ween the Americans and Communists began and to end his presidency, Eisenhower tried to give President Diem and the South Vietnamese as much support as possible.
             John F. Kennedy came into play as president and had to take responsibility for direct involvement in the war. The president and his staff, "perceived Vietnam essentially as a military rather than political problem." (Stoessinger, PG 90) The Rostow-Taylor Report was issued and it helps decide more American commitment to the war. The report recommended the commitment of 8,000 American combat troops and stated that without it Vietnam would be lost. Kennedy authorizes 15,000 military advisers and support units. This advancement did not help the South Vietnamese performance. The Vietcong had increased use of guerilla warfare, so Kennedy allowed the use of weapons of mass destruction. President Diem was killed in November of 1963, three weeks after Kennedy was murdered.
             Lyndon Johnson took the presidency and started action by sending "massive" combat troops into war, taking America deeper and deeper into the war. Johnson started the bombing raids on North and South Vietnam, plus the advancement of a half of million troops. Johnson thought that this advancement would bring an end to the enemy, but "As a consequence, he misperceived his enemy, misled his people, and ultimately deceived himself." (Stoessinger, PG 95) Johnson would soon find out that bombing the land would not hurt Ho Chi Minh. "Hanoi had two formidable pillars of strength: the nationalist component of unity and the Communist component of control, which made for a well-organized, unified modern state. Bombing would not affect such a regime. On the contrary, it might even strengthen it." The American barracks at Pleiku were attacked by the Vietcong and thus stated a "relentless" bombing campaign on North Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh would defeat all p...