The United States Air Force provided tremendous and diverse contributions in Vietnam, beginning as advisors in the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group in the 1950s and ending with large bombing operations in the early 1970s. Initially, the USAF helped train and equip the growing South Vietnamese Air Force, while also building up radar, reconnaissance, air control, and counterinsurgency capacities. After the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, a major military buildup began and many new types of aircraft arrived in country. During the second half of the 1960s, the USAF gained more flexibility and took on a more active role in the War.
The planning and conduct of the war featured many civilian, political and military personalities. Here is a collection of short video’s located through normal world wide web search operations. Most were recorded in 1966, but others are a year or two either side of 1966, depending on the tenure in office of the speakers. Hopefully, this small collection provides a somewhat eclectic range of perspectives about the war. Click on the individual photo to view the video. Once the video is completed, Click the browser return arrow to come back to this page, or Click the X exit box on your system video viewing program.
John F. Kennedy - U.S. President, 1961-1963
Lyndon B. Johnson - U.S. President, 1963-1968
Robert S. McNamara - Secretary of Defense, 1961-1968
William C. Westmoreland - Commander, U.S. Forces in Vietnam, 1964-1968
W. Stuart Symington - Secretary of the Air Force, 1947-1950 * Senator (D) Missouri, 1953-1976
Souvanna Phouma - Prime Minister of Laos, 1962-1965
Curtis E. LeMay - Air Force Chief of Staff, 1961-1965
U Thant - Secretary General of The United Nations, 1961-1971
Harold Holt - Prime Minister of Australia, 1966-1067
Bob Hope - Entertainer, Vietnam USO Shows, 1964-1972
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