No cite, I’m afraid, but I do remember having two teachers at my schools being drafted, the first in late '69 or early '70, the second the next year. The first left during the school year, the second was able to wait until the school year was over. I have no idea what ever became of either of them. And, for what it’s worth, I went to a suburban school.
Susanann, I’d be interested in reading these transcripts. A cite would be nice.
But until then, please enlighten us. If all of the presidents you listed didn’t want to win the war, what was their real purpose?
By the way, the first American troops arrived in Vietnam in 1955. So Truman, at least, is cleared of whatever conspiracy existed.
I was a teacher in the inner-city during the war in Vietnam. Since I am female, I do not know what the deferment guidelines were, but I don’t recall a deferment for teaching. I may be mistaken.
Could you get a deferment for being married? I’m trying to remember.
One of the reasons that this war is remembered with such pain is that it split the nation for years.
It was certainly an eye-opener for me about how deceptive the government can be.
Truman started the whole mess!
The puposes were many, and in many cases, we can only guess the purposes. It was clear that one of the purposes of Truman, was to put pressure on China on several fronts - paying for the French war in Vietnam(along with the war in Korea and patrolling the straits of Taiwan).
Truman is NOT!!! cleared, he payed for 80% of the French war in Vietnam. Without Truman, there would not have been an american war in vietnam, nor a French war there. Truman started the war in vietnam, reversing the policy of Roosevelt who wanted vietnam to gain independence(vietnam was our/Roosevelts friend in world war 2)
Eisenhower didnt change anything in vietnam, the number of advisors in vietnam was pretty consistent from the beginning to the end of his presidency - Eisenhower did not send fighting troops over there.
Many people think Kennedy was going to leave vietnam after his re-election. Kennedy sent troops there, but saw it was a complete mess. Kennedy had problems looking very bad in foreign policy after Berlin, Cuba, Laos, etc. and did not want another foreign defeat before the 64 elections.
Nixon used vietnam to improve relations with China and Russia, Nixon considered vietnam to be insignificant, he thought is was merely a pawn in the scheme of world affairs. Nixon never had any illusions about winning after he was elected in 1968, and spent his entire presidency getting out of there.
Johnson did not want to leave, because he said on the tapes, that if he left, he would go down in history as the first president to lose a war, and that he would not get re-elected. But yet, he admitted that he could not win.
As far as teachers, college students were told, that if they took jobs teaching in the big city schools, like Detroit or Cleveland, that they would not be drafted, and they werent. I dont know of actual deferments, but most of the local draft boards agreed not to draft inner city teachers.
As far as married people, I think up until about February 1966, “being married” was an automatic deferment.
“There are ways of guiding the press to show light at the end of the tunnel” (Larry Berman, Lyndon Johnson’s War)
The Johnson white house tapes are available here:
http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/lbjforkids/lbjlib_print.htm
Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964,Michael Beschloss.
Many people still do not know that Lyndon Johnson recorded every minute of every one of his private telephone calls while President of the United States. From the moment he took over the oval office in 1963, Johnson ordered state-of-the-art recording equipment installed to save everything for posterity. http://texana.texascooking.com/books/johnsonwhitehousetapes.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684847922/002-2918697-1918462?vi=glance
Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnsons Secret White House Tapes, 1964-1965,Michael Beschloss.
http://www.wbthub.com/Reaching-for-Glory-Lyndon-Johnsons-Secret-White-House-Tapes-19641965-0684804085
The big revelation in this book is the inner conflict that Johnson felt about escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He knew the U.S. couldnt win; but he couldnt find a way to leave Vietnam while our troop levels still were low, without leaving himself exposed on the domestic political right.
Lyndon Johnson:
“Vietnam is a D***** little pissant country. It’s not worth one American boys life”.
“If I pull out of Vietnam, they’ll impeach me, won’t they?”
“I can’t get out. I can’t finish it. What the h*** can I do?”
(telephone conversation between Johnson and Senator Richard Russel, white house tapes, Lyndon Johnson library)
[quote]
America never wanted to win in vietnam
Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon had no intention nor ever any plan to ever win it.
No president wanted to win it
I said the presidents didnt want to win it.
Some military leaders wanted to win it, but some did not
[quote]
Susanann, for the last time, can you provide one fact to back up any of the above? How about a single quote from any American president where he says “Yes, I know we’re going to lose in Vietnam. It’s all part of my master plan. Bwa-ha-ha-ha.”
Otherwise, you appear to be unable to distinguish between the US being unable the win the war and the US intentionally seeking defeat.