Reply #6: Early in his years [View All]

as President, JFK did not consider Vietnam to be as important as Laos. The JCS and the Eisenhower administration had likewise identified Laos as the line in the sand. It is interesting to note that some of the more rightwing military advisers told Kennedy not to get involved in Vietnam; these were, curiously, men who Kennedy did not trust or have much respect for.

One of the myths from the past is that Kennedy "started" US involvement in Vietnam. This is way false. Had FDR lived, we would have had a good relationship with that nation after WW2. Truman made one of his worst mistakes by siding with the French, in their effort to regain control of Vietnam. And the US paid the bill for the French effort, which of course failed. But even as it did, there were more US "advisers" there than the public knew about.

By the fall of 1963, JFK had two potential routes planned, a tactic he often used, which allowed him to constantly adjust to new circumstances. He had issued an order to begin removing US forces by the end of the year, which was part of a plan to remove all US troops after he won re-election. But he also kept open the option of keeping troops there, and possible increasing them if needed on a (relatively) short-term basis.

Among his closest advisers, there is full agreement that JFK had decided to end US involvement in Vietnam during his second term.