies
5 o’clock follies
Nickname for the regular afternoon press briefings for US journalists in Saigon often characterized by reports of exaggerated enemy body counts and questionable claims of us victories in the war
Kent state protest
1970
Kent state university
4 killed by national guardsmen
16 wounded
JFK
sent advisors
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
“the blank check”
johnson was then able to get congressional approval to escalate americas involvment in the vietnam war
General westmoreland
In charge of us troops
France
in vietnam since late 19th century
controlled indochina
Us financially supported because of their commitment to stop the spread of communism
Calley
Us platoon leader
in charge of My Lai massacre
Vietcong
The enemy Farmers by day Guerrilla warriors Very patient Underestimated by US
Kissinger
Sec of State under Nixon
Pow camps
Hanoi Hilton
worst of the camps
How was the Vietnam war fought
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