My wife was my greatest asset. I didn’t marry her until after World War II, but she has complemented me in every job I’ve ever had. – William Westmoreland
As the senior commander in Vietnam, I was aware of the potency of public opinion – and I worried about it. – William Westmoreland
Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind. – William Westmoreland
We moved in to help the Vietnamese defend their country and confront the Viet Cong. – William Westmoreland
When the soldiers came home from Vietnam, there were no parades, no celebrations. So they built the Vietnam Memorial for themselves. – William Westmoreland
I do not believe that the men who served in uniform in Vietnam have been given the credit they deserve. It was a difficult war against an unorthodox enemy. – William Westmoreland
It’s the first war we’ve ever fought on the television screen and the first war that our country ever fought where the media had full reign. – William Westmoreland
I’ve made this statement many times: If I would have to do it over again, I would have made known the forthcoming Tet Offensive. – William Westmoreland
President Johnson did not want the Vietnam War to broaden. He wanted the North Vietnamese to leave their brothers in the South alone. – William Westmoreland
Militarily, we succeeded in Vietnam. We won every engagement we were involved in out there. – William Westmoreland
By the end of the summer of 1973 I thought it was virtually impossible for South Vietnam to survive. How in the heck could they? – William Westmoreland
It became very clear that Hanoi was in effect strategically running the Viet Cong operation. – William Westmoreland
I don’t think I have been loved by my troops, but I think I have been respected. – William Westmoreland
We were succeeding. When you looked at specifics, this became a war of attrition. We were winning. – William Westmoreland
I haven’t yet figured out how I was made first captain, because I was not an outstanding student. I was an adequate student. – William Westmoreland
The last man in the world who should have been criticized was the American soldier. They should have criticized me. – William Westmoreland
When I took command in Vietnam, I gave great emphasis to food and medical care – and to the mail. – William Westmoreland
I was participating in my own lynching, but the problem was I didn’t know what I was being lynched for. – William Westmoreland
In the end, we lost IndoChina to the communists. But we did not lose Southeast Asia. – William Westmoreland
