Many Flags

While it served a military purpose, the program was also a propaganda effort by Johnson to enlist Free World forces in the Cold War against communism.

In addition to providing artillery batteries, combat engineers and medical personnel, New Zealand sent elements of the country's elite Special Air Service.

The war proved highly unpopular at home and eventually led to the downfall of the National Party government of Jack Marshall.

[7] It also pledged its national police force's air assets to monitor several segments of the Ho Chi Minh trail that passed through neighbouring Laos.

[6] In addition, a number of other nations sent along small contingents of medical, transportation, construction and other experts as well as material help to the South Vietnamese government in Saigon.

[8][9] These nations were: Afghanistan, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela and West Germany.