Village Green Shopping Centre | Vernon's Premier Shopping Destination
Choice Made Simple!
Too many options?Click below to purchase an online gift card that can be used at participating retailers in Village Green Shopping Centre and continue your shopping IN CENTRE!Purchase Here
Coles Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War: Revised Edition at Village Green Shopping Centre in Vernon, BC
*Product information may vary - to confirm product availability, pricing, shipping and return information please contact Coles
On July 31, 1964, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Maddox (DD 731) began a reconnaissance cruise off the coast of North Vietnam. On August 2, three North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the ship. On the night of August 4, the Maddox and another destroyer, the USS Turner Joy (DD 951), expecting to be attacked, saw what they interpreted as hostile torpedo boats on their radars and reported themselves under attack. The following day, the United States bombed North Vietnam in retaliation. Congress promptly passed, almost unanimously and with little debate, a resolution granting President Lyndon Johnson authority to take “all necessary measures” to deal with aggression in Vietnam. That incident of August 4, 1964, is at the heart of this book. Author Edwin Moise interviewed numerous Americans who were present. Most believed in the moment that an attack was occurring. By the time they were interviewed, there were more doubters than believers, but those who still believed were more confident in their opinions. Factoring in degree of assurance, one could say that the witnesses were split down the middle on this fundamental question. A careful and rigorous examination of the other forms of evidence, including intercepted North Vietnamese naval communications, interrogations of North Vietnamese torpedo boat personnel captured later in the war, and the destroyers’ detailed records of the location and duration of radar contacts, has led the author to conclude that no attack occurred that night.
On July 31, 1964, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Maddox (DD 731) began a reconnaissance cruise off the coast of North Vietnam. On August 2, three North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the ship. On the night of August 4, the Maddox and another destroyer, the USS Turner Joy (DD 951), expecting to be attacked, saw what they interpreted as hostile torpedo boats on their radars and reported themselves under attack. The following day, the United States bombed North Vietnam in retaliation. Congress promptly passed, almost unanimously and with little debate, a resolution granting President Lyndon Johnson authority to take “all necessary measures” to deal with aggression in Vietnam. That incident of August 4, 1964, is at the heart of this book. Author Edwin Moise interviewed numerous Americans who were present. Most believed in the moment that an attack was occurring. By the time they were interviewed, there were more doubters than believers, but those who still believed were more confident in their opinions. Factoring in degree of assurance, one could say that the witnesses were split down the middle on this fundamental question. A careful and rigorous examination of the other forms of evidence, including intercepted North Vietnamese naval communications, interrogations of North Vietnamese torpedo boat personnel captured later in the war, and the destroyers’ detailed records of the location and duration of radar contacts, has led the author to conclude that no attack occurred that night.
Find everything in-store including new, used and children’s books, music, movies, games and toys. Visit Coles today to find the perfect gift, or a novel for yourself. COVID-19 UPDATE: Open | Regular Centre Hours
