Was the U.S. planning to go to war in Vietnam before August 1964?

Before August 1964, the U.S. was not officially planning to go to war in Vietnam but was increasingly involved in the conflict. Following the Geneva Accords in 1954, the U.S. had provided military and economic support to the South Vietnamese government and had sent military advisors to assist in combating the communist Viet Cong. However, the escalation of U.S. involvement became more pronounced after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964, which led to a significant increase in U.S. military presence and the formal commitment to combat operations.