Looking back over nearly 50 years, I wondered what is the thing that happened
during that period that you most wish you'd done differently?
It took which of most? And I wish I had heard much of an
eloquent and. I honestly believe.
We did the best we could. We inherited a war in which five hundred
and fifty thousand Americans, no 500000 were in place and 50000 more.
Had already been ordered to go there and were underway
to go there. In America, public opinion had turned
in a difficult way. Against the war and violent
demonstrations. In the street among the international
public. Everybody was against the war.
But they also Have for Americans defending them
so our credibility around the world. Depended as it does today
on our ability to perform. The tasks we have assigned ourselves
have. Comparable problems today.
issues in Taiwan and Ukraine.
So our position was to try to end the war under conditions.
In which we in which the control over their own
destiny. became
more and more into the hands of the South Vietnamese.
We gradually withdrew our troops. Conducted negotiations, but also
conducted enough military operations so that our
adversary now creates a ally.
But then that would fair it did not become convinced that he could take
over. We did not want an Afghan.
What later was an Afghanistan style withdrawal,
which was for twenty five hundred people.
We had five hundred and fifty thousand people plus a million.
armed Vietnamese in place so
At every stage conducted
with the. Absolutely.
What's a better way? At any one point
we didn't think so. I still don't think so.
But I'm open to that argument.
But but what is meant by better? We reduced the American casualties
substantially to that by the last year of the war.
They were in the thousands when the Nixon administration came in.
They were reduced to. Less than 100
in the last year of the war. And we withdrew from ground combat
within two years. At all times.
maintaining a negotiation The irreducible demand we had was.
An autonomous Democratic government.
In South Vietnam. That was not granted until the last
three months of the war, which is why they were the last three months of the
war. At that point we settled.
Then the next question became, could we maintain this settlement?
We believed. That we could maintain the
settlement, as we did in South Korea. Against all but an all out invasion from
the north. At which point the alliance issues would
have arisen. But we believed against foreseeable
infiltrations. We could maintain the autonomy.
Of the of the government. And we could maintain it against even
significant attacks But then Watergate occurred within two
months. Of the settlement
and the Congress reflected public opinion, forbid any kind of military
action in over and near Vietnam. At that point.
We had become.
and destroyed the basis It was painful.
It was the saddest moment of my public life
when I had to sit in the. Security advisers office
And recommend the final withdrawal