Press Release Following the First Tonkin Gulf Incident

This is a press release informing the public of actions taken following the August 2nd attack on the U.S.S. Maddox in the Tonkin Gulf.

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 1964 Office of the White House Press Secretary THE WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT I have instructed the Navy (1) to continue the patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam, (2) to double the force by adding an additional destroyer to the one already on patrol, (3) to provide a combat air patrol over the destroyers, and (4) to issue orders to the commanders of the combat aircraft and the two destroyers (a) to attack any force which attacks them in international waters, and (b) to attack with the objective not only of driving off the force but of destroying it. #