4salt,

You need to read a little deeper. You covered the 30k foot veiw. The JFK/Kruschev meetings were a foot note because it was an embarassment to the admin. and for some reason historian like to keep the shine on Camelot.

Actually, the main reason for US involvment against North Vietnam was to stop the USSR from expanding to a large warm water, sea port. It was always a strategic initiative to stop the USSR from creating aircraft carriers which, during and after WWII, were recognized as an amazing source of power that could be broad in reach, concentrated in force, and continuous deployment.

The US fought to defend South Vietnam against the North because it would eventually lead to an invasion towards the gulf of Thailand. Such a gulf was nearly perfect strategically because it has very deep waters, granite coastline perfect for underground structures for secret manufacturing and testing, high and jagged mountains which are very easy to defend and difficult to navigate by both infantry, vehicle and most aircraft alike making enemy invasion from land very difficult. Best of all, the gulf has a very narrow choke point that has visibility from one point to the other which makes invasion from the sea just as suicidal.

The US was not concerned as much over China's communist forces because China did not have the financial means to begin development and massive deployment of military vessel production in that gulf. But, the US generals new that as long as China had close relations with the USSR, China would ask the USSR to handle such development in exchange for China using their military to overrun Thailand and Taiwan.

It was fortunate for the US that Mao had a firm contempt for Russian Communism and its policies, so after the US-NVA cease fire agreement at the Paris Accord and takeover of South Vietnam by the Chinese and Khemer Rouge no such invasion was possible because military and financial assistance from the USSR was not going to come.