Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading mcnamara s folly. The vietnam center and sam johnson vietnam archive. Mcnamara spanned academia, private enterprise, government. Mcnamara s and the whiz kids focus was on kill ratios which was one american or vietnamese soldier for every 2. The use of lowiq troops in the vietnam war kindle edition by gregory, hamilton. Vietnamese a north vietnamese soldier laments how the war pitted vietnamese against each other. Mcnamaras controversial book tells the inside and personal story of. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading mcnamaras folly. To antiwar protesters at the time, mcnamara became something of a hate figure, an arrogant ultrahawk responsible for escalating the war. Robert mcnamara spent the last chapter of his life striving mightily to atone for the sins his sins of vietnam. Mcnamara recalls, and regrets, vietnam the new york times. The vietnam era was marked by protests, not just about war, but also for social change. The use of lowiq troops in the vietnam war infinity publishing, 2015 arnold r.
As promised i have burned every page in fire pit with vietnam veterans of the u. Robert strange mcnamara june 9, 1916 july 6, 2009 was an american business executive and the eighth united states secretary of defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under presidents john f. As a history of the vietnam war, robert mcnamaras memoir is bound to. How robert mcnamara came to regret the war he escalated. The tragedy and lessons of vietnam, the war could and should have been avoided and should have been halted at several key junctures, one as early. He spent his later years as an elder statesman, apologizing for an escalation of the conflict that became known as mcnamaras war.
The film was directed by errol morris and features an original score by philip glass. In a 1995 memoir, he called the vietnam war and crucial decisions he made as. The book is not a history of the vietnam war nor an analysis of the actual war. Unwilling to fill the ranks through politically risky policies such as drafting college students or deploying large numbers of. Hamilton gregorys book describes in incredible detail the horror that befell those men caught up in secretary mcnamara s desire to find the troops needed to fight the vietnam war without eliminating draft deferments or calling up the national guard and reserves. Robert mcnamaras actions during the vietnam war were wrong, terribly wrong. Jul 07, 2009 robert mcnamara s actions during the vietnam war were wrong, terribly wrong. One of the main aims of mcnamaras book is to explore how the exceptionally selected. Mcnamara was wrong, terribly wrong about vietnam the nation.
Mcnamara, once a champion of the escalation of the vietnam war, says in a memoir to be published in the coming week that he has now concluded that the united states could and should. Robert mcnamara on vietnam and leadership or lack thereof. Mcnamaras folly by hamilton gregory vietnam veterans of. During the vietnam war, mcnamaras morons as they were called, were barely literate, or could not read or write, or did not speak english. Mcnamara s controversial book tells the inside and personal story of americas descent into vietnam from a unique point of view, and is one of the most enlightening books about government ever written. The book provides a very detailed analysis of the decision making process that caused america to fight a war in vietnam, it is limited in. Johnson, mcnamara, the joint chiefs of staff, and the lies that led to vietnam paperback may 8, 1998. Mcnamaras morons vietnam was war for profit, american. Opinion rethinking mcnamaras war the new york times.
Re mcnamara takes much of blame for vietnam, april 9. He played a major role in escalating the united states involvement in the vietnam war. Mcnamara, writing in his 1995 memoir, in retrospect, on the management of the vietnam war. But it was not just a question of someone who had to do and see everything. Nov 14, 2018 cruelly nicknamed mcnamaras morons, project 100,000 was an initiative started underyou guessed itrobert mcnamara during the vietnam war. The conditions of mcnamaras departure from the pentagon were murky at the time and that murkiness speaks volumes about mcnamara.
Yes, robert mcnamara did micromanage the vietnam war. Robert strange mcnamara, one of the most recognizable and controversial figures of the vietnam war, served as the secretary of defense under both john f. The mcnamara fallacy is named after robert mcnamara. Vietnam war terribly wrong, mcnamara writes vietnam in. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Mcnamara june 9, 1916july 6, 2009 was a secretary of the u. Mcnamaras book on the vietnam was should have mentioned that excerpts appear in this weeks issue of newsweek. The story behind mcnamaras morons, vietnam wars cruel. The book deals with his life and career as a public servant, focusing on his. Schoenfelds piece should be required reading for all the young victims of tenured dishonesty in academia. Outnumbered by those who wanted to continue fighting, he left the johnson administration and his. Robert mcnamara himself, in the middle of his tenure as defense secretary, embraced the moniker, wrote tim weiner for the. Following up on vietnam, leadership, and the war remembrance museum in ho chi minh city, i wanted to include some quotes by robert mcnamara, the secretary of defense during the vietnam war as the bbcs obituary noted.
Whether slogging through vietnam in army fatigues, spewing out statistics to demonstrate progress, or presiding at a press conference, map on the wall, pointer in hand, he epitomized what came to be called mcnamara s war. Later he became the first president of the ford motor company from outside the ford family, and eventually found himself as the u. A key adviser to the president during the cuban missile crisis, mcnamara is most famousor infamoustoday as the prime architect of the disastrous american intervention in the vietnam war. Whether slogging through vietnam in army fatigues, spewing out statistics to demonstrate progress, or presiding at a press conference, map on the wall, pointer in hand, he epitomized what came to be called mcnamaras war. Robert mcnamara himself, in the middle of his tenure as defense secretary, embraced the moniker, wrote tim weiner for. Cruelly nicknamed mcnamaras morons, project 100,000 was an initiative started underyou guessed itrobert mcnamara during the vietnam war.
Last stand at khe sanh by gregg jones this book represents where the rubber meets the road on mcnamaras war book 2. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Mcnamara is a 2003 american documentary film about the life and times of former u. Nov 03, 2011 former defense secretary robert mcnamara offers a mea culpa in 1995 for the united states actions in the vietnam war. So, on october 1, 1966, mcnamara lowered mental standards and. Mcnamara, in full robert strange mcnamara, born june 9, 1916, san francisco, california, u. Mcnamara writes vietnam mea culpa the washington post. In some respects the book is an admission of guilt by mcnamara to help clear his conscience, but also to help set the record straight. Jun 25, 2019 yes, robert mcnamara did micromanage the vietnam war. Army officer, gulf war combat veteran and former history teacher at the u. Biography of robert mcnamara, vietnam war architect. Mcnamara, secretary of defense for presidents kennedy and johnson, helped lead america into vietnam. His newest book, forthcoming in january 2014, is left brain, right stuff. Former defense secretary robert mcnamara offers a mea culpa in 1995 for the united states actions in the vietnam war.
The wrong kind of loyalty mcnamaras apology for vietnam. Mcnamara finally saw the light and began to question continuing the war and johnson dropped him from his cabinet and continued to expand the war. Lyndon johnson, robert mcnamara, the joint chiefs of staff, and the lies that led to vietnam is a 1997 book written by h. Mcnamara was wrong, terribly wrong about vietnam the.
At various times in its history, the us military has recruited people who measured below specific mental and medical standards. Mcnamara, and thus inevitably called mcnamaras 100,000, the project was a way to meet the manpower demands of an escalating war. Even more than mcnamara, draper misrepresents how we went to war with north vietnam, by belittling the provocativeness of the 1964 tonkin gulf incidents. I have two memories of my father before he went off to vietnam. Hamilton gregory volunteered for the army, and served three years, including one in the vietnam war in military intelligence. Conclusions that include his belief that the vietnam war was a mistake and that in the case of japan, general curtis lemays comment that they would all be prosecuted as war criminals because of the fire bombing if we. During kennedys administration, mcnamara supported the presidents decision to increase american involvement in vietnam.
Nov 28, 2017 the conditions of mcnamaras departure from the pentagon were murky at the time and that murkiness speaks volumes about mcnamara, johnson and the domestic politics of the vietnam war. Mcnamara believed that the fight against communism in asia was worth the sacrifice of american lives, and yet he eventually came to believe that the war was, in. In 1966, president lyndon johnson and defense secretary robert mcnamara were desperate to find additional troops for the vietnam war, but they feared that they would alienate middleclass voters if they drafted college boys or sent reservists and national guardsmen to vietnam. This book gives mcnamaras, views on war and peace in the nuclear age based on his experience as secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 under presidents kennedy and johnson and his service as a staff officer to general curtis lemay during wwii. He was a war correspondent in vietnam and is the author of without honor. Mcnamaras and the whiz kids focus was on kill ratios which was one american or vietnamese soldier for every 2. High government leaders arent generally known for flaunting their errors. Mcnamara, once a champion of the escalation of the vietnam war, says in a memoir to be published in the coming week that he has now. Military academy has provided a masterful examination of the roots of the vietnam war. This book is broader than just mcnamara s experience in vietnam it details his life experiences that led him to his conclusions. His policies changed the way that the military operated and also shaped the strategy of the vietnam war. Mcnamara believed that the fight against communism in asia was worth the sacrifice of american lives, and yet he eventually came to believe that the war was, in fact, unwinnable. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. The documentary about robert mcnamaras views, expressed in this book.
Robert mcnamara and five lives of a lost war, published by alfred a. Mcnamara was an american business executive and the eighth u. May 02, 2014 mcnamara s plan, supported by requests from top u. Mcnamara illustrating his observations of the nature of modern warfare. Mcnamara is as critical about his own role as anyone elses in conducting a war that he says caused terrible damage to america and ultimately killed 57,000 americans and left.
In fact events in vietnam itself are very peripheral to the story and there is almost no content about the conduct of the war. He is best known for helping lead the united states into the vietnam war. But toward the end of his life, former defense secretary robert mcnamara issued a string of. Department of defense in the 1960s and the chief architect and most vocal defender of the vietnam war. Even during the most difficult days of the vietnam warwhich would. The title derives from the military concept of the fog of war.
The tragedy and lessons of vietnam, published by times books. They correspond to conclusions reached previously in the books on vietnam cited in. Mcnamara, was bringing the successful lessons of the cuban missile cri. Mcmaster, at the time a major in the united states army he subsequently became national security advisor in 2017 after having risen in rank to lieutenant general.