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Johnson escalation during Vietnam War set stage for lasting conflict risk
By March 8, 1965, Johnson approved deploying 3,500 U.S. combat troops in South Vietnam to protect an air base used for bombing North Vietnam.
OilPrice recounts how U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s escalation decisions emerged after the bombing campaign in North Vietnam, known as Operation Rolling Thunder, failed to pressure North Vietnam into peace talks.
The article says that following advice from military advisers, Johnson authorized the deployment of 3,500 U.S. combat troops on March 8, 1965, with the mission of protecting the air base the Americans were using for raids against North Vietnam.
OilPrice adds that by the end of that year, nearly 200,000 U.S. troops were committed in-country, underscoring Johnson’s earlier warning that entering a war is easy, but withdrawing can be extremely difficult.