Kennedy Assassination & Intro to
Vietnam War
“No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It
was misreported then, and it is misremembered now. Rarely have so many
people been so wrong about so much. Never have the consequences of their
misunderstanding been so tragic” - Nixon
March 9, 2010
• JFK
– Civil Rights
– Cold War/ Communism
• Americans LOVE JFK
• November 1963
– Dallas, Texas
– Running for reelection in 1964
– Motorcade through city
• Lee Harvey Oswald
– 6th floor of Texas Library
• 3 shots fired at President
– Hit in back of head
– Declared dead 1/2 hour later
• Lyndon B. Johnson (VP)
– Sworn in on Air Force One
• Warren Commission claims Oswald was
Lone Killer of JFK
Lyndon B. Johnson
• President after JFK assassinated
• Wins 1964 campaign
Vietnam War Facts
• 1964 - 1975
– U.S. never declared War on North
Vietnam
– Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• President allowed to make all necessary
measures to defend U.S.
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North Vietnam (communist)
South Vietnam (non-communist)
2.59 million served
58,148 killed
304,000 wounded
Average age killed - 23 yrs. old
• 300 times more disabled than WWII
• As of 2005
– 1,875 still unaccounted for
• Days in combat
– WWII
• 40 days/ year
– Vietnam
• 240 days/ year
• Helicopter
– 12,000
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2/3 U.S. men volunteered
National Debt $146 billion
1st TV war
North Vietnam killed
– 500,000 to 600,000
– 15 million wounded