We have dropped 12 tons of bombs for every square mile in North and South Vietnam. It is because we have misconceived the nature of the war: It is because we have sought to resolve by military might a conflict whose issue depends upon the will and conviction of the South Vietnamese people. Nixon would have been thinking De Ja Vu, another Kennedy. It is like sending a lion to halt an epidemic of jungle rot.This misconception rests on a second illusion—the illusion that we can win a war which the South Vietnamese cannot win for themselves. First, that a total military victory is not within sight or around the corner; that, in fact, it is probably beyond our grasp; and that the effort to win such a victory will only result in the further slaughter of thousands of innocent and helpless people—a slaughter which will forever rest on our national conscience.Second, that the pursuit of such a victory is not necessary to our national interest, and is even damaging that interest.Third, that the progress we have claimed toward increasing our control over the country and the security of the population is largely illusory.Fourth, that the central battle in this war cannot be measured by body counts or bomb damage, but by the extent to which the people of South Vietnam act on a sense of common purpose and hope with those that govern them.Fifth, that the current regime in Saigon is unwilling or incapable of being an effective ally in the war against the Communists.Sixth, that a political compromise is not just the best path to peace, but the only path, and we must show as much willingness to risk some of our prestige for peace as to risk the lives of young men in war.Seventh, that the escalation policy in Vietnam, far from strengthening and consolidating international resistance to aggression, is injuring our country through the world, reducing the faith of other peoples in our wisdom and purpose and weakening the world’s resolve to stand together for freedom and peace.Eighth, that the best way to save our most precious stake in Vietnam—the lives of our soldiers—is to stop the enlargement of the war, and that the best way to end casualties is to end the war.Ninth, that our nation must be told the truth about this war, in all its terrible reality, both because it is right—and because only in this way can any Administration rally the public confidence and unity for the shadowed days which lie ahead.No war has ever demanded more bravery from our people and our Government—not just bravery under fire or the bravery to make sacrifices, but the bravery to discard the comfort of illusion, to do away with false hopes and alluring promises…”.This Vietnam War website is created and maintained by Alpha History. The more riots that come out of our college campuses the better the world for tomorrow.This was also well received. But a short time ago we were serene in our reports and predictions of progress.The Viet Cong will probably withdraw from the cities, as they were forced to withdraw from the American Embassy. Featuring the speeches of Robert F. Kennedy 1968 was one of the most turbulent years in American history. For more information, visit Alpha History or our Terms of Use.Vietnam War memory quiz – events 1946-1964,Vietnam War memory quiz – events 1965-1975,Vietnam War memory quiz – terms and concepts (I),Vietnam War memory quiz – terms and concepts (II). For the people of Vietnam, the last three years have meant little but horror. Hundreds of students surrounded Kennedy as he attempted to leave, scratching his hands and pulling off his cuff links. It is to seek out the austere and painful reality of Vietnam, freed from wishful thinking, false hopes and sentimental dreams. Now we have seen that none of the population is secure and no area is under sure control.Four years ago when we only had about 30,000 troops in Vietnam, the Viet Cong were unable to mount the assaults on cities they have now conducted against our enormous forces. In February 1968, US senator and presidential candidate.“Our enemy, savagely striking at will across all of South Vietnam, has finally shattered the mask of official illusion with which we have concealed our true circumstances, even from ourselves. Now there are no protected enclaves.This has not happened because our men are not brave or effective, because they are. But they will, nevertheless, have demonstrated that no part or person of South Vietnam is secure from their attacks: neither district capitals nor American bases, neither the peasant in his rice paddy nor the commanding general of our own great forces.No one can predict the exact shape or outcome of the battles now in progress, in Saigon or at Khe Sanh. With his emotion increasing, Kennedy admitted his role in the escalation of the war:...I am willing to bear my share of the responsibility, before history and my fellow citizens.