Reading the American Past: Printed Page 273

Documents from Reading the American Past

Chapter 29

Introduction to the Documents

T he war in Vietnam began almost unnoticed by most Americans, but by the mid-1960s it had become the dominating fact of American political life. American views of the war conflicted profoundly. Presidents justified American involvement in Vietnam in public speeches and private letters. Policymakers tried to devise a military strategy that would also win political support for the war effort. Generals grappled with the complexities of a guerrilla conflict. Officers struggled with maintaining military discipline in an unpopular war. Soldiers encountered the horrifying realities of combat. The following documents illustrate the vantage points of President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, as well as of officers and soldiers in the field and of Americans at home.