f Ho Chi Minh grew almost exponentially, (915). The price escalated during the early 1950s and by 1952 the U.S. shouldered roughly one-third of the cost of the war; between 1950 and 1954 American contributed $2.6 billion to FranceÆs war effort, (Roberts and Martin 1989). This sum was insufficient: France was unable to defeat HoÆs Vietminh, and in 1954 the war reached a crisis stage when the French were soundly defeated at Dien Bien Phu. President Eisenhower refused to supply military aid without the consent of Congress and Great Britain, and then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson openly opposed spending AmericaÆs money (and her boyÆs lives) to perpetuate colonialism and ôWhite manÆs exploitation in Asia,ö (Roberts and Martin 1989, 921). Strangely enough, Johnson would, as President, ôinheritö President KennedyÆs decision to send not only money but men to Vietnam to aid the South against the communists; this decision would lead to his failure to seek re-election for a second full term in office as public outcry against what become, over time, and apparently ôunwinnableö war grew dramatically, (Lamb 1978, 425).
Under John KennedyÆs leadership, American assistance to South Vietnam increased and the government took an active role in shaping both government policy and military action in Vietnam. Kennedy committed more than 16,000 troops (and countless millions in dollars) to Vietnam as of 1963 - positioning the troops as "advisors" to South Vietn
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