THE 13 DREW PER PA S Images of Inherited War ree American Presidents in Vietnam William R. Hersch Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Air University David S. Fadok, Lieutenant General, Commander and President School of Advanced Air and Space Studies Jeffrey J. Smith, Colonel, PhD, Commandant and Dean AIR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIR AND SPACE STUDIES Images of Inherited War Three American Presidents in Vietnam William R. Hersch Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Drew Paper No. 13 Air University Press Air Force Research Institute Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama Project Editor Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jeanne K. Shamburger Hersch, William R., 1972– Cover Art, Book Design, and Illustrations Images of inherited war : three American presidents in Vietnam Daniel Armstrong / William R. Hersch, Lt. Colonel, USAF. Composition and Prepress Production pages cm. — (Drew paper, ISSN 1941-3785 ; no. 13) Nedra Looney Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-58566-249-4 Print Preparation and Distribution 1. Vietnam War, 1961–1975—Public opinion. 2. Vietnam War, Diane Clark 1961–1975—United States. 3. Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917–1963—Public opinion. 4. Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908–1973—Public opinion. 5. Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913–1994—Public opinion. 6. Political AIR FORCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE culture—United States—History—20th century. 7. Public opinion—United States—History—20th century. I. Title. AIR UNIVERSITY PRESS DS559.62.U6H46 2014 959.704’31–dc23 2014034552 Director and Publisher Allen G. Peck Editor in Chief Oreste M. Johnson Published by Air University Press in February 2014 Managing Editor Demorah Hayes Design and Production Manager Cheryl King Air University Press 155 N. Twining St., Bldg. 693 Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6026 [email protected] http://aupress.au.af.mil/ http://afri.au.af.mil/ Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily repre- sent the official policy or position of the organizations with which they are associated or the views of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air Force Research Institute, Air University, United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. This publication is cleared for public release and unlimited distribution. AFRI This Drew Paper and others in the series are available electronically Air Force Research Institute at the AU Press website: http://aupress.au.af.mil. ii The Drew Papers The Drew Papers are award-winning master’s theses selected for publica- tion by the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS), Maxwell AFB, Alabama. This series of papers commemorates the distinguished career of Col Dennis “Denny” Drew, USAF, retired. In 30 years at Air University, Colonel Drew served on the Air Command and Staff College faculty, directed the Airpower Research Institute, and served as dean, associate dean, and pro- fessor of military strategy at SAASS. Colonel Drew is one of the Air Force’s most extensively published authors and an international speaker in high demand. He has lectured to over 100,000 students at Air University as well as to foreign military audiences. In 1985 he received the Muir S. Fairchild Award for outstanding contributions to Air University. In 2003 Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands made him a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau for his con- tributions to education in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The Drew Papers are dedicated to promoting the understanding of air and space power theory and application. These studies are published by the Air University Press and broadly distributed throughout the US Air Force, the Department of Defense, and other governmental organizations, as well as to leading scholars, selected institutions of higher learning, public-policy insti- tutes, and the media. iii Please send inquiries or comments to Commandant and Dean School of Advanced Air and Space Studies 125 Chennault Circle Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6026 Tel: (334) 953-5155 DSN: 493-5155 [email protected] iv Contents Foreword vii About the Author ix Acknowledgements xi Abstract xiii 1 Introduction 1 2 From Quarks to Cognition: An Overview of Image Theory 9 Quantum Physics and Model-Dependent Realism 10 Schema, Analogies, and Problem Representation 12 Security Schemas of the Vietnam Era 15 Image 20 Conclusion 26 3 Kennedy: “Containment” from Camelot to Cam Ranh Bay 33 Presidential Image 34 Images of Vietnam, Total War, and a New Generation 35 From Inheritance to Legacy: Kennedy’s New Table 48 4 From Texas to Tet: Johnson’s Posse of Lies 69 Johnson Saddled 69 Image of a New Frontiersman 71 A New Seat, a New President, and a New War 79 “Limited War” and the Arc of Perception 97 Johnson Rides Away 109 5 From San Clemente to Saigon: Nixon’s Five O’Clock Shadow 125 A “Winning Image”: Beards, Boy Scouts, and the Ugly King 125 A New Myth for an Old War 131 The Utility of Madness 142 The Hammer of Peace 143 The Hollow Peace 153 On Image, Nixon, and Inheritance 155 v 6 Conclusions 165 Final Thoughts 170 A Note for Future Study 170 Abbreviations 173 Bibliography 175 vi Foreword The American experience in Vietnam casts a shadow that extends well into the present century. In fact, if one were to search for parallel context and present relevance in the history of this country’s wars, Vietnam might offer the most compelling case. Such relevance becomes even more acute if one is interested in how American wars progress from one presidential administra- tion to the next. Inherited war is indeed the fate of three American presidencies in the Viet- nam era, and the psychology of inheritance is the subject of this study. Lt Col William Hersch illuminates the importance of cognition in over a decade of conflict by projecting the personas of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon onto the war they inherited. In a word, Hersch’s analysis boils down to image. Image conditions agenda, and agenda leads to outcome. While image is not every- thing, it is indeed central to the formulation of policy in the transition of embattled administrations. Thus, we should not be surprised to find elements of Camelot in Kennedy’s war or Texas politics in Johnson’s and even a little of Nixon’s five o’clock shadow in the denouement of the conflict. In each case, cognitive forces that derive from baggage inherited from the previous admin- istration, as well as the life experience of the incumbent, dominate structural and social factors in shaping the course of the war. Images of Inherited War: Three American Presidents in Vietnam reflects thorough research, imaginative conceptualization, and an engaging literary style. These qualities garnered for it the 2011 First Command Financial Plan- ning Prize for the best School of Advanced Air and Space Studies thesis in the field of leadership and ethics. Colonel Hersch not only sheds new light on the Vietnam conflict but also sets the stage for some hard thinking about contem- porary American conflicts that became legacy for more than one president. Stephen D. Chiabotti, PhD Vice Commandant School of Advanced Air and Space Studies vii About the Author Lt Col William Hersch is a B-1B instructor weapons system officer and completed this study as part of the graduation requirements for a master’s degree in military philosophy from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. A graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in English literature, Colonel Hersch also holds a master’s in business administration and is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College with a master’s degree in military arts and sciences. Colonel Hersch is an Air University doctoral candidate pursuing a PhD in military strategy. He has accumulated nearly 2,000 flight hours in multiple aircraft and is a decorated veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He and his wife have a three-year-old son. ix Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge several people whose patience, understand- ing, and assistance made this endeavor not only possible but also infinitely less painful. Dr. Stephen Chiabotti’s guidance and patience as my thesis adviser were instrumental. He made sure that the project was “well fed,” and his creative mixture of both “carrots and sticks” kept me moving and on track. I also want to thank Dr. James Forsyth for his help in shepherding my study from inception to completion. Additional thanks are owed to Dr. James Kiras, Dr. Thomas Hughes, and the rest of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies faculty for their empathetic ears and suggestions. Like any writer, I stood on a lot of shoulders. In particular, I leaned on the academic works of Dr. Jeffrey Kimball and Dr. Stephen Randolph for their excellent coverage of Pres. Richard Nixon during the Vietnam era. Dr. Randolph’s early encouragement and advice also pro- vided much-needed momentum. Michael Beschloss’s recently released book on the Johnson tapes was also an excellent source. These authors supply the bedrock for any study of the presidents during the Vietnam era. Most of all, however, I wish to thank my wife. In the end, what lies herein are just words, and during the course of my labor to tease out the right ones, she ran everything else, and it was through her that all of the real work was done. xi Abstract This study examines how cognitive forces shape grand wartime strategy across successive presidential administrations. By analyzing Vietnam through the lens of image and cognitive theory, the author attempts to answer the question, How did presidential image affect agendas and outcomes during the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations? Specifically, the author exam- ines the presidencies of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon through key decision points and policy shifts during the Vietnam War in an effort to unveil the substantial cognitive forces with which presidents must contend, and often counter, when they inherit war.