"BUFDRVR" wrote in message
...
sharkone wrote:

How many think we won in Viet Nam?Lost?


What was the score in Vietnam? If you can tell me what the final score
was,
then I'll tell you if we won or lost. Don't forget to tell me what
metrics
and
methodology you employed to determine that score. eg. national
objectives,
political objectives, military objectives, etcetera.

Can you reply with this information by tomorrow?

According to people in both the Kennedy and Johnson aministrations, the
reason
we fought in SE Asia (initially espoused by Kennedy in our support for the
Laotian government) was to prevent all of South Asia from coming under
communist rule and seriously threatening our position in the Pacific.

You're recollection on the stated reasons for the U.S. involvement in SEA
are correct but you're pinning it on the wrong administrations.
The "domino theory" that fomented the U.S.'s involvement originated in the
Eisenhower/Nixon administration. In fact, the first public use of the
"dominos falling" terminology to defend involvement in SEA was in a
presidential news conference in April 1954. Troops and the CIA were there in
'53.
Kennedy inherited the failed foreign policy and Johnson ran with it.