LBJ and Robert McNamara, 2/12/68, 8.29A
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- Telephone Conversation between President Johnson and Robert McNamara.
Citation No.: 12711
February 12, 1968
Time: 12:25 PM
Location: Mansion
Speakers: President Johnson and Robert McNamara
General Topic: Business; Congressional Relations; Defense; Diplomacy; Legislation; Procurement & Disposal; Vietnam
Topics: McNamara Says Westmoreland Has Requested 6 More Battalions In Vietnam; Mcnamara's Opposition To Reserve Call-up For Permanent Troop Increase; LBJ Reviews Talks On Troop Levels In Earlier Meetings; McNamara Reads Westmoreland's Cable; Civilian Contractors
More info on the LBJ telephone conversations: www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/...
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Fascinating inside look, thank you.
Everyone in the history of the world said never get in a ground war in Asia. Ever. Kennedy was going to pull out in 64 or 65. And I didn’t even go until 1970.
Are presidential tapes ever NOT interesting?
i think a talented playwright could stage a split-stage, two-man play with alternating darkness and light on the two actors as they engage in and then reflect on a series of conversations over the last 100 days of McNamra's tenure as Secretary of Defense.
Staging is easy, a very simple lighting plot. The problems lie in the area of candor. These conversations provide us with an insight, but an adaptation for the stage would require far more candor in order to hold an audience for an hour. But the more candid you become, the less authentic the piece becomes.
Stupid idea
Extremely uncomfortable to listen to…..they were hanging on by their fingernails with zero end in sight….
i think there are many who believe that a far more aggressive approach in the spring of 1966 would have shaped the outcome of the following years decisively. i think much can be said in support of this analysis. however i think that the only way this "Big Hammer" approach could have succeeded is that an accompanying political approach utilizing our allies diplomatic and economic contacts with the power elite of North Vietnam politics would help provide political leverage for the North to accept a swift negotiated settlement-- if and only if --their political core believed that the North would benefit on the world stage and be assisted as an independent government to grow and develop in peace and not face the prospect of near-future US escalation.
LBJ...waffle...no idea what he was doing...just like every losing war commander in history
McNamara's voice sounds exhausted, Johnson sounds like he is totally unqualified on military matters and he knows it. They were beaten.
@Bryan Mack Even so, the South Vietnamese government lacked credibility. I have a hard time envisioning a stable country after the U.S. left. The will just wasn’t there.
Ho Chi Minh said the US' biggest mistake was killing Diem.He also said Diem was the South's best chance of holding back the North. I always found that interesting.
Why would he say that diem was a mess
What is the source for that quote and how would he know?
Ho was basically out of the day-to-day picture by then….unlikely that quote could have been attributed directly to him.
Everything went horribly wrong...……...Scorched earth was going to be the only way to defeat the enemy...……...we weren't ready for that one...……….
Robert Schmidt we did, in fact, use agent orange not just to 'defoliage' - as is commonly stated - but to destroy the food supply.
Invading the north only way then China hops in so don't fight a defensive war against guerilla s
The accidental president