Didn't they have Weapons of Mass Destruction? Just kidding.

To keep the communists from dominating the world, at least that is the simple answer that they gave to the people. My favorite theory has to do with natural resources like titanium which were once abundant there, but since the war do not seem to be so.

this question may need some clarification. are you asking why the government said we were going to war there when it started, or are you wondering about the real reasons?

marshall plan geniouses!

Containment theory.

To try to get political control in the area and it failed .

much like the current iraq war, the u.s. entered the war in vietnam under false pretenses... ie the gulf of tonkin incident..

Despite all the cynicism and snide comments on here, the REAL reason America entered the war in Vietnam was to slow or halt the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia.

That war, more than all others was driven by money. Though there were humanitarian reasons as well. After WWI, WWII and Korea the Corporate/Political powers had learned that War = Prosperity. So the profitability of the Viet Nam Conflict was exploited to its limits. Up until the mid to late 60's the citizens of America were naive and believed without question the government's noble reasoning. One must remember that war does equal money, and always will. And that money not only goes to the rich, evil people in power, it also provides better incomes for you and me. So we are not totally innocent if you are looking to assign blame. As an example all the people currently working in the semiconductor industry are benefitting from the work generated by the military’s need for a modern warfare system. Smart bombs and the like all require computer chips yo...

The reason we were there was to protect American interests that we had there. We had Shell Oil, Texaco, Esso, the rubber plantations and more important, the nickel mines just to name a few. Now the government will say that it was to slow or stop the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia, but the truth is it was to protect our interests. I was there and I saw it first hand. And also, if the government had of backed off and let the military fight the war, we would of won. Hell, we couldn't even piss behind a tree without an act of congress. And something else, the Saigon police were riding around on motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Sportsers. Yup, they sure were. Now that the war is over, you should see what we have over there. http://www.vietnampix.com/

Misguided notions that communism anywhere is a dire threat, but perhaps only a threat to capitalism. Not to be confused with democracy.

i feel that we entered the vietnam to stop the spread of communism as well as to protect our economic and political interests. the government used the gulf of tonkin incident as a catalyst to invading Vietnam

The truth to your question will never be known, all I know is that the huge sacrifice of young lives can and will never be forgotten by many people like myself, I am not a USA citizen nor do I live in your country but I happen to know veterans who have told me horrible and heart breaking facts. The best that can be done is to take history as a fact for the time being, until further truth is disclosed. North Vietnamese Army + Vietcong VS South Vietnamese Army + US Army: At the time, Vietnam was divided in half, North being communist and South being capitalist. The North wanted to unite with the South to form Vietnam. However, because the North was communist, the US feared that when Vietnam was united, the surrounding countries would become communists as well, hence the Domino Effect. The US first sent military advisers to South Vietnam to fight the North, then as action got more intense, they then sent troops. Interesting facts: 1]First war that the US lost against for an inferior nation. 2]US dropped more bombs in the Vietnam War than the entire WW2. Why did the US loose the war: The US made a terrible strategic mistake by sending troops and equipment to fight a conventional war against the Vietcong who were fighting a guerrilla type war, the US did not imagine how difficult this type of war is and the special training that is required, the same thing is again happening in Afghanistan and Iraq. A guerrilla type war is based on sabotage, terrorism, the surprise effect and the local civilian population at its best. War in Afghanistan and Iraq: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3074465.stm Regards.

To fight the famous "war on comunism". A money-making machine that lasted over 50 years. Now you got the war on terror in full motion. My 2 cents.