Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara died suddenly and unexpectedly this morning in his Washington D.C. home, he was 93. (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
McNamara was the "architect" of the Vietnam war. As Defense Sec. he mobilized troops under Kennedy and then ramped up the volume under Johnson.
A lot could be said at this point, references made to why we went there
and the cost of fighting a war that we went into with the intention of never winning. As a member of the armed forces sent there as part of the "see the world" promotional campaign, I saw first hand how this war was mishandled and subsequently given away. Robert McNamara was responsible for the deaths of over 57,000 American lives. It wasn't Nixon's war as many people are wrongly led to believe, it wasn't even Johnson's war. It belonged to Robert McNamara.
Mr. McNamara was one of the "best and the brightest" chosen by JFK to be the Sec of Defense. He has run the Ford Motor Company and the World Bank. He was the best this country had to offer. He failed miserably at his biggest task.
I read that in the final years of his life Johnson basically went nuts and lost reality. He would hold "Cabinet" meetings with his immigrant staff going over details of what chicken was producing the most eggs and what was the status of the "perimeter" of the ranch (fence posts). The war has caused him to "change" his thinking was different, his appearance was different and his outlook was different.
At one point Mr. McNamara was vilified over his remaining years for his actions. I have read that the "demons" spent many years haunting the man as well and if that is true, then he had paid the price and what's left is between him and his God.
We don't wish him any animosity or any further harm. What is done is done. Robert McNamara may you rest in peace.
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