Setting facts straight on presidents and the Vietnam War

Re: Sept. 18 letter from James Godhard, “Remedial history for Republicans: Truman, Kennedy, Clinton did what?”

I am writing to address some comments in the letter to the editor by James Godhard regarding the Vietnam war.

Dwight Eisenhower first sent military advisers to Vietnam. This is true as there were 900 U.S. military in Vietnam in 1960, Eisenhower’s last year in office.

Comment: There was no Vietnam war during the Kennedy Administration. Not so, By 1963, the number of U.S. military in Vietnam was 16,300, a multiple of 18 times from 1960. Interesting way not to have a war.

Comment: Recent documents from that period suggest that Kennedy had signed off on legislation to withdraw American “advisers” from that country in October of 1963. But several weeks later, in early November of 1963 while Kennedy was still in office, the President of Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, was assassinated in a CIA-backed coup. I assume Kennedy did not take the suggestion.

Comment: President Lyndon Johnson did begin the war. From 1963 to 1968, Johnson’s last year in office, the number of U.S. military in Vietnam increased from 16,300 to 536,100. Quite a beginning. I can confirm this buildup as I was a member of the 25th Infantry Division in 1966 when the entire division of 25,000 men was deployed to Vietnam.

Comment: There was a second president who had a role in the war. True, as in 1969, President Nixon’s first year in office, the number of U.S. military in Vietnam was decreased to 475,200. Within four years, all U.S. military had been withdrawn from Vietnam.

Facts are facts.

The writer lives in North Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Setting facts straight on presidents and the Vietnam War."