Colonel is a special assistance to the North University provost. He integrates University Departments to expand expeditionary opportunities to students so that you may learn what is like to travel abroad into lead abroad. He has done a minus other things here at Norwich University and part of that is to do with him being rotc but also his hopes and helping each one of you to be better leaders and leaving here to be the moderator of this panel. His bio is extensive i could spend time reading but i will keep it short. As i mentioned he is retired, United States air force and air force academy and the university of north carolina. His military career include three commands and for those of you who will be aviators, 6000 flying hours in combat missions in for complex. Lets welcome the kernel. [applause] thank you, travis. Thank you for attending Norwich University writers symposium, panel of warfare in the 21st century. Future battlegrounds. My name is andy heard, you and i, we are privile
Andy hurd, United States air force retired. Colonel hurd is a special assistant. He integrates University Departments to expand opportunities to students so that you may learn what its like to travel abroad and lead abroad. He has done tremendous other things here and part of that has to do with him being stationed here for rotc, but also for his hopes and helping each one of you become better leaders. His file is extensive. I could spend a lot of time reading about some of the incredible things he has done, but i will keep it short. You tired really hundred United States air force. Military career include tree commands and for those of you that will be a v8 or thousand flying hours and combat missions and for conflicts. Lets welcome colonel hurd. [applause] thank you, travis. Thank you for attending the military writers symposium. Panel of warfare in the 21st century. Future battlegrounds. My name, andy hurd. You and i are very, very privileged today that the university and peace and
Evening, its very encouraging and exciting for us here at the museum to have folks come in for our events. We really appreciate it. And i know that the staff of the raven bookstore appreciates it as well. So now ill introduce tonights guest speaker. James e. Sherow is a professor in the department of history at kansas state university. He specializes in researching and teaching environmental history, kansas history, and the history of the american west. Professor sherow has written six books and numerous articles, including Railroad Empire across the heartland, rephotographing Alexander Gardners westward journey, which is a familiar resource for the staff and volunteers at the watkins. I know we have that book on our shelves and weve used it. And the grasslands of the United States. Tonight, professor sherow will discuss his latest work, and copies will be available for purchase and signing thanks to our partners at the raven bookstore right here in lawrence, kansas. So without further
Months and years that followed the u. S. Media documented frequent stories of desertion, drug use combat refusal. Racial conflict. Challenges to let a legitimate authority. And scandals and atrocities. Internal military documents tell the same story. In the thinking about what happens, we suggested that things are different before 1968. As we Start Talking about post that. Im giving you a clear picture. The most common claim that originated in the military is that in vietnam that the United States had the best trained, best equipped, best disciplined force in their history. There was a lot of high morale. You had a general westmoreland who said that their performance exceeded my expectations. And journalists in 1966 saying that morale is remarkably high. And a former combat historian who insists that if morale was bad we would know about it. More than anything else i wanted to point to the briefing that was given to the secretary in saigon in 1967. Where they said that morale was excep
That followed the 1968 tet offensive, the u. S. Media documented a growing crisis. Frequent stories of desertion, of drug use, combat, challenges to legitimate authority, along with reports of scandals and atrocities, most infamous of which was the massacre. And internal military documents tell much the same story. So in thinking about what happened after the tet offensive, we suggested that things were different in the period before 1968. So as we Start Talking about posttet, id start by giving you a quick picture of pretet. And the most common claim thats not going to work. The most common claim that originated in the military and circulated through the press is that in vietnam, the United States fielded the best trained, best equipped, best disciplined force in its history. A force with very high morale. Heres general westmoreland speaking in may 1966. Their performance is exceeding my expectations. I have also the journalist peter arnett in 1966 saying, morale is remarkably high. A