Tonkin gulf resolution
The Tonkin Gulf resolution was a joint resolution between the US and the South east part of Asia. This resolution authorized the American military action in Southeast Asia, passed by the US congress on august 7th 1964; it gave the recently sworn US president Lyndon B Jonson the authority to use American militia in the South east. However up to this point in time there had been no official declaration of war passed by Congress, but with this resolution the military could act lawfully under the US command.
Originally the event was known as the Tonkin Gulf incident, a series of two naval battles that occurred on August 2nd to august 4th 1964. It was a battle between the North Vietnamese; their ships were three of a torpedo squadron 135, and two American destroyers known as the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy. Assigned to an intelligence mission off the coast of the Philippines the USS Maddox broadcasted a distress signal, stating that it was under attack by the three Vietnamese Torpedo squadron 135. The Turner Joy came to assist and together they fended off the attack. The Vietnamese ships sank and sustained extreme damage.
The oddest part was that two days later Both USS ships reported another attack. They fended off the attack and later found that the Vietnamese ships had not engaged in a second battle. An investigation by the Senate of Foreign Relations Committee revealed that the Maddox had engaged in battle the first round, but there may have been no Vietnamese ships the second time around.
Originally the event was known as the Tonkin Gulf incident, a series of two naval battles that occurred on August 2nd to august 4th 1964. It was a battle between the North Vietnamese; their ships were three of a torpedo squadron 135, and two American destroyers known as the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy. Assigned to an intelligence mission off the coast of the Philippines the USS Maddox broadcasted a distress signal, stating that it was under attack by the three Vietnamese Torpedo squadron 135. The Turner Joy came to assist and together they fended off the attack. The Vietnamese ships sank and sustained extreme damage.
The oddest part was that two days later Both USS ships reported another attack. They fended off the attack and later found that the Vietnamese ships had not engaged in a second battle. An investigation by the Senate of Foreign Relations Committee revealed that the Maddox had engaged in battle the first round, but there may have been no Vietnamese ships the second time around.