though they were combating with each other. So the American politicians tried to make deals with the countries while at the same time trying not to step on their own toes with the deals of the other countries that are warring. I did not really like this as a source I found it to be a personal tale told by Mr. Thompson. He played a roll in the article about how he was the one looking over the shoulder of the president and would find problems with what he saw. Then would state his theory to the situation making it look like he was the one that was right. After doing this he would publish it and continue on deceiving the Americans there for making it an unpopular war.Trager, Frank N. Why Vietnam?. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, 1968. The United States continued the policy of supplying, training, and advising the Army of the Republic of Vietnam on an increasing scale (Trager 179). On August 2 and 4, North Vietnamese boats attacked the warships U.S.S. Maddox and U.S.S. C. Turner Joy in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. Johnson ordered an immediate reply, and on August 4, United States aircraft began bombing Vietnam. This operation became known as Rolling Thunder (Trager 180). North Vietnam had deliberately made war on the South, though it had bound itself to refrain from war. The United States had become an ally of the South at the time when no further war between the two states had been expected (Trager 182). Eventually, after this unprovoked war had Pipkens-Smith 11begun, the United States recognized its obligation to its ally and slowly, and with many misgivings, assumed a responsible role in this alliance, a role which was defined, until as late as February, 1965, as one of assistance and advice only (Trager 183). This book was very good in detail of the coming to terms and reasons of the efforts put into why the United States entered the conflict. Part was that of guilt and the other an obligation made to it...
