Tonkin Gulf Resolution

U.S. Destroyers firing on North Vietnamese targets.

    On August 4, 1964, Congress passed military authorization to take military action in Southeast, Asia. Only five days before, North Vietnamese torpedo boats, attacked the U.S.S. Maddox, and a follow up attack by N. Vietnamese P.T. boats against two American ships on a "routine patrol"  that was reporting intelligence information to South Vietnam.  Asserting the the attacks had been two unprovoked attacks, President Lyndon Johnson, decided to request for imediate air attacks against North Vietnam, in retaliation to the North Vietnamese aggression.

President Lyndon Johson, signing the Joint Resolution

   Johnson also called for Congress to pass a mandate, for future military action against North Vietnam.  On August 7, 1964 Congress passed a resolution drafted by the administration to allow retaliation, against any attacks on the U.S. by North Vietnamese forces, and Southest Asian allies.  This further pushed the United States into more aggressive military involvement with Vietnam, without a Declaration of War.

    However, in Congress there was a disagreement, on the true meaning of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, and whether or not the "Attack" on the U.S. ships was infact a legitment event. President Johson, and Richard Nixon used the Tokin inncident to justify later military action in Southeast Asia.  The measure was repealed by Congress in 1970.  As this disagreement continued, countless statements from Vietnamese Officers, and U.S. Serviceman, reinstated that there was no actual attack. In fact, prior to the U.S. air strikes, top officials in Washington had reason to doubt that any August 4th, attack by North Vietnam had occurred. 

U.S.S. Maddox Crewman, (Captain Herrick, on the left)

   Cables from the U.S. task force commander in the Gulf of Tonkin, Captain John J. Herrick, explained to "freak weather effects" and almost "total darkness" and "an overeager sonarman" who was "hearing the ships propeller beat."  One of the Navy pilots flying over head that night was squadron commander James Stockdale, accounted that he "Had the best seat to watch that event,"  He stated that "the destroyers were just shooting at phantom targets,-there were no P.T. boats there just black water, and American firepower."

   Retired North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap, in 1995 was in a meeting with former Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamera, and he denied that the North Vietnamese had attacked the U.S. Ships in 1964.  In 2001 it was revealed the President Johnson, in a taped conversation with McNamara several weeks after the passing of the resolution, had expressed doubt that the attack had ever occured.

Reported North Vietnamese P.T. boats patrolling earlier that day

before the "attack".

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/11/documents/tonkin/

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0849037.html

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2261