McMaster argues the Joint Chiefs had minimal influence on Vietnam strategy decisions.
“This paper will argue that the Joint Chiefs of Staff had little influence over the effort to devise a strategy for American military intervention in Vietnam,”
McMaster studied Vietnam to prepare for leading soldiers in combat.
“I thought that to better prepare myself to lead soldiers in combat it was important to learn from the experiences of others, and the most recent U.S. war seemed as good a starting place as any.”
McMaster says Vietnam War shaped his thinking when he became an Army officer in 1984.
“It would be impossible for an Army lieutenant, obtaining his commission in 1984, not to be concerned with the experience of the Vietnam War,”