Posted on Aug 24, 2016

McNamara concedes that bombing is less than effective - Aug 25, 1967 - HISTORY.com

SP5 Mark Kuzinski

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Defense Secretary McNamara concedes that the U.S. bombing campaign has had little effect on the North’s “war-making capability.” At the same time, McNamara refuses a request from military commanders to bomb all MIG bases in North Vietnam. In Hanoi, North Vietnam’s Administrative Committee orders all workers in light industry and all craftsmen and their families to leave the city; only persons vital to the city’s defense and production were to remain.

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McNamara concedes that bombing is less than effective - Aug 25, 1967 - HISTORY.com

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LTC Stephen F.

Posted >1 y ago

Defense Secretary Robert McNamara was a consummate manager and definitely NOT an advocate of winning wars SP5 Mark Kuzinski. He was trying to manage a war fight and the news cycles and relations with China and Russia.
If he had concurred with the reasonable recommendation to bomb all MIG bases in North Vietnam, that might have pushed the North Vietnamese closer to suing for peace. MIG bases were much easier to attack with great effect than the traffic on the Ho Chi Minh trail. If we had taken out the combat aircraft capability of North Vietnam they would probably have shifted capability to southern China.
That would have helped us in the worldwide propaganda efforts (1) since the North Vietnamese Air force would have abandoned their nation and (2) China would be culpable in the war fight.
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SSgt Robert Marx

>1 y

It is bizarre that the Sec. of Def. would not authorize the bombing of legitimate military targets, specifically the MIG bases, while persisting in bombing the trails in the jungle.

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