Quote Originally Posted by Lemur
For what it's worth, my father was a Marine operating in Laos in the fifties. None of his comrades are on the Vietnam War Memorial. So yeah, the war started a long time before the Gulf of Tonkin.
Agree completely. Knew men when I served, and a few I worked with after that related tales of their serving all over the region of and surrounding Vietnam. At first, I was taken a back (even had a "mustang" CO - Captain, that served as an advisor to Ho's troops fighting the Japs in WWII) - because the prevailing view was we only had people there for training purposes beginning during the JFK era. During Ike it was "nothing to see here".
Why the men that died before the the official starting date of our involvement there have been ignored and left unhonored is beyond me. Unless, it is one of image - Remember the Tonkin Bay incident in 1964 was viewed by many as being equal to the Pearl Harbor attack (look up the Time and Newsweeks coverage, then look up the ChristianScienceMonitors), and that the North Vietnamese officials appologized for it is ignored entirely (they thought the destroyers were ARVN, and broke off as soon as they realized they were American). But, it was the second imaginary attack that sealed the deal - only 2 Senators voted against the TB resolution; no one voted against the Bush one btw (98-0).

Understand there is a movement to get ALL the names of those that died in S.E. Asia on "The Wall". Are many more that died of injuries after leaving that are just now being added. So, later than sooner the men that gave their all in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc prior to the official starting date may yet be given the recognition and honor they deserve.

One would hope.