The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - Essay Example On August 02, 1964, â€Å"the destroyer ship Maddox, headed by Captain John Herrick (Operational Control), was cruising offshore in the international shores when North Vietnamese (NV) tried to approach it by dispatching soviet-built P-4 fast patrol torpedo boats (PTFs). Torpedoes were launched from North Vietnamese PTFs. Maddox retaliated with the support of F-8 Crusader jets that strafed all the NV PTFs (Hickman, K-a.,n.d.). The second attack occurred on August 04, 1964. Given the 1st reported attack, the U.S. was not in the position to ignore NV attacks. In fact, immediately the US reinforced Maddox with another destroyer USS Turner Joy (DD 951). On the night of August 04, the U.S. warships reported having made contact with North Vietnamese naval forces whom they claimed attacked these 2 destroyer ships (Hickman-a, n.d). â€Å"In response to these alleged attacks, the U.S. through the 7th Fleet carriers, Ticonderoga and USS Constellation (CVA64), launched retaliatory strikes against North Vietnam that destroyed an oil storage facility and damaged an enemy naval vessels† (Natasi, 2001). U.S. through Johnson proposed the passage of a joint resolution with Congress (H.J. RES 1145) dated August 07, 1964, known as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, described as the Southeast Asia Resolution, Public Law 88-408 which granted powers to President Lyndon Johnson to escalate U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War without a declaration of war. (Hickman, K-b.,n.d.), (â€Å"Tonkin Gulf Resolution†, n.d.) and (â€Å" Gulf of Tonkin Resolution†, n.d.). â€Å"The controversy about the Gulf of Tonkin incident came out after 40 years later when National Security Agency (NSA) declassified and released this material to the public†.