The Gulf of Tonkin Incident: A Spark in the Dark

August 1964. A flashpoint in history. Did a few

stray torpedoes just plunge America into its most divisive war? The Gulf of

Tonkin, off North Vietnam. A region already bristling with Cold War tensions.

What truly transpired there? On August 2nd, the USS Maddox reported an attack.

Two days later, another report: a second strike, amidst stormy seas and radar confusion.

This alleged second engagement was the spark. President Johnson quickly gained congressional approval

for the infamous Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. A pivotal moment based on questionable

intelligence. It escalated a proxy conflict into a full-scale war, changing American foreign