22. Desperation Drove Westmoreland to Contemplate a Crazy Solution
As the Vietnam War dragged on, American fatalities mounted steadily, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year. From 216 American lives lost in 1964, the year when Westmoreland took command, the figure jumped to 1,928 in 1965. The following year, American fatalities mushroomed to 6,350. Then another 11,363 Americans perished in 1967. Perhaps it was not so crazy that in 1968 – a year in which American fatalities reached a peak of almost 17,000 – Westmoreland became desperate enough to contemplate using nuclear weapons.
As America sank ever deeper in the Vietnamese quagmire, Westmoreland did the best he knew with the hand dealt him. He saluted, soldiered on, and sought to put the best spin on things. Framing the conflict as a war of attrition, Westmoreland emphasized heavy communist casualties to support his claim that the US was bound to win. America just had to stay the course, and communist losses would eventually exceed their ability to replace them, forcing them to throw in the towel and negotiate an acceptable peace.