Posted on Apr 22, 2017
South Vietnamese have increased combat capabilities - Apr 22, 1968 - HISTORY.com
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In a news conference, Defense Secretary Clark Clifford declares that the South Vietnamese have “acquired the capacity to begin to insure their own security [and] they are going to take over more and more of the fighting.”
Clifford, who had succeeded Robert McNamara, had taken office with more than a little skepticism about the way the United States was conducting the war in Vietnam. This skepticism increased after the communists launched their massive offensive during the Tet (Chinese New Year) holiday earlier in 1968. Clifford set up a Vietnam task force to reassess the situation. He learned that U.S. military leaders could offer no plan for victory or assurance of success. Accordingly, he told President Lyndon B. Johnson that victory was probably impossible and recommended that the president initiate a bombing halt of North Vietnam and try to negotiate an end to the war. Clifford’s comments about the combat capabilities of the South Vietnamese were part of his effort to set the stage for U.S. disengagement from the war. Johnson would follow Clifford’s advice on the bombing halt in October 1968 when he called an end to Operation Rolling Thunder, the bombing campaign against North Vietnam that had been ongoing since March 1965. Clifford left office in 1969 with the rest of the Johnson administration. The next president, Richard M. Nixon, instituted a new policy that echoed many of the things that Clifford had recommended. In June 1969, Nixon announced his “Vietnamization” policy, a strategy built around two main objectives: increasing South Vietnamese combat capability and withdrawing U.S. troops.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCOL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. SFC(P) Hercules Lobo MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC William Farrell LTC (Join to see) SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser SSgt Robert Marx SFC (Join to see)
Clifford, who had succeeded Robert McNamara, had taken office with more than a little skepticism about the way the United States was conducting the war in Vietnam. This skepticism increased after the communists launched their massive offensive during the Tet (Chinese New Year) holiday earlier in 1968. Clifford set up a Vietnam task force to reassess the situation. He learned that U.S. military leaders could offer no plan for victory or assurance of success. Accordingly, he told President Lyndon B. Johnson that victory was probably impossible and recommended that the president initiate a bombing halt of North Vietnam and try to negotiate an end to the war. Clifford’s comments about the combat capabilities of the South Vietnamese were part of his effort to set the stage for U.S. disengagement from the war. Johnson would follow Clifford’s advice on the bombing halt in October 1968 when he called an end to Operation Rolling Thunder, the bombing campaign against North Vietnam that had been ongoing since March 1965. Clifford left office in 1969 with the rest of the Johnson administration. The next president, Richard M. Nixon, instituted a new policy that echoed many of the things that Clifford had recommended. In June 1969, Nixon announced his “Vietnamization” policy, a strategy built around two main objectives: increasing South Vietnamese combat capability and withdrawing U.S. troops.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCOL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. SFC(P) Hercules Lobo MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC William Farrell LTC (Join to see) SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser SSgt Robert Marx SFC (Join to see)
South Vietnamese have increased combat capabilities - Apr 22, 1968 - HISTORY.com
Posted from history.com
Vietnam War
Warfare
Military History
American History
Posted >1 y ago
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The ,South Vietnamese military however well trained or mentored by the U.S.was always hobbled by the corrupt regimes in Saigon ,without support from the people, their mission was doomed to failure,unfortunately we had to go down with that"Titanic " of wars with too many brave Americans paying the price for horrible foreign policies.
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Thanks for reminding us SP5 Mark Kuzinski that in 1968 Defense Secretary Clark Clifford declared that the South Vietnamese have “acquired the capacity to begin to insure their own security [and] they are going to take over more and more of the fighting.”
Top down views rarely are accurate as the powers that be tend to screen in and out those who best make the case that is being advanced.
Vietnamization was very appealing to far too many senior official and pundits. The idea that a nation that had been liberated from long-time colonial status in a war would be come self sufficient in less than 15 years was ludicrous on its face.
Too often since WWII, this nation and others have relied primarily on timelines as the primary metric instead of adequately assessing capabilities before moving to turn over a war fight or peaceful transition to government. Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and to a lesser degree the Philippines.
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC Stephen C. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Tom Brown Capt Seid Waddell CW5 Charlie Poulton SFC William Farrell SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SGT Robert George SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio SPC Margaret Higgins
Top down views rarely are accurate as the powers that be tend to screen in and out those who best make the case that is being advanced.
Vietnamization was very appealing to far too many senior official and pundits. The idea that a nation that had been liberated from long-time colonial status in a war would be come self sufficient in less than 15 years was ludicrous on its face.
Too often since WWII, this nation and others have relied primarily on timelines as the primary metric instead of adequately assessing capabilities before moving to turn over a war fight or peaceful transition to government. Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and to a lesser degree the Philippines.
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC Stephen C. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Tom Brown Capt Seid Waddell CW5 Charlie Poulton SFC William Farrell SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SGT Robert George SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio SPC Margaret Higgins
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