Determined to Persist: A New Book and View on the Vietnam War
In his introduction to Determined to Persist: General Earle Wheeler; the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the Military’s Foiled Pursuit of Victory in Vietnam Colonel (Retired) Mark Viney writes that his book is one that General Wheeler never wanted written. The reason, he explains, is that Wheeler, who was the Chairman of the JCS for Presidents Johnson and Nixon at the height of that controversial war, was so disgusted with the war’s outcome that he destroyed the memoirs he had been working on for two years during his retirement and then shortly died from a heart attack afterwards.
Colonel Viney, whose grandfather and father served during and fought in Vietnam, explains why he took on a book whose subject person never wanted it written. First, he points out that many historians of the war have either neglected or misrepresented the role that Wheeler played in the Vietnam War. Much of this neglect and misrepresentation, he argues, is due either to the lack of Wheeler’s detailed personal explanation of the events and the military advice he and the Military Chiefs gave to their civilian leaders; or to a very narrow understanding of Wheeler’s attempts to influence his civilian superiors to pursue a different military strategy to force rather than just persuade North Vietnam to cease its aggression against the South.
Second, Colonel Viney further explains that what gives him the wherewithal to write this book are his access to the here before unavailable Private Papers of General Wheeler, and his very thorough research and more sympathetic understanding of recently available secret documents in the National Archives. Using these he argues that “portrayals of Wheeler and the Chiefs as parochial, unimaginative yes-men, complicit with, and unable to effectively articulate recommendations and consequences to the unreceptive Johnson Administration” are inaccurate. Rather, “his book demonstrates conclusively that Wheeler and the Chiefs were not derelict, passive accomplices to civilian mismanagement of the war in 1964-65. On the contrary, during that period and the subsequent and preponderant five years of Wheeler’s tenure as Chairman, he and the Chiefs ‘determined to persist’ in aggressively and proactively providing consistent, doctrinally grounded strategic recommendations and potential consequences to the Johnson Administration and then to the more receptive but politically constrained Nixon Administration.”
While Colonel Viney’s emphasis on and evidence presented do portray a more positive light on the efforts of General Wheeler and the other Chiefs to change their civilian superiors minds about adopting a more aggressive and militarily sound strategy, he fails to focus on their own failures to do so. For example, at important times in the war- especially during the 1968 TET Offensive, they neglected to clearly explain why their more aggressive military advice would change the course of the war, end it favorably for the U. S. , and yet avoid a confrontation with China and the Soviet Union.
Despite this shortcoming in his book, Colonel Viney’s new view of General Wheeler and the Chiefs role and attempts to persuade their civilian leaders to wage a more effective war is an important contribution to the understanding of the Vietnam War. Thus, Historians, Students, War Veterans, and those who are interested in enlightening themselves on the war need to read Determined to Persist. In doing so, in the opinion of this Vietnam War Veteran and history teacher, you will understand better the difficulties and reasons for the Vietnam War’s outcomes, as well as the interactions between the military and civil leaders and advisors. The book, moreover, is well-written and organized, making for an easy read and understanding.
Determined to Persist: General Earle Wheeler, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Military’s Foiled Pursuit of Victory in Vietnam
Colonel Viney, whose grandfather and father served during and fought in Vietnam, explains why he took on a book whose subject person never wanted it written. First, he points out that many historians of the war have either neglected or misrepresented the role that Wheeler played in the Vietnam War. Much of this neglect and misrepresentation, he argues, is due either to the lack of Wheeler’s detailed personal explanation of the events and the military advice he and the Military Chiefs gave to their civilian leaders; or to a very narrow understanding of Wheeler’s attempts to influence his civilian superiors to pursue a different military strategy to force rather than just persuade North Vietnam to cease its aggression against the South.
Second, Colonel Viney further explains that what gives him the wherewithal to write this book are his access to the here before unavailable Private Papers of General Wheeler, and his very thorough research and more sympathetic understanding of recently available secret documents in the National Archives. Using these he argues that “portrayals of Wheeler and the Chiefs as parochial, unimaginative yes-men, complicit with, and unable to effectively articulate recommendations and consequences to the unreceptive Johnson Administration” are inaccurate. Rather, “his book demonstrates conclusively that Wheeler and the Chiefs were not derelict, passive accomplices to civilian mismanagement of the war in 1964-65. On the contrary, during that period and the subsequent and preponderant five years of Wheeler’s tenure as Chairman, he and the Chiefs ‘determined to persist’ in aggressively and proactively providing consistent, doctrinally grounded strategic recommendations and potential consequences to the Johnson Administration and then to the more receptive but politically constrained Nixon Administration.”
While Colonel Viney’s emphasis on and evidence presented do portray a more positive light on the efforts of General Wheeler and the other Chiefs to change their civilian superiors minds about adopting a more aggressive and militarily sound strategy, he fails to focus on their own failures to do so. For example, at important times in the war- especially during the 1968 TET Offensive, they neglected to clearly explain why their more aggressive military advice would change the course of the war, end it favorably for the U. S. , and yet avoid a confrontation with China and the Soviet Union.
Despite this shortcoming in his book, Colonel Viney’s new view of General Wheeler and the Chiefs role and attempts to persuade their civilian leaders to wage a more effective war is an important contribution to the understanding of the Vietnam War. Thus, Historians, Students, War Veterans, and those who are interested in enlightening themselves on the war need to read Determined to Persist. In doing so, in the opinion of this Vietnam War Veteran and history teacher, you will understand better the difficulties and reasons for the Vietnam War’s outcomes, as well as the interactions between the military and civil leaders and advisors. The book, moreover, is well-written and organized, making for an easy read and understanding.
Determined to Persist: General Earle Wheeler, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Military’s Foiled Pursuit of Victory in Vietnam
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