Path to War Page #12

who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation.

Lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Amen.

Go ahead.

Mr. President,

I just talked with Honolulu,

all the primaries were hit,

and no ships were struck.

Now, we did lose two aircraft

due to anti-air.

No Russian ships?

We didn't hit any Russian ships?

No, but as I say, uh,

two pilots are down.

I won't know about civilian

casualties till we have the photos.

Now, if the weather holds

we could send the RFs in

to see just what collateral damage...

All right, Bob. Thank you. Thank you.

Pentagon sources tell CBS news

that General Westmoreland

has been granted even great

authority over the use of B-52s

in Vietcong controlled areas

in the South.

With the recent escalation

of bombing over North Vietnam,

aimed to destroying the heart

of the enemies

urban industrial capacity,

the US clearly wants

to force a change

in Hanoi's will to continue the war.

Last year the rate of Rolling Thunder

missions reached 1,500 per week,

since then the rate of sorties

has doubled.

Mr. President it appears

that the air strikes have

had no effect

on the enemy's war making capability.

The attacks were not successful?

Well, why we did destroy nearly 100%

of their oil storage capacity

in our follow-up attacks

throughout the summer,

a large portion of their stock

was put into barrels and

dispersed in anticipation of

our strikes.

They've retained enough to meet

ongoing requirements.

Their buildup is continuing.

And Westmoreland is requesting

additional men.

How many?

The Program Three forces

will bring us up

to 431,000 by the middle of 67.

What about the bombin ?

We're looking at heavier B-52

strikes in the southern DMZ,

and in North Vietnam--targets

in the restricted zones.

Downtown Hanoi.

Yes, sir. And Haiphong.

And in the buffer zone with China.

The good news, Mr. President,

is that the naysayers were wrong.

Peking and Moscow stood still

and they will very likely stand

still even

with intensified activity.

Are you recommendin some of these

new targets for me today?

Yes, I am. You have the evaluation

sheets before you.

I have some photographs here,

number seventy-two

of the Van Dien truck depot.

That the one with the school

up the street?

As a matter of fact, yes,

the Polish Friendship School

across the highway a half a mile up.

Mr. President, as you may recall,

in order to avoid a tax increase

we did not budget for the war

beyond this fiscal year

which has cost us 20 billion

as apposed

to the 12 billion projected.

We're over by eight billion?

Eight billion?

Mr. President, if you approve

these new forces,

constraints on domestic programs

will no longer be avoidable.

It's all in a memo I sent over

to you today along

with some recommendations.

Joe, I want to start workin

on the State of the Union.

You sit down with Bob

and Walt and Fowler.

Yes, Mr. President.

There's to be no mention

of the Great Society!

What is it you're lookin for!?

Undersecretary of State?

I'll change the title

to the Holy Roman Emperor, right?

No, this is the best way

I can serve your Presidency

and I think Dean Rusk would

feel undercut

if you were to fill George Ball's job

with a personal friend of yours.

I don't give a rat's ass

what Rusk feels,

I need you in that room, Clark.

I need someone like George with

an ability to reason and argue.

A devil's advocate.

George Ball is not playing

devil's advocate.

He believed every word he said.

All right. All right.

Moyers wants the job.

My press man thinks

if I make him number two

at State I'll all of

a sudden give a sh*t

what he thinks about Vietnam.

And McNamara,

McNamara sends me a paper,

says we should cap the troops,

level off the bombin.

You know what happens

if I stop bombin ?

Ho Chi Minh runs five

more divisions up my ass,

that's what happens!

It was McNamara's program,

the whole thing,

now he's talkin up

a sh*t storm to Bobby!

Oh, you don't know that.

I know everything.

I know who's sayin

what at those fancy Georgetown

dinner parties.

I know cause I had Hoover

put a couple of boys there, too.

I know.

What they say doesn't matter.

You're not helpless in this situation.

You're approval ratings are down.

You need to go out there

on the stump and sell the

truth Westmoreland is now

aying that a Communist

military victory is impossible.

You're finally winning in Vietnam.

We're winnin but we're losin .

We're killin em and we're losin .

We're losin because this war

goes on and on and on.

I passed twice the number

of bills FDR

got through in his first hundred days

There's never been an era

in American history like this,

yet there's so much left to do.

But this war has got to end!

Five years pussyfootin about

in that miserable little country.

Two billion dollars a month!

We could be feedin these people,

educatin these people!

Goddamnit why won't that sonovabitch

let me help him? Why!?

Why won't he lay down his arms

and stop killing off his sons

in the flower of their youth?

I do not understand.

I... I just do not understand.

Mr. President...

Moyers, get me Moyers,

and get me General Westmoreland

on the other line.

Can I help you, Mr. President?

Get your bags packed.

Call the press together.

We're goin to Vietnam.

Dean?

Are they ours?

I f***in hope so.

Attention. Arms!

Order, down!

Where you from, Son?

Louisville, Kentucky, sir.

Kentucky?

Yes, sir.

Have you turn majority age yet,

Corporal?

I was twenty-one last month, sir.

My mom and my girl sent me

a big ol chocolate cake

and it came just in time, sir.

Good.

Bill, get em out.

Yes, Mr. President.

Come on, guys.

Well, they've given me the honor,

Corporal McCaffrey,

of pinnin you

with this purple heart here.

There. You'll be home right soon,

and on the first Tuesday of November,

you got a congressional election

I want you to vote.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, you'll be able to

get to your pollin place?

I don't know where it is,

but I'll get a ride, sir.

All right.

Make sure you vote now.

Yes, sir.

We're all behind you, sir.

Every one of us.

We won't let you down.

All right, son. Thank you.

And I won't let you down!

You'll get everything you need.

I thank you, I salute you,

may the good Lord look over you

and keep you safe until you come home

and nail that coonskin to the wall.

Three cheers for the President!

Hip-hip-hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

Hip, hip, hooray!

Certainly the bombing of the North

makes the war more costly

and more difficult

and more painful for North Vietnam.

It is a harsh punishment indeed.

But we are not in Vietnam

to play the part

of an avenging angel pouring death

and destruction.

We are there

to assure the selfdetermination...

Kennedy, McCarthy

they haven't done a thing

for this country!

Not a f***in thing!

And look at all I've done.

It should be clear by now

hat the bombing of the North

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