3. Myth: The North Vietnamese attacked American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin
In 1964 the Johnson administration reported to the American people that two naval engagements had taken place between US destroyers in international waters and North Vietnamese patrol boats. According to Johnson the North Vietnamese had launched an unprovoked attack on USS Maddox on August 2, and a second attack on USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy occurred on August 4. President Johnson used the incidents to push the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution through Congress, which authorized the President to order retaliatory air strikes against the North Vietnamese and gave the president the authority to order military operations in Vietnam without a declaration of war.
