General Westmoreland

Vietnam War: Background and overview

The government sought to win at low cost, and policymakers received McNamara's interpretation indicating huge American casualties in prospect, prompting a reassessment of what could be achieved. The Battle of Ia Drang was unusual in that U.S. troops brought a large enemy formation to battle. After talking to junior officers General Westmoreland became skeptical about localized concentrated search and destroy sweeps of short duration, because the communist forces controlled whether there were military engagements, giving an option to simply avoid battle with U.S. forces if the situation warranted it. The alternative of sustained countrywide pacification operations, which would require massive use of U.S. manpower, was never available to Westmoreland, because it was considered politically unacceptable.