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48
what do you envision as the social wel–
fare problems tben
?"
I asked.
"They will worsen,'' was his grave
answer.
I mentioned tbe world condition as I
have been seeing it on three round-the–
wocld tours. 1 mentioned that we
have
DIFFERENT
conditions on three
Ambassador College campuses. And 1
mentioned tbat all these sickening
conditions - all tbis mountain of evils
that hold humanity in their grip - are
the result of, not only illiteracy and
/ack
of education, but of the
KIND
of
education. I mentioned how Modero
Science stepped forth approximately 170
years ago to save the world, through
increased knowledge and through sci–
ence. But how human woes and evils
have escalated in exact proportion to the
increase in knowledge.
"WHY
?" he asked.
THE
VIETNAM
WAR!
(Contin11ed from page 7)
neutralists, nationalists, Communists,
French and Chinese interests, religious
factions, left-wing students, ambitious
politicians. On November 22, 1963,
President Kennedy was assassinated, 21
days after that of Diem. Lyndon B.
Johnson became President. There were
still fewer than 20,000 U. S. troops
committed to Vietnam.
Step 11:
December, 1963 : President
Johnson sent a New Year's message to
General Minh of South Vietnam, say–
ing, in part: "... again I pledge the
energetic support of my country to your
government and your people." In the
18 months that followed, ten changes
of government took place in Saigon,
each more disorganized than the last.
Yet Secretary McNamara insisted the
"bulJc" of U. S. troops would be pulled
out by the end of 1965.
Step 12:
By July, 1964,
U.
S. "advi–
sory" forces were 23,000. The South
Vietnamese army was melting away. By
that winter it had dwindled to slightly
over 200,000 meo. Many were desert-
The
PLAIN TRUTH
" It's all because of the
MISSJNG
DIMENSION
in education," I answered.
He wanted to know what
tuas
that
"Missing Dimension."
"Do you
real/y
want to know
?"
I
asked.
The Minister, hi s assistant, and our
two American friends all insisted.
"Well," I said, it all goes back to the
incident of the "forbidden fruit." Sure
you want to hear it explained ?"
They insisted.
I explained it. I have explained it in
these pages before. They were left quite
sober - but nobody tried to disagree or
refute what I said.
If
the reader has not
read my previous explanation in these
columns, he will have to procure a pre·
vious issue of this magazine. But I
know from experience most people do
not want to hear the
REAL TRUTH!
Do
you?
O
ing, or going over to the Viet Cong.
August 5th, President J ohnson
requested Congress to enact a joint
reso–
lution "to promote the maintenance of
international peace and security in
Southeast Asia." There was debate. Yet
it became clear that Section 2 of the
joint "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution"
authorized the President to send land
armies into Vietnam, and also to bomb
North Vietnam. By end of 1964 there
were 23,000 U. S. troops in VietnaJU.
By end of 1965, when all U. S. troops
were to have bcen withdrawn, there
were 181,000.
Step 13:
The policy of retaliatory
raids ended. The policy of raids to cut
off Communist help from the north
began - due to a Communist raid on
Pleiku killing 8 Americans and wound–
ing 126. "Escalation" became a new
word in the Vietnam lexicon. More and
more U. S. planes were involved in
raids. By end of 1965, U. S. casualties
were 1,365 killed, compared to 145 for
al11964.
Step 14:
June 29, 1966: The air war
entered a new phase. Hanoi was raided
for the first time. Críes of "escalation,"
and dissent roared out in the U. S. and
around the world. By end of 1966,
fighting had reached major proportions.
The U . S. had nearly 370,000 meo
engaged, the South Vietnamese 617,-
May 197 1
000. Communists 287,000. But U. S.
forces still had not !earned
HOW
to
fight this kind of war. In 1966, 5,008
Americans were killed, 30,093 wounded.
March 15, 1967, Henry Cabot Lodge
resigned and Ellsworth Bunker suc–
cceded as Ambassador to South Vietnam.
Protest was increasing in the U. S. In
1967 there were 9,378 U. S. battle
deaths!
Step 15:
París Talks began in May,
1968. October 31, 1968: President
Johnson ordered a halt to all American
aír, naval and artillery bombardment of
North Vietnam, in the hope that the
Viet Cong would
be
brought into
broadened and intensive peace talks in
París. By 1968, according to Ambassa–
dor Bunker, the United States had
finally become prepared to fight the
KlND
of war they were up against - the
American and South Vietnam forces
were supplied with the right kind of
rifles and other equipment. From this
time our effort became effective. Peak
involvement for U. S. troops was
around 543,000 in early 1969.
Step 16:
By April 3, 1969, death toll
of U. S. soldiers in Vietnam reached
33,641. (8-year toll). This was 12 more
than fell in the Korea war. In June
1969, Presidents Nixon and Thieu con–
ferred at Midway and announced 25,·
000 G.l.'s would be pulled out over a
period of time. In September, the Presi–
dent announced 35,000 more U. S.
troops would be pulled out by year's
end. According to Ambassador Bunker
the South Vietnamese were becoming
stronger, more and more becoming able
to stand on their own feet. By end of
1969 nearly 40,000 Americans had been
killed in nearly 9 years of fighting.
Step 17:
In 1970 carne de-escalation,
and the Cambodian invasion. During
this year, U. S. troops still in Vietnam
dropped below 400,000. Aircraft lost
by early that year, 6,333, valued at
$6-7
billion. New North Vietnam attacks in
Laos overwhelmed Laotian forces in
Plain of Jars. More U. S. troop with–
drawals were announced. Cambodians
called for military aid. On May 1, U. S.
and Soutb Vietnamese forces pushed
into Communist sanctuaries in Cam–
bodia, settiog off widespread protest
and demonstrations across the U. S. The
Kent State disaster was one incident. In