How accurate is it to label Vietnam, LBJ's war? Why?

Answer 1

Ike sent 800 what the government officially called "advisors" to Vietnam to help with the South Vietnamese defense and strategy. When two of the were killed maliciously by the North Vietnamese Kennedy sent 1000 Green Berets. Then LBJ came into power after Kennedy was assassinated, and as a few pointed out, that is when the troop levels were escalated. Although LBJ didn't start the war, he certainly was the catalyst for it, because he sent so many troops to Vietnam, despite advice not to. I believe in one year he sent over 100,000 troops. And that is why it is called his war, because of his major contributions to it's escalation.

Answer 2

The roots of the conflict go back in time, but LBJ let Robert McNamara play the Rumsfeld of his time and act as brain and architect for the war. McNamara was an efficiency expert from Harvard Business School, and had been the President of Ford Motor Company before becoming Secretary of Defense. He was basically handed his head and given total carte blanche with the war in vietnam. He approached it as a problem at which sheer numbers could be thrown, and the numbers of which could be rigged.

So it did escalate under LBJ, for damn sure. And it was McNamara's idea, trumped into a full blown debacle under LBJ's watch.

Answer 3

Very much. Kennedy left it a small special-forces operation in support of the government troops. Nixon came to office on a ticket of getting out "with honor." LBJ made it what it was, especially the more ridiculous parts. It's a well-known absurdity that he'd sit on the floor over a map and personally pick out the next day's bombing targets, as if he were a captain or major in the Air Force.

Answer 4

You have some very good answers already, and a few of them collectively can answer your question very well. That in mind, I will try to summarize them into my answer and add some information that many don’t realizem, which will solidify why the Vietnam War is labeled LBJ’s War.

U.S. involvement in Vietnam was military advisory and economic support of South Vietnam until Kennedy’s assassination. South Vietnam was actually doing pretty well even with a very corrupt presidential administration. Compared to North Vietnam, South Vietnam advanced decades ahead economically and socially. In fact, South Vietnam remained well ahead of North Vietnam even months after the fall of Saigon. NVA soldiers had seen Western style toilettes and bathrooms for the first time in their lives when they invaded South Vietnam during the Ho Chi Minh campaign in 1975.

Kennedy did significantly increase military advisors as a compromise on what McNamara wanted to do, which was to send combat troops and have U.S. military go into direct combat with the Viet Cong. However, Kennedy had made a presidential order to decrease the number of military advisers and start sending them home just a couple weeks before he was assassinated. One of Johnson’s first presidential orders was to rescind Kennedy’s order, which is proof that suggests Johnson wanted to ramp up U.S. involvement into military combat from the very beginning of his presidency.

Some suggest that McNamara is partly responsible for the Vietnam War, and I believe this to an extent. However, Johnson is ultimately responsible as being the president who followed McNamara’s advice when Kennedy didn’t. Johnson clearly had choices in how to deal with issues in Vietnam. He chose to send combat troops to Vietnam and escalate U.S. involvement into a war. Furthermore, Johnson had controlled the War from Washington D.C. instead of letting military leaders in the theater of action to do so. All that in mind, labeling the Vietnam War as LBJ’s War would be accurate.

Answer 5

While Johnson certainly did not start our involvement in the War - he certainly exacerbated it - particularly when he pushed through the trumped up Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. His being President during this War most certainly shortened his life as he was tortured by it (not enough to get us out, however).
I agree that one must read McNamara's "Fog of War". He is eerily similar to Rumsfeld. They even look alike.

Answer 6

Fairly accurate. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident - trumped up incident Johnson later said might have been a couple whales, for all he knew, was the justification for escalation, happened on his watch.

Answer 7

Not accurate at all. Involvement in Viet Nam began back in the 1950's, way before LBJ came to national power.

Answer 8

LBJ escalated the war and the Tet happened during his time.

( Hey hey LBJ how many kids did you kill today?)

Answer 9

Not very..look at the McNamara documentary..The Fog of War.

A little fictionalized, some of the major countries involved not mentioned....with death toll figure slightly exaggerated. It should give you enough info of the American involvement, nothing of any other country or other main players.

Answer 10

LBJ was a patriot!