▁peace . ▁Bund y , ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁Rus k , ▁Amb assador ▁Max well ▁D . ▁Taylor , ▁General ▁William ▁West mor eland , ▁and ▁General ▁Ear le ▁Whe eler , ▁the ▁president ' s ▁key ▁advis ers ▁on ▁Vietnam , ▁all ▁agreed ▁with ▁Mc N am ara ' s ▁recommendation . ▁After ▁consult ing ▁with ▁his ▁princip als , ▁Johnson , ▁des ir ous ▁of ▁a ▁low ▁profile , ▁chose ▁to ▁announ ce ▁at ▁a ▁press ▁conference ▁an ▁increase ▁to ▁ 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁troops , ▁with ▁additional ▁forces ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁later ▁upon ▁request . ▁Priv ately , ▁Johnson ▁described ▁himself ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁as ▁box ed ▁in ▁by ▁un pal atable ▁choices . ▁If ▁he ▁sent ▁additional ▁troops ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁attacked ▁as ▁an ▁inter vention ist , ▁and ▁if ▁he ▁did ▁not , ▁he ▁thought ▁he ▁risk ed ▁being ▁im pe ached . ▁Under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁General ▁West mor eland , ▁U . S . ▁forces ▁increasing ly ▁engaged ▁in ▁search ▁and ▁destroy ▁operations ▁against ▁Commun ists ▁operating ▁in ▁South ▁Vietnam . ▁By ▁October ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁troops ▁deployed ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁soldiers ▁were ▁draft ed ▁after ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁high ▁school , ▁and ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁came ▁from ▁econom ically - dis adv ant aged ▁background s . ▁▁ ▁Through out ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁few ▁members ▁of ▁Congress ▁or ▁the