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Westmoreland was Artillery
Wild Turkey
Member Posts: 2,427 ✭✭✭✭
I never realized that until I watched a recent show on the Military Channel.
That explains the "Find, Fix, Finish" tactics I was taught.
Here's a list of "ten reasons Westmoreland lost the war"
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/10/11/todays_list_the_top_ten_reasons_gen_westmoreland_lost_the_war_in_vietnam
That explains the "Find, Fix, Finish" tactics I was taught.
Here's a list of "ten reasons Westmoreland lost the war"
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/10/11/todays_list_the_top_ten_reasons_gen_westmoreland_lost_the_war_in_vietnam
Comments
There were two strategies at play in VN- Westies, which was supported by the Texan with the Big Iron on his hip, designed to kill as many VC/NVA as possible through Search & Destroy, and the strategy put forth by the Marines of defending the major population areas with little regard for such things as body count. Had the Marine strategy been utilized it would have been a much more popular war because we would have always been shown as the GOOD guys. It would have maintained the status quo, but given the political situation in Saigon and indifference in the countryside it was just a matter of time until a charismatic leader, regardless of political affiliation would have taken charge.
The big chance for the US to settle the situation without further bloodshed was missed by LBJ during his visit with Ho Chi Minh when LBJ viewed Ho as having Western political values and failed to observe what was important to Ho.