With the United States and the Soviet Union in a Cold War, fears of Southeast Asia falling to communism led to America’s increasing involvement with political and military matters in Vietnam, which was split between the communist North and anti-communist South in 1954. This lesson will address the U.S. government’s economic and tactical support of the conflict in Vietnam, and atrocities committed by American troops against Vietnamese civilians, which later became public. Domestically, an anti-war movement in the U.S. began to grow, with people questioning America’s involvement overseas—the money spent and the lives lost—which later impacted the war itself, including the withdrawal of troops and policies passed to prevent future U.S. military action without congressional approval.

Students will:

The U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War from the 1950s to 1975 in an effort to prevent the communist government of North Vietnam from overtaking the democratic republic of South Vietnam and creating a unified communist Vietnam. Over the years, American troops were sent to assist South Vietnam in their fight against North Vietnam. In 1962, 9,000 Americans were stationed in South Vietnam. By 1967, the number of troops overseas had grown close to 500,000, with over 15,000 killed and more than 109,000 wounded. When the war ended, over 2.5 million Americans had served in Vietnam and more than 58,000 troops died. The U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam and communist sympathizers in other parts of southeast Asia greatly distressed Americans. Air bombing raids began in 1964 when Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, and steadily increased along with military attacks on the ground.

As Americans witnessed the bombings and violent atrocities in the news and learned that it was costing billions of dollars a year in taxes, many began to question the U.S.’ involvement in Vietnam. Further, up to 40,000 American men were drafted every month, which many people opposed.

Initially, anti-war demonstrations consisted of college students who led teach-ins on campuses. Later these protests grew into large marches across the country, such as in Washington, DC. This all occurred at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

Asian Americans drafted into the military during the Vietnam War spoke out against the war along with other veterans when they came back from their tour of duty. Japanese Americans Mike Nakayama and Scott Shimabukuro were among over 100 veterans and civilian contractors who participated in the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation in Detroit, Michigan. This was a 3-day event in January, held by the organization Vietnam Veterans Against the War. It allowed former soldiers to give testimony about the war crimes they committed or witnessed abroad. Former Secretary of State John Kerry was a leader of this organization and testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about his war experiences that same month.

In 1973, due to the strong anti-war climate in the country, President Richard M. Nixon ordered the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam. Also, Congress passed the War Powers Act to prevent a president from involving the U.S. in an armed conflict without Congressional consent.

In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his “Beyond Vietnam” speech at Riverside Church in New York City, condemning the war and addressing America’s neglect of domestic issues. Have students read and analyze Dr. King’s speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence," which may be found at Stanford University’s The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute.

Instruct students to answer the following questions individually:

Conduct a class discussion based on their responses.