How McNamara Lost World War II
Thursday, July 9, 2009
by Greg Palast
It's been a good week. Robert McNamara's dead and my book, Armed Madhouse, was released in translation in Vietnam.
I don't blame McNamara for losing the war in Vietnam. After all, the good guys won. I do, however, blame him for losing World War II.
In 1995, in Chicago, veterans of Silver Post No. 282 celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their victory over Japan, marching around a catering hall wearing their old service caps, pins, ribbons and medals. My father sat at his table, silent. He did not wear his medals.
He had given them to me thirty years earlier. I can figure it exactly: March 8, 1965. That day, like every other, we walked to the newsstand near the dime store to get the LA Times. He was a
Times man. Never read the Examiner.
He looked at the headline: U.S. Marines had landed on the beach at Danang, Vietnam.
Vietnamese gun boats had attacked American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Times said so. President Johnson said so. His Defense Secretary Robert McNamara said so.
But on the Oval Office tapes, Johnson said, "Hell, those damn stupid [US] sailors were just shooting at flying fish." McNamara corrected him later. They were shooting at their own "sonar shadow." But that, of course, wouldn't be mentioned in the Times.
My dad didn't need LBJ's tape to know: they lied.
As a kid, I was fascinated by my dad’s medals. One, embossed with an eagle and soldiers under a palm tree, said “Asiatic Pacific Campaign.” It had three bronze stars and an arrowhead.
My father always found flag-wavers a bit suspect. But he was a patriot, nurturing this deep and intelligent patriotism. To him, America stood for Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Four Freedoms.
My father’s army had liberated Hitler’s concentration camps and later protected Martin Luther King’s marchers on the road to Birmingham. His America put its strong arm around the world’s shoulder as protector. On the back of the medal, it read “Freedom from Want and Fear.”
His victory over Japan was a victory of principles over imperial power, of freedom over tyranny, of right over Japan’s raw military might. A song he taught me from the early days of the war, when Japan had the guns and we had only ideals, went,
We have no bombers to attack with . . . But Eagles, American Eagles, fight for the rights we adore!
“That’s it,” he said that day in 1965, and folded the newspaper.
The politicians had ordered his army, with its fierce postwar industrial killing machines, to set upon Asia’s poor. Too well read in history and too experienced in battle, he knew what was coming. He could see right then what it would take other Americans ten years of that war in Vietnam to see: American bombers dropping napalm on straw huts, burning the same villages Hirohito’s invaders had burned twenty years earlier.
Johnson and McNamara had taken away his victory over Japan.
They stole his victory over tyranny. When we returned home, he dropped his medals into my twelve-year-old hands to play with and to lose among my toys.
A few years ago, my wife Linda and I went to Vietnam to help out rural credit unions lending a few dollars to farmers so they could buy pigs and chickens.
On March 8, 1995, while in Danang, I walked up a long stone stairway from the beach to a shrine where Vietnamese honor their parents and ancestors.
Halfway up, a man about my age had stopped to rest, exhausted from his difficult, hot climb on one leg and crutches. I sat next to him, but he turned his head away, ashamed of his ragged clothes, parts of an old, dirty uniform.
The two of us watched the fishermen at work on the boats below. I put one of my father’s medals down next to him. I don’t know what he thought I was doing. I don’t know myself.
In ’45, on the battleship Missouri, Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender of Imperial Japan. I never thought much of General MacArthur, but he said something that stuck with me. “It is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone benefits the sacred purposes we are about to serve.”
Excerpted from "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" (Penguin 2003).
Get the signed Vietnamese and other foreign editions of Palast's writings at www.GregPalast.com.
Greg Palast's reports can be seen on BBC Television Newsnight.
Palast is a Nation Institute/Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow for investigative reporting.
Print This Post
From Wikipedia, The three bronze stars each represent a campaign. The arrowhead a beach landing. The "Asiatic Pacific Campaign" was given to any soldier who participated in the Pacific Theater.
I just figured others might like to know. From all my reading, almost no one had it easy in the Pacific, medals or no medals.
Yes, America lost WWII, but in different meaning from yours.
Vietnam was a French colony. Japan's war object had always been to liberate Asia from Western colonialism and communism. We took Vietnam from French just as we took Philippines from Americans, and Indonesia from Dutch, Burma from UK, and so on. My great uncle's army was heading to India to liberate her from British colonialism. Mr. Chandra Bose was one of Imperial Japan's allies. From a Japanese viewpoint, the tyranny is the word should be reserved for FDR, since he started the war against Japan long before it fought back at Pearl Harbor. America's Flying Tiger was an act of war, and oil embargo was the last straw to the islands nation. There were lots of provocations against Imperial Japan. Why? FDR desperately needed an event to push America into WWII. It was not until Korean war that MacArthur realized what Imperial Japan was doing. America took over Imperial Japan's a bit dirty war against communism in Asia, which were Korean war and Vietnam war. Unfortunately, Japan had to see China falling into communists' hands. I think Imperial Japan, however, won WWII, because western colonialism was wiped out from Asia and then Africa as a result of the war. Go to Indonesia's Kalibata national heroes cemetery, and find 26 Japanese soldier's names, and think why they were buried over there.
Go to Indonesia's Kalibata national heroes cemetery, and find 26 Japanese soldiers names, and think why they were buried over there. You can also check why Mr. Chandra Bose was one of Imperial Japan's army, which took Vietnam from French just as Philippines from Americans, Indonesia from Dutch, Burma from British colonialism, and so on.
If you want to talk about Pearl Harbor, check Flying Tiger's act of war first.
Hey Greg,
Please tell us some more about the "good guys" like Kaing Guek Eav. Tell all of us how you had no problem with him and the rest of his Khmer Rouge buddies and them killing millions of innocent civilians.
I also spent time with the same junior high school teacher as you did during lunch, and on the weekends. Back then mr. Bruce ( as we knew him) would challenge us, I still remember him asking " where do birds sleep at night" my answer was " the trees".. his reply prove it... I live in a canyon and if I throw rocks in the trees I don't quite know if I will see the birds. "mu" I can clearly see how those moments with an exceptional teacher has molded you to your calling. I'm glad I found one's of Bruce's kids. Regards m.h.
I've read your article three or four times and still have no idea what you're trying to get across with your "lost WWII" title.
What the hell is your point?
It seems perfectly plain to me. WW2 was the 'good war' - a moral victory. If you looked too closely, you'd have seen a few seams in that picture, but by and large, we defeated Fascism and even in our occupation of the former enemies, we did not behave badly.
We held the moral high ground, and it was lost when we, a rich, industrialized nation with sophisticated weapons developed for fighting with other highly developed countries, turned that murderous technology on peasants without planes, or battleships, or tanks, living in grass huts, who dared to dream of shaking off colonialism.
That was when we became the bullies and bad guys, and dishonored our former heroies.
The U.S. didn't behave badly against in occupying Germany? You need to read James Bacques book "Other Losses" as well as "Crimes and Mercies", and do some more research on American and Allied atrocities. Good War my ass.
As for the Japanese apologist who wants to claim the Japanese government and military were "liberators", what a bunch of crap. The slaughter and atrocities committed in China such as the Rape of Nanking, and later in the Philippines, Malaya, Korea, Indo-China and Burma put the lie to the "Asia for the Asians" propaganda. Not mention the barbaric treatment of POW's, the warcrimes of Unit 731, the kidnapping of "comfort women"...It's obvious the Japanese thought some Asians were better then others (themselves, they had contempt for all others). The Flying Tigers fired the first shot of the war? I guess you forgot about the Soviet units and aircrews that were aiding China against Japanese aggression at the same time. The first shot of that war was fired on December 12 (China time) 1937 when Japanese aircraft and troops attacked and sank USS Panay and killed 2 American sailors and an Italian journalist, and attack two British gunboats HMS Bee and HMS Ladysmith.
As for good guys in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and his bunch of cutthroats weren't any better than LBJ and his bunch of cutthroats or Pol Pot and his bunch of cutthroats, but yeah, way to piss on the graves of 58,000 American servicemen and 150,000 wounded and maimed vets there Greg.
"Wherefore by their fuitts, ye shall know them." So often I hear the arguement, "but look how evil [Ho Chi Minh, Saddam, Miloshevich etc.] were. How can you sea we shouldn't have foght against them." But what was the fruit of fighting them. Vietnam - 50,000+ US killed plus many time more Vietnamese killed than Ho's horrible regime would have killed. Kosovo - thousands more Kosovars and innocent Serbs killed than Miloshevich's soldiers could possibly have killed. Iraq, Afganistan... Let's face it we are not the saviors of the world.
Way to go, Greg
Dance on McNamara's grave (even though the man reflected and apologised. See Fog of War) and cite approvingly MacArthur, an insurbodinate mega-lo-maniac (who was hardly friend of the common Asian as Filipinos can tell you).
Idiotic and lamentable.
How exactly is Palast "pissing on" the graves of Americans who died in Vietnam? It was another of the US's nasty little wars of imperialism, an unadulterated war crime from beginning to end. How is pointing that out dishonoring the Americans who fought there?
I love the anonymous Japanese reply... the Flying Tiger... except, ummmmmm... for the US to provoke Japan with Flying Tiger... Japan had to first brutally invade and rape China. If it was ok for Imperial Japan to be so full of itself and its sacred mission of liberation, well, maybe it was ok for FDR to be a little macho about Democracy vs. Monarchy. We benefactors of the rabble that tarred and feathered His Majesty's tax collectors when they didn't give with the free rum shouldn't be shocking any history students when we are not deferential towards monarchy. It's when our leaders bow for and kiss the despots that I am a frustrated jingoist. As for Vietnam... backing the Nationalists against Japan was a righteous thing. It was turning the recently conquered Japanese troops against the Vietnamese that we lost the war, or rather... fulfilled our bargain with the French to get them to quit shooting at us in North Africa. Those wacky collaborators. Wacky secret deals. Who needs soap operas and reality TV when we have Real Politik? Driving through North Carolina today listening to AM radio, I heard Michael Savage refer to Real Politik regarding President Obama. Savage said cops-acted-stupidly-gate is the B Rock's 1st encounter with Real Politik. Wish I'd been around in the 60s when they had the LSD-25 for all the future talk radio people. Where do I get too much money from rambling stream of consciousness geo-political babble?
Hi Greg
I think I know exactly what you meant by your article. McNamara erased the good will and the good name of America by the Vietnam fiasco. But I would say further, that Truman wrecked the good name of America, by dropping h bombs on civilian populations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The nuclear option destroyed American credibility. The only way to restore America is to ban all nuclear armaments throughout the world, and to make it a crime against humanity to build these abominable bombs.
It is amazing how these wars discussed here are all about "destroying" or "keeping" a "good name" in the end. How pathetic we humans can be at most times. "Good name"--if that is all that matters, think of how vast the swath of destruction wars had spanned. Think of lives and histories wiped out forever for nothing but a good name. Think of the fractured lives left to scrounge for survival. Wars are fought for what, really. It makes one think how easily life can be dispensed with and all that we humans find worthy living for. Fortunately, humans being created the way they are have spirits with which to soar beyond the seething ash of annihilation! And in looking up--as their eyes are the highest visible organ--often leap beyond the crashness of their baser instincts. "Keeping a good name"--I can't get over the thought of it.
marco hernandez, The question is one of moral justification. The Gulf was a pretence to begin an anti-communist military campaign with little concern for the victims of those regimes. It was a war no-one won. Incidentally, the Khmer Rouge was in Cambodia, a different country.
Interesting, this exchange of assertions as to whose favorite nation's might makes right! "My country's wielding of the power of death is good, your country's is bad." (A therapist I knew would have dismissed this as, "dick-stuff.")
From the 17th-18th century, has anyone counted the number of men, women, children, sacrificed on the altars of the gods of national interest, whatever those interests are called, whatever flag is waved in the face? (I choose those centuries because that's when the United States of America, beacon of that light to the world most clearly manifested at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was getting its start, at the expense of . . . how many millions of the indigenous population and black Africans?)
Come, now! Is there any victor in war, really, other than death? Isn't death what we really celebrate, when we say "yes!" to war?
Friends, there's no such thing as a "good war," except for Death itself. Better we call a time out, and everyone read or re-read Simone Weil's "The Iliad, a Poem of Force." Then bring back fresh comments next week maybe.
Interesting, this exchange of assertions as to whose favorite nation's might makes right! "My country's wielding of the power of death is good, your country's is bad." (A therapist I knew would have dismissed this as, "dick-stuff.")
From the 17th-18th century, has anyone counted the number of men, women, children, sacrificed on the altars of the gods of national interest, whatever those interests are called, whatever flag is waved in the face? (I choose those centuries because that's when the United States of America, beacon to the world of that light most unequivocally symbolized and manifested at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was getting its start, at the expense of . . . how many millions of the indigenous population and black Africans?)
Come, now! Is there any victor in war, really, other than death? Isn't death what we really celebrate, when we say "yes!" to war? Stoking the flames for the next round of human sacrifice is so much more gratifying than just about anything else one can think of, except perhaps movies about the same.
Friends, there's no such thing as a "good war." What is war good for? For Death itself. But it’s most inimical to any life that can be characterized as “human.”
Better we call a time out, and everyone read or re-read Simone Weil's "The Iliad, a Poem of Force." Then bring back fresh comments next week maybe.
Millions of people killed, the life work of many, many millions smashed to kindling. We've allowed our governments to misuse their power.
People wars are fought for one reason and only one reason [MONEY] period. It is all about control. The rich have a hole that they can never fill ever. That hole in there soul is GREED. Since the dawn of time. Humans have and will fight to control what they do not understand. Fear, hate, envy.
What this really boils down to is this. These people have a huge inferiority complex, are out of touch with reality, and have lived sheltered pampered lives.
I have personally have met people of this unnatural nature. They are so out of touch with the common person. All of us looked upon as sub-humans to be used to fit their needs and their goals. These elitist think there better than the rest of humanity. Like I said it's all about control.
Do not fall in to trap. They use tools like those that Racism/Religion/Politics/Global warming/Recession/Depression/Subliminal Media is used to control what you eat, buy and even how you feel. So you see your so-called thoughts are not really your own. You are just a refection of what the authorities have programmed you to be.
Therefore, you see there really is no black
/white/yellow/red/olive skinned people. We are all people and we all need to wake up before the elitist do it to all of us again. War is not the answer. Respecting and understanding one another is. By doing it this way and being patient to each other, we can all get this behind us. There are those that see it and those that simple follow blindly the beating of the drum.
Lay your own path beat your own drum. Stand tall walk with pride you are a human being. They can only control you if you let them. Think about that for a moment. Give it a couple weeks. People will look at you in a different light and will ask you. There is something different about you. You know what it is you woke up that is all. You will be amazed what you notice now.
Good luck to all of US. Bob Haze
Anonymous-san:
Japan was interested in liberating the rest of Asia, sure, so that they could become the new overlords. Talk to the Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Filipinos, and everyone else that they "liberated" and see how wonderful it was; yeah, you guys did great in Nanking. They did brutal medical experiments equal to the worst done by the Nazis. You guys sanitize your history worse than the US.
marco:
The Khmer Rouge was a direct result of Nixon's bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail, no argument. Uncle Ho was not an angel either, but what does that have to do with our going to Vietnam?
Mark:
Very true. We slaughtered German civilians just as we did the Japanese; the firebombings of Dresden slaughtered many German civilians. I disagree that he pissed on the veterans of Vietnam. The war was not justified and we should never have been there; however, I respect and thank the veterans for doing what they did--it is not the fault of the average soldier, it is the fault of the general officers and civilian commanders.
To all:
Ultimately, no one, and I mean no one has clean hands. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Saddam Hussein was a great, pro-Western leader until the Saud royal family decided that his invasion of Kuwait was too much of a threat to their rule. Hell, Osama bin Laden was our buddy when he was fighting the evil Soviets in Afghanistan.
FDR, Truman, McArthur all have blood on their hands for what they did during WWII. The Japanese behaved horribly toward those they "liberated." The Germans were guilty of allowing Hitler to do what he did (trivia: The German soldiers had belt buckles that read "Gott Mit Us" translated as "God is with us"). Stalin and Pol Pot were megalomaniacs. Mao is not innocent, but Chiang Kai-shek was far from an angel. Uncle Ho Chi Minh is likewise not an angel, but neither were President Diem, the French, or the Americans.
As I said, in this game, there are no innocents (though there are many innocent victims). Everyone has dirty hands; most people just justify what THEIR leaders did as being "good" and "moral" and "just."
For the record, I don't hate the US. I am ashamed of many of our actions, and I have hope that we will do better in the future.