Does anyone else find it strange that former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara's death...?

I read about his death on Yahoo News this morning.*

58,000 troops, an average of 20 a day for 8 years to stop the spread of Communism and the place still fell to the reds when we pulled out. Brilliant. A great example of a war micro-managed by the White House and the Pentagon instead of the generals in country.

I heard about it when it happened. Mind you, I listen to news.

McNamara was a complex man. While he undoubtedly made huge mistakes as Sec Def, it must be remembered that his initial advice to Kennedy in Oct 1963 was very much 'Let's not get involved, we can't win this one...' and Kennedy agreed, ordering a scaled pullout of the 'military advisors' ordered by Ike.

When LBJ became President, he told McNamara pointedly he disagreed with that policy and reversed it. Then came the Gulf of Tonkin and it was on. Mac wanted out, but he accepted the Sec Def role under LBJ for the same reason he accepted it under JFK. His country had asked for his service. He told Kennedy that he didn't want the job, nor did he want the Treasury job, which is the first position JFK offered him.

McNamara is much-maligned. Bear in mind he was also one of the people instrumental in saving the world from a potential nuclear war in 1962.

the U. S. military had a contest to replace the M1 rifle with a sparkling weapon. The M14 replaced into between the probabilities. And a Stoner designed rifle taking pictures a similar 308 around replaced into yet another. The M14 layout, which replaced right into a subtle version of the M1 and M1 Carbine gained and the U. S. military began the swap. Then they needed a smaller "carbine" sort rifle for troops who weren't front line attempt against troops. same theory via fact the M1 Carbine. Stoner took his loser layout and got here up with the M16. It have been given the nod and that they went forward with it. Then McNamara went and made a in basic terms political decision. He caught below powered Jam-o-matic on the front line troops. And it replaced right into a lemon. He additionally caught the U. S. military, USAF, and US MARINES with a similar airplane, the F4. great airplane in maximum respects however the engines smoked. That made it fairly effortless for the enemy to work out the airplane at great distances and sneak up on it. We have been very fortunate that for the time of those days, we had many distinctive styles of planes and did no longer ought to place self belief in the F4 as our basically airplane. (yet as we talk we are doing it back with the F35. optimistically it won't have the same significant layout flaw which will make it a sitting duck for the enemy.) His legacy? thousands if no longer thousands of troops killed via their weapons jamming, many years of attempting to get the piece of crap to artwork right, and the U. S. military and Marines having to combat wars with an underpowered gun. And a airplane that extremely did no longer wholesome any of the service branches, a compromise each and each of ways around. If any stable is to return out of his strikes it may be that we don't layout or purchase militia kit for in basic terms political motives.

It has been all over the news. I read multiple opinion pieces on it yesterday and today.

The biggest pop star of all time had a funeral today. I don't think it's strange for that to overshadow the death of an old man who so many hate.

Influence? My uncle died in Vietnam and my dad was there and wounded twice.

Two things: The modern public really doesn't care about the Vietnam war any more. And we as a society have become more and more concerned with celebrities. So the death of a Vietnam era politician really isn't important next to the funeral of the king of pop to the average citizen. Add to that the fact that MJ was such a larger than life character that stayed in the public eye with his antics and someone that hasn't been in the news for thirty years isn't going to have a chance.

Oh my gosh I know. Did Farrah Faucet or Billy Mays get any recognition for their death either? No...it's all about Michael Jackson just because he brings in RATINGS which makes people money and despite the fact people have died it's still about the money. It always will be.

I saw it in the news yesterday. Most young people have no idea who he was so they would rather see the Michael Jackson news.

It was on the front page of the St. Petersburg Times with a long article.

For us old veterans we know enough about Mr McNamara. He did the Veterans wrong. Sorry he died and one can feel for his family.