because he wanted to counteract the Goldwater/Republican meme that he was 'weak on defense'.
(listening to NPR story)
Will the kneejerk reactions to "weak on defense" ever end?
I hate politics!
.... 3+ million Vietnamese dead and the 50+ thousand American dead
:-(
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The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/USA/GulfTonkin.html<snip>
The entire event was purposely misconstrued when presented to Congress and the public by President Johnson and his administration, and on August 7, the "Tonkin Gulf Resolution" passed, 416 to 0 by the House and 88 to 2 by the Senate. The resolution stipulated that the President of the United States could "take all necessary measures to repel armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." <2>
This was what led to the escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam and became the point where the U.S. made a large commitment. By July of 1965, the U.S. would have 80,000 troops mobilized and operating in South Vietnam. This opened the door to the eventual peak of some 543,000 troops by early 1969, including the dropping of 400 tons of bombs and ordnance per day. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was a significant event in the fact that it opened the door to one of the most vivid and memorable wars in modern day history.
<snip>