over the United States (Wells, 334). Marchers included students, housewives,.
professionals, and even military personnel and Vietnam veterans. Although the majority of.
the marchers were young college students, people from all social classes and age groups.
participated (DeBenedetti, 280). The one thing that drew the members of the crowd.
together was their firm opposition to the US involvement in the war. The three day events.
included rallies in New York and other cities, and massive demonstrations in Washington.
itself (DeBenedetti, 280). It was a big concern of government officials to keep the.
protests out of the public spotlight. They were worried about giving the Vietnamese the.
wrong impression about the American public's enthusiasm for the war because they did.
not want to encourage them (Wells, 25).
In 1965, the US started strategically bombing parts of Northern Vietnam, .
increasing the antiwar public opinion of what was going on in Indochina (DeBenedetti,.
122). The antiwar movement would have emerged alone by the bombings, but the.
growing number of American casualties only intensified public opposition of the war. This.
movement against the Northern bombings played a role in the decision to announce a.
bombing pause from May 12 to May 17 of 1965 (DeBenedetti, 141). Antiwar activists.
carried on through the pause with their own programs.
The antiwar movement spread directly among the combat troops in Vietnam, who.
began to wear peace symbols and flash peace signs and movement salutes. Some units.
even organized their own demonstrations to link up with the movement at home. It was.
hard for the soldiers in Vietnam to find ways to move beyond protests and symbolic acts,.
to deeds that would actually have a more serious effect on stopping the war.
The protests and movements really started gaining momentum in 1968 after.
Americans learned the truth about the Tet Offensive. The offensive demonstrated that.