In the view of the Joint Chiefs, the United States was piling on forces in Vietnam without understanding the consequences. In the view of McNamara and his civilian team, we were doing the right thing.
but for LBJ's thoughts start with about half way down, with "Normally, time...." (search for that phrase) and just read on. The Joint Chiefs of Staff wanted for the war with Vietnam.
He [General Wheeler] proposed that we isolate the major port of Haiphong through naval mining, blockade the rest of the North Vietnamese coastline, and simultaneously start bombing Hanoi with B-52's.Not quite what we ended up with. McNamara and LBJ wanted something else (a land war in Asia; brilliant!) so LBJ reacted thusly
He screamed obscenities, he cursed them personally, he ridiculed them for coming to his office with their "military advice." Noting that it was he who was carrying the weight of the free world on his shouldersJust keep in mind that "military advice" can save lives.
