Posted on Jul 23, 2017

Johnson urged to declare a state of national emergency - Jul 23, 1965 - HISTORY.com

SP5 Mark Kuzinski

2.33K

35

9

15

0

President Lyndon B. Johnson, in the course of discussions about what to do concerning the deteriorating situation in Vietnam, is told by some that he should give the American public all the facts, ask for an increase in taxes, mobilize the reserves, and declare a state of national emergency in the United States. Johnson rejected this approach, and informed his staff that he wanted any decisions implemented in a “low-key manner” in order to avoid an abrupt challenge to the communists, and to avoid undue concern and excitement in Congress and in domestic public opinion. During these discussions, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara urged the president to “expand promptly and substantially” the U.S. military presence in South Vietnam. Johnson, not wanting to “lose” Vietnam to the communists, ultimately accepted McNamara’s recommendation and authorized a total of 44 U.S. battalions in South Vietnam, which led to a massive escalation of the war.

@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCOL Mikel J. Burroughs Cynthia Croft SSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F. SFC(P) Hercules Lobo MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC William Farrell LTC (Join to see) SSgt Robert Marx PO1 Tony Holland Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey

Johnson urged to declare a state of national emergency - Jul 23, 1965 - HISTORY.com

Posted from history.com

Posted in these groups: Vietnam service ribbon

Vietnam War American history logo

American History F3af5240

Military History Imgres

Office of the President (POTUS)

Posted >1 y ago

Responses: 5

3

0

LTC Stephen F.

Posted >1 y ago

Thanks for reminding us SP5 Mark Kuzinski that by July 23, 1965 that President Lyndon B. Johnson was being advised that he should give the American public all the facts, ask for an increase in taxes, mobilize the reserves, and declare a state of national emergency in South Vietnam.
Few understood that the co-called domino theory was a summary of international communist intentions in southeast Asia and the word for that matter. The USSR and China wanted communism to be spread throughout the world and they understood Karl Marx and class struggle needed to be accomplished by force.
LBJ and JFK before him did not really understand this but future President Ronald Reagan who had been working to defeat communism in California did for so long - certainly did.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown CW5 (Join to see) SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT MSG Andrew White SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SGT John " Mac " McConnell SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Joshua Caldwell LTC Bill Koski LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Wayne Brandon SGT Michael Thorin

(3)

Comment

(0)

LTC Wayne Brandon

>1 y

Agreed, Stephen.
Nixon understood it as well and escalated the war with bombing in the north.
Years later, in an interview with (I believe) David Frost, the president of North Viet Nam admitted that the bombing had taken a terrible toll on his country, to the extent that had the bombing continued another two weeks they would have had to sue for peace.
We owe the final three years of that war and every casualty of it to the leftists in our government, the SDS (the radical students from every university in America) that thought they knew what was best in a very complex geopolitical situation. If you recall, the SDS was led by Tom Hayden who was married to Jane Fonda who every vet knows was a traitor to our nation in the most despicable of ways.
It was a war that could have clearly been won and SVN would be a sovereign nation whose people would be free from the shackles of communism today.
It has been said "Politicians always leave us with another war to fight"

(1)

Reply

(0)