Divided States of America
According to CBS’s The Uncounted Enemy: The Vietnam Deception, General Westmoreland knew and deliberately lied to the American people, other U.S. agencies and even to president Lynden Johnson himself. Most of the American people thought we were fighting an enemy low in numbers but according to CIA and Westmoreland’s staff – the reality was much different; the U.S. was never going to succeed in Vietnam with the amount of soldiers and supplies they were given. Nonetheless, Westmoreland thought it was in his best interest to keep quiet and continue the war halfway around the world.
This Mike Wallace documentary was absolutely monumental and intriguing in regards to how these different government agencies work and the division that is now apparent between them. The General’s decision cost thousands upon thousands of American and Vietnamese lives – why? because his ego was too big to admit that this was not meant to be won? Or is it because he really thought that there was just a portion of the enemy forces? What ever that answer may be, there is no doubt of the internal conflict of not only the military but also the government in releasing the facts to the American population. Whether the figure was under 5,000 Vietcong or over 300,000 – millions of lives were altered by the deception of the Government.
This 1982 60 minute special gave me a new perspective on the inner workings of the U.S. Government. I never knew of the disconnection that Government agencies like the military, CIA, FBI and the president’s cabinet and how any misinformation between each other could cost us civilians so much more than just money. Not only that but the disconnection between the inner workings of each branch is unbelievable – just like General Westmoreland, the top guy in charge and has the right to make any call, whether it is right morally or not. It is too much power to give to one person; the negligence and ego of Westmoreland cost American citizens hundreds of millions of dollars and countless numbers of lives.
What ever you may believe to be the truth, whether it was the CIA report or the official word Westmoreland gave the press; The General stuck with his decision even after evidence deemed to destroy his legacy – which is one of the reasons he decided to sue CBS, journalist Mike Wallace and former CIA agent Sam Adams for $120 million. Former Vietnam General thought that CBS tainted his legacy and sued the giant media company for defamation of character and took them to court for it in 1984.
The General stated that CBS unreliably slanted their interviews to match their own views and give the viewers of the 90-minute special the incorrect idea on the situation. The former high-ranking military officer also thought that CBS unfairly edited the interviews and took certain responses out of context. CBS in the other hand had to defend that their documentary was true and there was no unfair shifting of the interviews. The ultimate question in the trial became if General Westmoreland truly knew and misinformed the total numbers of Vietcong in Vietnam.
As the trial continued, CBS called on the men they interviewed in the documentary to testify at trial. One key figure was Major General Joseph McChristian, Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence under Westmoreland; he testified the same thing that he said in the documentary – the number of enemy forces were larger than the public and president were informed. McChristian told the jury that Westmoreland told him that letting everyone know of the real number of enemies would “create a political bombshell” and “embarrass the president of the United States.” He also added that “In being loyal to the President, (Westmoreland) was disloyal to his country.” This testimony set pace for what was to come and gave CBS a clear advantage going further in court.
In the early parts of 1985, both CBS and General Westmoreland decided to settle out of court part in due to McChristian’s testimony and a precedent trail called NY Times VS Sullivan. That trial basically stated that a public figure has much higher standards when seeking damages from media misconduct – they must prove actual misdoings and negligence to ever have a chance of winning.
In conclusion, Westmoreland will forever be looked at more like a liar than a hero. He understood that his chances for beating CBS were slim to none and decided that it would probably be less harmful to his image and future if he settled before a verdict. His actions and abuse of power should also be a precedent for the structure of the U.S. Government – too much power in the wrong hands can cost us millions of dollars, nonrefundable time and alter or end the lives of many. The feelings of the president of the United States should not be more important than the lives of thousands of veterans and the ego of one general should not be more important than the reasonable action to take. Hopefully the divisions between the Government agencies is not what it used to because if it is; we are doomed to repeat history.
