who have encouraged and supported me over the long years of research and writing. i would like to acknowledge one in particular, former colonel viet who s come from houston to be with us today. viet and i have been friends since 1961 when as captains we were classmates at the school at fort knox. viet served briefly and honorably during the years of the vietnam war and again putting an assignment as the chief. after the war he and his family came to america where things to be incredibly hard work and find family values they have prospered. viet has also written steel and blogging in excellent book about the vietnam war. ladies and gentlemen, colonel viet. [applause] as you know we re going to talk today about the life and career of general westmoreland. i warn you at the outset this is not a happy story but it is i think an important even the central one. my contention is that unless and until we understand william charles was marland we will never fully understand what hap
next, lewis sorley recounts the story of general westmoreland. mr. sorley speaks at the national archives in washington, d.c. for about an hour. [applause] there are many people here who have encouraged and supported me over long years of research and writing. i would like to acknowledge one in particular, former colonel viet who has come from houston to be with us today. viet and i have been friends since 1961 when as captains we were classmates at the armor school at fort knox. viet served bravely and honorably during the long years of the vietnam war including an assignment as province chief. after the war he and his family came to america where thanks to incredibly hard work and fine family values, they have prospered. viet has also written steel and blood, an excellent book about armor in the vietnam war. ladies and gentlemen, colonel viet. [applause] as you know, we re going to talk today about the life ask career of general westmoreland. i warn you at the outset,
there were others, many others who held a darker view. among the most prominent was gerald johnson, heyman of surpassing decency and good will. i don t happen to be a fan of general westmoreland he said. i don t think i ever was and i certainly didn t become one as a result of the vietnam war or later during his tenure as chief of staff of the army. another service, served closely with westmoreland in vietnam described it as awed by his son magnificence. westmoreland was raised in south carolina near spartanburg where his father was manager of a textile mill. an eagle scout at age 15, president of his high school class, first capt. at west point, westmoreland was encouraged from his earliest days to think of himself as specially gifted and specially privileged. his father wrote to him at west point during his plebe year saying you do not know how happy and proud it makes us all to know that you are making good. even the small boys and the negro s are interested and proud and