After a series of clashes with North Vietnam in 1964, called the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided to renounce his precedents plans for non-hostility negotiations with North Vietnam. And on March 8, 1965, Johnson sent 3,500 ground troops to Vietnam to defend air bases that were constantly being attacked by Vietnamese soldiers. Some skeptics argue that Johnson was unjustified in sending troops to Vietnam and canceling his campaign promises of peace; however, President Johnson had no choice because, after the continuous attacks on American air bases, he was forced to react. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay President Johnson was slow to walk back his campaign promises of peace; ignored the first selective attacks on Allied headquarters in Saigon. But Johnson was eventually forced to react after it became more apparent that the ARVN forces were not up to the task of defending themselves, due to their weakened economic and political forces. In 1965 it was more than obvious that military intervention was the only way to achieve a favorable outcome for the United States in Vietnam; alternatively, if they had hesitated, the PLAF would have completely controlled all of Vietnam and the United States would have no chance of installing any kind of non-communist government. Therefore, President Johnson had no choice but to cancel his campaign promises and take up arms in Vietnam. President Johnson initially appeared to have no intention of starting a full-scale conflict with Viet Kong. This notion became further evident when he was forced to send ground troops to Vietnam because instead of giving them approval to go on the offensive, Johnson strictly ordered all ground troops to remain focused on defending air bases, instead of engaging enemy units. Eventually, as more Viet Cong troops entered South Vietnam, Johnson was again forced to send in more American soldiers and hesitantly allow the troops to go on the defensive as a show of force. Most critics argue that Johnson was too aggressive in his orders. the bombing of North Vietnamese air bases; however, he was only doing what he believed was necessary to defend U.S. interests. “Lyndon Johnson bet that once Hanoi recognized the extent of its determination to avoid defeat in South Vietnam, it would be willing to negotiate a settlement on US terms.” (Duiker 173). However, this did not prove to be an effective means of ending the conflict and the war continued to escalate. But the point is, however ineffective the bombing may have been, it doesn't matter; President Johnson firmly believed he was doing what was best for the American and Vietnamese people, rather than simply ignoring his campaign promises and wishing for an escalation of violence in Vietnam. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay While Johnson's bombing plan may have seemed aggressive to some, it was an honest choice that Johnson felt forced to make to protect American interests in Vietnam. The bombing may not have been as effective as Johnson hoped, but it sent a message to the Viet Cong that America would not back down. And if Johnson hadn't really cared about his campaign promises, he would have..