My problem is not with US calling it a "war". Of course it was a war from the combatant's view. My problem is with the sorry-a$$ed politicians comitting millions of Americans to a conflict an not giving them full support by not issuing a Declaration of War as outlined in Article I, Section Eight of our Constitution.
Johnson did not seek a declaration of war because he wanted nothing to interfere with his
Great Socialism vision that would place him right beside his hero FDR. He hoped to fight a limited war based on the containment policy articulated by Acheson in the Truman Adminsitration. Johnson thought he could do a deal with anyone and he and the Kennedy leftovers thought that proportional response could bring Uncle Ho to the table. Sort of like what we are trying to hold Israel to today.
The problem is you don't play proportional response football and you don't fight an enemy that way either. Unfortunately not many of our leaders or generals have played football.