Ho Chi Minh's defeat of France in 1954 moved leaders in Washington, D.C. to act to ensure that global communism did not claim another victim. The resulting conflict, lasting until 1975, pitted America's spectacular military might against the iron resolve of the Vietnamese in a bitter contest that strangely paved the way to peace.  

Session 1: This Domino Must Not Fall: American leaders were determined that the long shadow of communist aggression in Korea would not find success in Indochina.  

Session 2: War Powers and War's Power: A seemingly minor incident in the Gulf of Tonkin grew into a troop buildup that descended into the nightmare of war. 

Session 3: January 1968: Americans believed that victory was more near than far until the Tet Offensive when people began asking: WHY? 

Session 4: An Honorable Peace: Victory was not complete. Peace was not peaceful. People rejoiced but in sorrow as 58,000 names joined the roster of heroes.  

Session 5: Legacy, Lessons, and the Unpaid Bill: America's establishing diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1995 proved a good first step in healing old wounds while the debt to a generation gathered interest. 

Subject: history 

Fred L. Johnson III is a professor of history at Hope College, where he has been on the faculty since 2000. He has a BA from Bowie State University and an MA and a PhD from Kent State University. Prior to his career in higher education, Johnson served in the United States Marine Corps. His primary field of study is nineteenth-century US history, specifically the Civil War. His other areas of expertise are twentieth-century US history, US military history, and African history.