On this day in history, August 2, 1964, the Pentagon reported the first of two alleged attacks by North Vietnamese forces on U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. This incident involved the USS Maddox, which was said to have been pursued and fired upon by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats. The reported attack, followed by a second alleged incident on August 4, 1964, catalyzed a significant escalation in U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. These events led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, passed by Congress on August 7, 1964, which granted President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to assist any Southeast Asian country whose government was considered to be jeopardized by communist aggression. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of large-scale U.S. military operations in Vietnam, ultimately shaping decades of American foreign policy and military strategy. |
