Letter to President Johnson - History Assignment

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing in response to your request for my input with regards to the ongoing conflict in Vietnam. Although there is no perfect answer I can give you, I will provide to you the best course that I feel should be followed.

With the invention and popularity of the television, this war is the first to be brought into Americans’ living rooms. Once peaceful dinnertime meals are being interrupted by the violence of this war. People see what the media puts out there, which abstractly is not always the complete and total truth. Do not let the media dictate the direction of this war. Walter Cronkite is not the General here, do not allow him to steer this war. Public opinion is important, even more so with regards to reelection. But do not let it cloud your judgment. War is never a pretty thing and is to be avoided whenever possible. This is not something we want to initiate unless there is absolute necessity. There will be civilian casualties. Get as many people out as you can and then attack full-force. The international community will be dealt with later. Our allies will stick with us. Once the full impact of our victory is learned, we will be viewed in a positive light.

The attacks need to come on the Vietcong quickly. We are giving them a chance to watch and learn. They can be in a position to study us and, given their knowledge of the area, learn how to overcome us easily. We need to surprise them with an all out attack. Make it impossible for the Chinese and Russians to further supply the Vietnamese and focus attacks on supply routes near the border. Worry less about the number of lives lost on their side, and worry more on bombing strategic locations. Power plants need to be taken care of, as well as industrial locations. Focusing on key military installations before they are completed would work to our advantage.

Also, keep in mind what worked in Europe with the last World War, which proved very successful. It is an unfortunate consequence of war, but civilian lives will be lost. The more we can keep the numbers down the better. Attack key cities now. If we allow this war to continue ineffectively, the total number of civilian lives will turn out to be higher. So make the attacks quick, hard, and decisive.

In conclusion, it is the military that needs to make the decisions on how we should proceed. It is not the politicians looking to be reelected and benefiting themselves, and the media’s place to run this war, and boosting their ratings. If we are to win this war, it will be with a firm hand and an iron will. Speak regularly with the public in numerous addresses to update them. Give the media something to follow. Do not allow people to make their decisions based on selective information given by the press.

Vietnam Way - History Assignment

The United States became involved in the war against the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong in 1959 under the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The North Vietnamese were under communist control, which threatened South Vietnam, which was a United States ally. The United States was in a position to stop the spread of Communism throughout the world and soon took an interest in Vietnam. When Lyndon B. Johnson became president after John F. Kennedy’s assassination he appointed William Westmoreland to be the commander of the US army.

In 1965, the United States started a full-scale aerial attack on North Vietnam. By the end of the year, there were nearly 200,000 troops fighting in the war. By mid-1966, there were approximately 430,000. Westmoreland believed that the North Vietnamese could be defeated in no time at all, within a few years of that time. The final battle didn’t occur until 1975; long after President Johnson’s presidency was over.

Walter Cronkite was a well-respected journalist for CBS news during the Vietnam War, who, for a while, was in support of the war. But on February 27, 1968, he made a personal speech that would affect the president in a very profound way. After an attack on the US embassy in Saigon he felt that the United States was not able to win the war in the way that they wanted to. In fact, he felt that there was essentially a stalemate. Continuing would mean the war would escalate and the enemy would always match us.

Clark Clifford was the Secretary of Defense during the Johnson administration. He was very pro-war and was in support of the president’s decisions. He also gave Johnson advice when it came to the war, most notably regarding the request for more troops. Eventually, he pushed for the withdrawal of the troops.

There are also a number of similarities between the mission in Vietnam and the current mission in Iraq. For one thing, support for the war started out strong. Eventually it became very unpopular. Protests soon began and the nation was torn. President Johnson began with high approval ratings and found himself with low ratings with the unpopularity of the war. President Bush decided to run for reelection, and won, whereas President Johnson found himself haunted by the war and chose not to run for reelection.

Troops were having a hard time fighting the enemy because he blended in so well with everyone else. Killing innocent civilians became an ill effect of the war. Another similarity is that of the locals. The locals welcomed the troops and seen them as saviors. The same thing is going on in Iraq; the people there appreciate what our troops are doing for them. The news media’s front line coverage of the war was new. People all over the world seen up close the death and destruction of the war. It seemed very real.

The war finally ended in 1973, with the withdrawal of the last of the United State’s troops. Saigon eventually ended up succumbing to the Viet Cong in 1975.