In 1964, am American ship was traveling in the Gulf of Tonkin and was attacked upon. The US ship the USS Maddox is fired upon by North Vietnamese soldiers. LBJ uses this is an intentional display of violence and asks for a blank check in order to fight in the Vietnam war as he sees fit. The Gulf of Tonkin resolution is signed, giving LBJ all the ability to fight the war in Vietnam as he sees fit, allowing him to go to all measures to prevent an attack on the US.