2. Johnson’s Turn to solve Vietnam…

4. LBJ confers with Dean Rusk, Sec. of State… Robert S. McNamara

5. Resolution -Aug. 5 “the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the US and to prevent further aggression.” Taking the first step...

6. General William Westmoreland The Man in Charge...

8. Headgear Soldiers received a standard issue "pot" or steel helmet, which, in addition to providing some protection against shrapnel or bullets , often saw duty as a chair, cookpot, or even "butt armor. " Helmets also protected valuables such as cigarettes, matches and personal letters from frequent downpours. Many men emblazoned their helmets with slogans such as "Don't Shoot, I'm Short" or "God is My Pointman."

9. The pots were heavy and, in high jungle temperature, extremely hot; some soldiers abandoned them in favor of floppy, fabric hats in the field.

10. M-16 Rifle …Standard issue for infantrymen, fired . 223 caliber/5.56mm bullets at a rate of 750-900 rounds per minute on automatic setting, or as fast as a soldier could pull the trigger on semiautomatic . The rifle had an effective range of about 435 yards . Before a late 1966 redesign, the fussy M16s responded poorly to wet, dirty field conditions, and often jammed during combat, resulting in numerous casualties. M16 cartridges came in 20 or 30-round "clips ," which could be quickly popped in and out of the rifle's loading port during firefights . New Gun...

12. M60 Machine Gun Light enough to be carried on patrol and deadly in a firefight, the M60 fired up to 550 high-velocity bullets from a gas-powered belt fed system at a range of over 1,900 yards . The M60 could be fired from a bipod or tripod or from the hip. Perhaps its greatest limitation was the weight of its cartridge belts, which limited the amount of ammunition that could be carried into the field.

13. Soldiers fire a 105mm howitzer in support of infantry. This was the main artillery piece used by the US Army Infantry Support

15. Bell UH-1 Helicopter The Bell UH-1helicopter, popularly known as the "Huey," was the workhorse aircraft for US forces. Well adapted for jungle warfare, the Huey could fly at low altitudes and speeds, land in small clearings, maneuver to dodge enemy fire, and carry an array of powerful armaments. Among other duties, the versatile chopper transported troops, equipment, supplies, and support personnel into the field; provided additional firepower to troops engaged on the ground; and evacuated the dead and wounded.

16. A Huey hovers to off-load members of the 101 st Airborne (WWII’s famous “Screaming Eagles ”) in a search-and-destroy mission near the DMZ

17. Drop zone. A Huey lifts off after dropping Marines in the jungle

21. A North Vietnamese soldier and a Vietcong guerrilla dig in at a bunker position

24. A NVA soldier reveals the entrance to a tunnel used as a hiding place by VC guerrillas

25. One of the tunnels in Cu Chi

26. Booby Traps- pungi sticks

28. Tin-can Grenades Spiked Ball

30. The VC used a variety of everyday objects-in this case, a book-to make booby traps

31. Hidden Mines-A favorite spot for a mine was around a fallen tree or log lying across a path… SSgt. James Craig of the 2 nd Squadron, 11 th Cavalry, gingerly inspects a 22-lb Chinese mine during clearing operations near Quan Loi on Dec. 26, 1969

33. North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regulars on parade in Hanoi during the 1960’s

35. The primary asset for the NVA in the war is a B-40 anti-tank rocket, widely used by the VC

36. Mekong Delta villagers are seen in the “black pajamas” of the VC guerrilla with Soviet-designed weapons

37. The NVA would use a the wide range of weapons

40. Bombers dropping agent Orange

41. Before/After: B-mangrove forest sprayed with Agent Orange in 1965. A-1970: the black patches show surviving trees Agent Orange , a chemical that strips leaves from trees, turning jungle into wasteland.

42. An A-1 Skyraider drops napalm