Mary McLeod Bethune
American educator and civil rights leader (1875-1955)
William Westmoreland
United States Army general (1914-2005)
William Westmoreland, a renowned U.S. Army general, commanded the forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He adopted a strategy of attrition, relying on the U.S. military’s superiority in artillery and air power, but ultimately faced public and political backlash as the war dragged on and casualties mounted.
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About the William Westmoreland
William Childs Westmorelandwas a United States Army general, most notably the commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972.
Westmoreland adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, attempting to drain them of manpower and supplies. He also made use of the United States’ edge in artillery and air power, both in tactical confrontations and in relentless strategic bombing of North Vietnam. Nevertheless, public support for the war eventually diminished, especially after the Battle of Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive in 1968. By the time he was reassigned as Army Chief of Staff, United States military forces in Vietnam had reached a peak of 535,000 personnel.
Westmoreland’s strategy was ultimately politically and militarily unsuccessful. Growing United States casualties and the draft undermined United States support for the war, while large-scale casualties among non-combatants weakened South Vietnamese support.
Frequently Asked Questions
William Westmoreland was a United States Army general who commanded the U.S. forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968.
William Westmoreland adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, attempting to drain them of manpower and supplies, while also making use of the U.S. military’s edge in artillery and air power.
William Westmoreland served as the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968.
William Westmoreland’s strategy was ultimately politically and militarily unsuccessful, as growing U.S. casualties and the draft undermined U.S. support for the war, while large-scale casualties among non-combatants weakened South Vietnamese support.
After the Vietnam War, William Westmoreland served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972.
By the time William Westmoreland was reassigned as Army Chief of Staff, U.S. military forces in Vietnam had reached a peak of 535,000 personnel.
The Battle of Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive in 1968 diminished public support for the war, especially under William Westmoreland’s command.
27 Quotes by William Westmoreland
- 1.
Militarily, we succeeded in Vietnam. We won every engagement we were involved in out there.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 2.
The last man in the world who should have been criticized was the American soldier. They should have criticized me.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 3.
President Johnson did not want the Vietnam War to broaden. He wanted the North Vietnamese to leave their brothers in the South alone.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 4.
War is fear cloaked in courage.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 5.
I’ve made this statement many times: If I would have to do it over again, I would have made known the forthcoming Tet Offensive.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 6.
It became very clear that Hanoi was in effect strategically running the Viet Cong operation.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 7.
I was participating in my own lynching, but the problem was I didn’t know what I was being lynched for.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 8.
The Vietnam memorial is a masterpiece. The names of the dead are listed there, chronologically. Just the names.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 9.
My wife was my greatest asset. I didn’t marry her until after World War II, but she has complemented me in every job I’ve ever had.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 10.
By the end of the summer of 1973 I thought it was virtually impossible for South Vietnam to survive. How in the heck could they?
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 11.
As the senior commander in Vietnam, I was aware of the potency of public opinion – and I worried about it.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 12.
I don’t take criticism lying down.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 13.
When I took command in Vietnam, I gave great emphasis to food and medical care – and to the mail.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 14.
When the soldiers came home from Vietnam, there were no parades, no celebrations. So they built the Vietnam Memorial for themselves.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 15.
Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 16.
The military don’t start wars. Politicians start wars.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 17.
Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 18.
It’s the first war we’ve ever fought on the television screen and the first war that our country ever fought where the media had full reign.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 19.
Television is an instrument which can paralyze this country.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 20.
We were succeeding. When you looked at specifics, this became a war of attrition. We were winning.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 21.
We moved in to help the Vietnamese defend their country and confront the Viet Cong.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 22.
I do not believe that the men who served in uniform in Vietnam have been given the credit they deserve. It was a difficult war against an unorthodox enemy.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 23.
I haven’t yet figured out how I was made first captain, because I was not an outstanding student. I was an adequate student.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 24.
The military lead turbulent lives, but they are people like everybody else.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 25.
In the end, we lost IndoChina to the communists. But we did not lose Southeast Asia.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 26.
We had the best food any battlefield ever had.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)
- 27.
I don’t think I have been loved by my troops, but I think I have been respected.
William WestmorelandUnited States Army general (1914-2005)