Post by Man in Black on Jul 7, 2009 19:11:20 GMT -5
The Man Who Saved the World?
It's amazing to me the light coverage McNamara's death has gotten compared to other recent departures... he was such a big part of US history.
McNamara is well know for being the architect of the [[Vietnam War]]... not exactly a ringing endorsement; however his efforts in the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] may have saved the entire planet from nuclear annihilation.
However history views Robert Strange McNamara there is no doubt that his life is an intrinsic fiber in the history of this country. Neither blame or pity will ever change the effect his decisions had on millions of lives and it is evident by his actions late in his life that he understood this. After the Vietnam War the former secretary of defense fought to reduce nuclear weapons... and perhaps it is fitting that he left this world as the US and Russia made a pact to significantly cut strategic missile numbers once again.
Below is from the preface of In [[Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam]] by McNamara
"We of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations who participated in the decisions on Vietnam acted according to what we thought were the principles and traditions of this nation. We made our decisions in light of those values. Yet we were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why."
It's amazing to me the light coverage McNamara's death has gotten compared to other recent departures... he was such a big part of US history.
[[Robert S. McNamara]] (June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009)
McNamara is well know for being the architect of the [[Vietnam War]]... not exactly a ringing endorsement; however his efforts in the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] may have saved the entire planet from nuclear annihilation.
However history views Robert Strange McNamara there is no doubt that his life is an intrinsic fiber in the history of this country. Neither blame or pity will ever change the effect his decisions had on millions of lives and it is evident by his actions late in his life that he understood this. After the Vietnam War the former secretary of defense fought to reduce nuclear weapons... and perhaps it is fitting that he left this world as the US and Russia made a pact to significantly cut strategic missile numbers once again.
Below is from the preface of In [[Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam]] by McNamara
"We of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations who participated in the decisions on Vietnam acted according to what we thought were the principles and traditions of this nation. We made our decisions in light of those values. Yet we were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why."
Just take a moment to look at the tension on the faces in these pictures... it's amazing now to think back to the weight inevitably in the minds of these decision makers.
With [[LBJ]]
With [[Dean Rusk]]
With [[JFK]]
[[Time Magazine]] Covers
With [[LBJ]]
With [[Dean Rusk]]
With [[JFK]]
[[Time Magazine]] Covers