Author Topic: Gen. William Westmoreland Dead  (Read 537 times)

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Offline kevin.303

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Gen. William Westmoreland Dead
« on: July 18, 2005, 07:20:27 PM »
AP: Gen. William Westmoreland Dead

Monday, July 18, 2005

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Retired Gen. William Westmoreland (search), who commanded American troops in Vietnam (search) — the nation's longest, most divisive conflict and the only war America lost — died Monday night. He was 91.

Westmoreland died of natural causes at Bishop Gadsden retirement home, where he had lived with his wife for several years, said his son, James Ripley Westmoreland.

The silver-haired, jut-jawed officer, who rose through the ranks quickly in Europe during World War II and later became superintendent of West Point, contended the United States did not lose the conflict in Southeast Asia.

"It's more accurate to say our country did not fulfill its commitment to South Vietnam," he said. "By virtue of Vietnam, the U.S. held the line for 10 years and stopped the dominoes from falling."

He would later say he did not know how history would deal with him.

"Few people have a field command as long as I did," he said. "They put me over there and they forgot about me. But I was there seven days a week, working 14 to 16 hours a day.

"I have no apologies, no regrets. I gave my very best efforts," he added. "I've been hung in effigy. I've been spat upon. You just have to let those things bounce off."

Later, after many of the wounds caused by the divisive conflict began to heal, Westmoreland led thousands of his comrades in the November, 1982, veterans march in Washington to dedicate the Vietnam War Memorial.

He called it "one of the most emotional and proudest experiences of my life."

William Childs Westmoreland was born near Spartanburg, S.C., on March 26, 1914, into a banking and textile family.

His love of uniforms began early.

He was an Eagle Scout (search) and attended The Citadel for a year before transferring to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1936 and, during his senior year, held the highest command position in the cadet corps.

Westmoreland saw action in North Africa, Sicily and Europe during World War II. He attained the rank of colonel by the time he was 30.

As commander of the 34th Field Artillery Battalion fighting German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (search), he earned the loyalty and respect of his troops for joining in the thick of battle rather than remaining behind the lines at a command post.

He was promoted to brigadier general during service in the Korean War and later served in the Pentagon under Army Chief of Staff Maxwell Taylor.

Westmoreland became the superintendent of West Point in 1960 and, by 1964, was a three-star general commanding American troops in Vietnam.

After his tour in Vietnam, Westmoreland was promoted to Army chief of staff. He retired from active duty in 1972 but he continued to lecture and participate in veterans' activities.

A decade after his retirement, Westmoreland fought another battle involving Vietnam.

In 1982, he filed a $120 million lawsuit against CBS over a documentary "The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception," which implied he had deceived President Johnson and the public about enemy troop strength in Vietnam.

At the time, Westmoreland said the question "is not about whether the war in Vietnam was right or wrong, but whether in our land a television network can rob an honorable man of his reputation."

After an 18-week trial in New York, the case was settled shortly before it was to go to the jury.

The settlement was characteristic of the general's ambivalent relationship with the press.

In his autobiography, "A Soldier Reports," Westmoreland wrote that in Vietnam, while he "tried to avoid any vendetta against the press," he sometimes resented the time he had to spend correcting "errors, misinterpretations, judgments and falsehoods" contained in news reports.

But he wrote that the press is "such a bulwark of the American system, that it is well to tolerate some mistakes and derelictions to make every effort to assure that total freedom and independence continue to exist."

In later years, Westmoreland often spoke to Vietnam veterans' groups, accepting invitations to visit veterans' groups in all 50 states, his son "Rip" Westmoreland said.

"That became, in effect, his raison d'etre," the son recalled. "He did have a point of view on Vietnam but he did not speak about that. He was not out there trying to justify anything. He was there looking at the veterans with his wonderful presence.

"He shied away from making money," his son said. "That was primarily a function of him being old school, and he felt it was unsavory cashing in on his contacts. He actually had an agent at one point, and he fired the agent."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,162908,00.html
" oh we didn't sink the bismarck, and we didn't fight at all, we spent our time in Norfolk and we really had a ball. chasing after women while our ship was overhauled, living it up on grapefruit juice and sick bay alcohol"

Offline wolfsong

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General Westmoreland
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2005, 10:10:23 PM »
Whether one agreed with the war in Viet Nam or not, and no matter that politics determined how we executed our military strategies, General Westmoreland should be honored as a true American hero for his dedication to his mission as a soldier, his service to this great nation, and, above all, his loyalty to his men. I did not serve in this conflict; I was too young. And life led me on a path that did not include serving in the military. However, I fully stand behind our men and women in the armed forces because they allow me to do just that: stand BEHIND them. Like another member of this web site says - Freedom ain't free. General Westmoreland and the entire armed forces paid for our freedom by serving as our protectors and for that I am humbly grateful. Please, everyone, thank each and every veteran you meet every time your paths cross. Not just on holidays. I thank you all, and may God bless you. Peace and God bless, Wolfsong.
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND MAY GOD HELP CALIFORNIA

Offline bullet maker

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Gen. William Westmoreland Dead
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2005, 11:43:51 AM »
I served under General Westmoreland, in 1966-67. He was a wonderful General. He was right when he said we never lost a war over there. The congress did that.
   I remeber that several times, he slept in the field with the men in harms way, and not in the special arrangements, behind the lines, in the safe zone.

   God Bless him, He was a man of honor.

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Offline IntrepidWizard

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Gen. William Westmoreland Dead
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2005, 12:10:24 PM »
yes he was a Soldier s General,I have one story I will share about him in Korea,he anounced "I told your Mothers and Fathers that you would have a Hot Thanksgiving Dinner', we were on very short rations -C's- no clean clothes or showers and 17 days of attacks 24/7 and before that night artillary and snipers for days so we heavely waited for Thanksgiving with everybody discussing their prior Thanksgivings over and over .On T Bird day at about 1100 on a freezing day three Bell Helios came with our dinner and it was frozen solid and as per all hot meals in the Army a sqare of Ice Cream was on top,we were eating that meal for days.
Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is
a dangerous servant and a fearful master. -- George Washington