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William Westmoreland
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William Westmoreland
William Childs Westmoreland (26 March 1914 – 18 July 2005) was a United States Army general, most notably the commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968.
He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972.
In Vietnam, Westmoreland adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, to drain them of manpower and supplies. He also made use of the United States' superiority in artillery and air power, employed in tactical confrontations and in relentless strategic bombing of North Vietnam.
As time went on and success was not gained, public support for the war diminished, especially after the Battle of Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive in 1968. When he was reassigned as Army Chief of Staff, American military forces in Vietnam had reached a peak of 535,000 personnel.
Westmoreland's strategy was ultimately politically and militarily unsuccessful.
This was due to growing American casualties and reliance on "the Draft," to increase the number of American troops. This undermined support for the war in the USA, and in addition large casualties among non-combatants weakened South Vietnamese support.
Westmoreland was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on 26 March 1914 to Eugenia Talley Childs and James Ripley Westmoreland. His upper middle class family was involved in the local banking and textile industries. Eugenia's aunt, Bessie Springs Childs, lived with other influential family members in Columbia, South Carolina, owning property that would become the Visanska Starks House. The family operated Springs Industries (now Springs Global) railroads and utilities.
At the age of 15, William became an Eagle Scout in his Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local council's Troop 1, and was recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and Silver Buffalo from the BSA as a young adult. After spending a year at The Citadel in 1932, he was appointed to attend the United States Military Academy on the nomination of Senator James F. Byrnes, a family friend.
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William Westmoreland
William Childs Westmoreland (26 March 1914 – 18 July 2005) was a United States Army general, most notably the commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968.
He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972.
In Vietnam, Westmoreland adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, to drain them of manpower and supplies. He also made use of the United States' superiority in artillery and air power, employed in tactical confrontations and in relentless strategic bombing of North Vietnam.
As time went on and success was not gained, public support for the war diminished, especially after the Battle of Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive in 1968. When he was reassigned as Army Chief of Staff, American military forces in Vietnam had reached a peak of 535,000 personnel.
Westmoreland's strategy was ultimately politically and militarily unsuccessful.
This was due to growing American casualties and reliance on "the Draft," to increase the number of American troops. This undermined support for the war in the USA, and in addition large casualties among non-combatants weakened South Vietnamese support.
Westmoreland was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on 26 March 1914 to Eugenia Talley Childs and James Ripley Westmoreland. His upper middle class family was involved in the local banking and textile industries. Eugenia's aunt, Bessie Springs Childs, lived with other influential family members in Columbia, South Carolina, owning property that would become the Visanska Starks House. The family operated Springs Industries (now Springs Global) railroads and utilities.
At the age of 15, William became an Eagle Scout in his Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local council's Troop 1, and was recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and Silver Buffalo from the BSA as a young adult. After spending a year at The Citadel in 1932, he was appointed to attend the United States Military Academy on the nomination of Senator James F. Byrnes, a family friend.
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