General Discussion

zipplewrath

(16,698 posts)

38. MacNamara

Tue Nov 22, 2022, 09:25 PM

Nov 2022

In the spring of '63, the Pentagon was forever telling the White House how well things were going in Vietnam. As such, MacNamara was forever telling them to plan for a withdrawal in '65. It affected budgets that are planned at DoD a good two years or more in advance. The Pentagon always drug their feet on these plans because they knew that it was wishful thinking that we'd be able to withdraw that early.

What Kennedy knew, didn't know, or intended to do is always going to be nothing more than a guess.

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In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam. [View all] Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 OP

I wasn't around then... The Unmitigated Gall Nov 2022 #1

WHAT THAT Kennedy was a man of peace who wanted no war? reymega life Nov 2022 #2

no need for confrontation SCantiGOP Nov 2022 #4

He likes to yell in all caps Hekate Nov 2022 #31

I wouldn't have said JFK was perfect, OR The Unmitigated Gall Nov 2022 #6

Kennedy ramped up action in Vietnam LeftInTX Nov 2022 #10

LBJ gave the military everything they wanted. roamer65 Nov 2022 #15

Kennedy was more measured. I have no idea what he would have done however. LeftInTX Nov 2022 #20

True, no proof. roamer65 Nov 2022 #21

Kennedy was strongly opposed to wnylib Nov 2022 #50

LBJ did not "get us into that war." At least try to be accurate when you yell at us in all caps Hekate Nov 2022 #30

Here that whistling sound? MarineCombatEngineer Nov 2022 #39

The country hasn't been the same. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #9

And suddenly slightlv Nov 2022 #3

Kennedy sent my dad to Vietnam in 1963. This is the first I have heard. LeftInTX Nov 2022 #11

Nixon sent my Dad mahina Nov 2022 #33

Johnson also sent my dad. My dad was career military LeftInTX Nov 2022 #40

Me, too. I was 6. Thought the world would never be the same. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #14

And yet he was still pushing the domino theory, thucythucy Nov 2022 #5

I know. He sent my dad twice. One time was in spring of 1963 LeftInTX Nov 2022 #8

Fresh in his mind, I'm sure, was how the Republicans exploited thucythucy Nov 2022 #12

He was an anti communist hawk but grantcart Nov 2022 #22

JFK did not green light Diem assassination. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #53

See 35 grantcart Nov 2022 #54

In the same interview, he also said it's Vietnam's fight. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #17

He also said, "These people who say we ought to withdraw from Vietnam thucythucy Nov 2022 #18

Great points and questions. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #24

I honestly have no idea what Kennedy would have done thucythucy Nov 2022 #26

Kennedy sent my dad to Vietnam twice... LeftInTX Nov 2022 #7

I thank your father for his service to our country. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #16

I don't want to rant about conspiracy theories Crazyleftie Nov 2022 #13

Many do NAZI anything wrong with them. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #19

Have you ever thought the assassination was actually the coup by PatrickforB Nov 2022 #23

MIC is where Wall Street meets The Pentagon. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #28

My father said H2O Man Nov 2022 #46

An Interegnum of Peace Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #48

I saw that one H2O Man Nov 2022 #49

Also. the President Dyedinthewoolliberal Nov 2022 #25

JFK battled Wall Street and Big Business Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #47

My father was a linguistic expert gopiscrap Nov 2022 #27

Sorry to hear, must have been devastating to your family. grantcart Nov 2022 #29

it was, my mom and I were immigrants gopiscrap Nov 2022 #36

What a bummer. I'm so sorry LeftInTX Nov 2022 #41

Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #51

thank you gopiscrap Nov 2022 #56

I remember hearing about this from a Mae Brussels radio rant back in the 70's Fiendish Thingy Nov 2022 #32

Mae Brussell was fearless and wise. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #52

So why did he drastically increase troops to Vietnam before then? Genki Hikari Nov 2022 #34

Plus, He Was RobinA Nov 2022 #55

Those are facts, measures of present and past policies. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #58

Not an expert in Vietnamese history but to deduce that a document proposing withdrawal didn't have grantcart Nov 2022 #35

A "more Jesuit approach" Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #71

Diem was a manipulator of the CIA much as the contemporary Saudi and Pakistani Ford_Prefect Nov 2022 #37

Angus Mackenzie wrote in "SECRETS: The CIA's War at Home"... Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #59

MacNamara zipplewrath Nov 2022 #38

"What Kennedy knew, didn't know, or intended to do is always going to be nothing more than a guess." ShazzieB Nov 2022 #43

Alternative history. NNadir Nov 2022 #42

Here are relevant records, including NSAM 263 and NSAM 273 Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #61

Kennedy was an unapologetic cold warrior who campaigned in 1960 on a non-existent "missile gap." NNadir Nov 2022 #62

Thanks for your post. David__77 Nov 2022 #63

Sorry to read you think that way. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #64

President Eisenhower could have agreed to the 1954 Geneva Accord Dysfunctional Nov 2022 #44

Tragic how nations can ignore the United Nations when necessary. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #66

Interesting thread burrowowl Nov 2022 #45

Thanks, burrowowl. Colonialism was root of problem and un-American. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #67

So much died 59 years ago Martin Eden Nov 2022 #57

Thus, the many who work to destroy JFK's legacy. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #68

The information in the OP does not match the headline. former9thward Nov 2022 #60

Sorry to confuse you. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #70

every so often folks need to white wash jfk to improve his hero image. dembotoz Nov 2022 #65

No, not really. Kid Berwyn Nov 2022 #69