Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Reported attacks on American ships in August 1964 sparked major escalation of U.S. involvement. The USS Maddox reported North Vietnamese torpedo boat attacks on August 2, with another alleged incident two days later. President Johnson immediately ordered retaliatory airstrikes against North Vietnamese targets. The second attack likely never happened, as later investigations revealed. Navy officers misinterpreted radar signals during bad weather conditions. Nevertheless, this dubious incident became the justification for America’s dramatic military expansion in Vietnam.
