Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Sarge
Johnson reported 2 attacks initiated by the North Vietnamese to Congress. I'm referring to the Aug 4th incident. When the National Security Agency historical study was declassified; it concluded that the Maddox had engaged the North Vietnamese Navy on August 2, but that there were no North Vietnamese Naval vessels present during the incident of August 4.
The report stated regarding August 2: At 1500G, Captain Herrick (commander of the Maddox) ordered Ogier's gun crews to open fire if the boats approached within ten thousand yards. At about 1505G, the Maddox fired three rounds to warn off the communist boats. This initial action was never reported by the Johnson administration, which insisted that the Vietnamese boats fired first.
Regarding August 4: It is not simply that there is a different story as to what happened; it is that no attack happened that night. In truth, Hanoi's navy was engaged in nothing that night but the salvage of two of the boats damaged on August 2
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So either we were actually the aggressor in that fight, as was apparently not reported, or we were still responding to a perceived aggressive act, which was reported.
Not defending a fabrication, but the first night's issue was enough to warrant an escalation. The North was already an enemy at that point and what good commander lets an enemy ship during active fighting get within firing range? Do the released secrets say if the enemy ship knew we were there before fighting? Did they know to back the eff up?