Question

How did US involvement in Vietnam change over time?

Select all that apply.

The United States sent more and more troops to Vietnam in the 1960s.

The United States turned over defense of South Vietnam to the South Vietnamese army.

The United States took over the defense of South Vietnam.

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident led the United States to declare war on North Vietnam.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave the president more authority to get involved in Vietnam.

Answer 1

Correct answers:
- The United States sent more and more troops to Vietnam in the 1960s.
- The United States turned over defense of South Vietnam to the South Vietnamese army.
- The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave the president more authority to get involved in Vietnam.

Brief explanations:
- U.S. troop levels rose sharply in the mid-1960s (peaking around 1968).
- Beginning under Nixon (Vietnamization) the U.S. gradually withdrew forces and shifted combat responsibility to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).
- The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) authorized the president to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

The other two statements are incorrect:
- The U.S. did not formally “take over” South Vietnam’s defense in an official, permanent sense (it escalated combat involvement but later withdrew).
- The Gulf of Tonkin Incident did not produce a formal declaration of war against North Vietnam.