March 29, 1973, President Nixon: “No American Military Forces are in Vietnam”

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Focus On: Commander in Chief, Vietnam War

 

March 29, 1973, President Nixon: “No American Military Forces are in Vietnam”

 

By: Callie OettingerDate:March29 , 2012

 

Transcript for President Nixon’s address:

 

Good evening:

Four years and two months ago, when I first came into this office as President, by far the most difficult problem confronting the Nation was the seemingly endless war in Vietnam. Five hundred and fifty thousand Americans were in Vietnam. As many as 300 a week were being killed in action. Hundreds were held as prisoners of war in North Vietnam. No progress was being made at the peace negotiations.

 

I immediately initiated a program to end the war and win an honorable peace.

Eleven times over the past 4 years I have reported to the Nation from this room on http://www.commandposts.com/2012/03/march-29-1973-nixon-no-american-military-forces-are-in-vietnam/

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Focus On: Vietnam War A. Peter Dewey: The United States’ First Casualty in Vietnam By: Callie Oettinger | September26, 2012

Tags: A. Peter Dewey, OSS, Vietnam

September 26, 1945, LTC A. Peter Dewey was killed in Vietnam, becoming the first casualty in what would become the Vietnam War.

 

From Mark Thompson's Time article "War Through 'Enemy' Eyes":

 

America’s first casualty in Vietnam was a mistake. He was an Army officer by the name of A. Peter Dewey. A member of the Office of Strategic Services — the forerunner of today’s CIA — Dewey arrived in Vietnam two days after Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. His assignment was to help search for MIAs and to assist the English general who had just arrived in Saigon in maintaining order in the southern half of Vietnam. As he observed the English general treat the Vietnamese as a conquered people rather than an ally who had helped defeat the Japanese, Dewey voiced his displeasure to Washington. He quickly fell out of favor with the English general, who managed to get Dewey recalled to Washington.

 

Just before Dewey left for Saigon airport to head home, he filed his last report on Vietnam. In a hauntingly ominous observation, he wrote: “Cochinchina (South Vietnam) is burning; the French and British are finished here, and we ought to clear out of Southeast Asia.”

http://www.commandposts.com/2012/09/a-peter-dewey-the-united-states-first-casualty-in-vietnam/