The US supported South Vietnam in the Vietnam War. South Vietnam did not want to come under the communist rule of North Vietnam because under communism people have no say in their government, no right to vote, and not even the right to believe differently from the government. The leaders got into heated talks about whether or not to bomb North Vietnam and take the war into North Vietnam.
On July 31, 1964, it was announced during a news conference that the United States and South Vietnam had agreed on the general conduct of the war. The US was strongly against taking the war into North Vietnam, but because North Vietnam had brought their army into South Vietnam, the US agreed to support South Vietnam. The US wanted to help South Vietnam to stay a free a country so that its people could be free to have a say in their government, have the right to vote, and even have the right to believe differently from the government.
