1971 - Vietnam War, President Nixon: Troop Withdrawal Speech, 07Apr71 Pt. 1 of 2
MCU & CUs. “Good evening my fellow Americans. Over the past several weeks you have heard a number of reports...on the situation in Southeast Asia. I think the time has come for me as President & as Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces to put these reports in perspective...to let you judge for yourselves as to the success or failure of our policy.” “...I have decided to increase the rate of American troop withdrawals for the period from May 1 to December 1.”
03:09:04 “When I left Washington in January of 1961...there were not American combat forces in Vietnam....when I returned to Washington as President 8 years later, there were 540,000 American troops in Vietnam. Thirty-one thousand had died there. Three hundred Americans were being lost every week & there was no comprehensive plan to end the United States involvement in the war...”
03:12:36 Did the Laotian operation contribute to the goals we sought? I have just completed my assessment of that operation & here are my conclusions.” “...third, and most important, the disruption of enemy supply lines, the consumption of ammunition & arms in the battle has been even more damaging...”
03:13:32 “Consequently, tonight I can report that Vietnamization has succeeded....I am announcing an increase in the rate of American withdrawals...” (charts shown)
03:14:25 “Now, let’s look at the future: As you can see from the progress we have made to date & by this announcement tonight, the American involvement in Vietnam is coming to an end...”
03:15:55 “Let me turn now to a proposal which at first glance has a great deal of popular appeal. If our goal is a total withdrawal of all our forces, why don’t I announce a date now for ending our involvement? Well the difficulty in making such an announcement to the American people is that I would also be making that announcement to the enemy. And it would serve the enemy’s purpose & not our own...”
03:17:00 “The issue very simply is this: Shall we leave Vietnam in a way that, by our own actions,consciously turns the country over to the Communists? Or shall we leave in a way that gives the South Vietnamese a reasonable chance to survive as a free people? My plan will end American involvement...
03:17:44 “I believe, as Thomas Jefferson did, that Americans will always choose hope over despair. We have it in our power to leave Vietnam in a way that offers a brave people a realistic hope of Freedom. We have it in our power to prove to our friends in the world that America’s sense of responsibility remains the world’s greatest single hope of Peace. And above all we have it in our power to close a difficult chapter in American history, not meanly but nobly, so that each one of us can come out of this searing experience w/ a measure of pride in our Nation, confidence in our own character, and hope for the future of the spirit of America.” Continued...
Presidential Speeches; Vietnam War; False Ending; 1970s;
NOTE: Speech at time is delivered as if on tranquilizers.
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1971 - Vietnam War, President Nixon: Troop Withdrawal Speech, 07Apr71 Pt. 1 of 2 MCU & CUs. “Good evening my fellow Americans. Over the past several weeks you have heard a number of reports...on the situation in Southeast Asia. I think the time has come for me as President & as Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces to put these reports in perspective...to let you judge for yourselves as to the success or failure of our policy.” “...I have decided to increase the rate of American troop withdrawals for the period from May 1 to December 1.” 03:09:04 “When I left Washington in January of 1961...there were not American combat forces in Vietnam....when I returned to Washington as President 8 years later, there were 540,000 American troops in Vietnam. Thirty-one thousand had died there. Three hundred Americans were being lost every week & there was no comprehensive plan to end the United States involvement in the war...” 03:12:36 Did the Laotian operation contribute to the goals we sought? I have just completed my assessment of that operation & here are my conclusions.” “...third, and most important, the disruption of enemy supply lines, the consumption of ammunition & arms in the battle has been even more damaging...” 03:13:32 “Consequently, tonight I can report that Vietnamization has succeeded....I am announcing an increase in the rate of American withdrawals...” (charts shown) 03:14:25 “Now, let’s look at the future: As you can see from the progress we have made to date & by this announcement tonight, the American involvement in Vietnam is coming to an end...” 03:15:55 “Let me turn now to a proposal which at first glance has a great deal of popular appeal. If our goal is a total withdrawal of all our forces, why don’t I announce a date now for ending our involvement? Well the difficulty in making such an announcement to the American people is that I would also be making that announcement to the enemy. And it would serve the enemy’s purpose & not our own...” 03:17:00 “The issue very simply is this: Shall we leave Vietnam in a way that, by our own actions,consciously turns the country over to the Communists? Or shall we leave in a way that gives the South Vietnamese a reasonable chance to survive as a free people? My plan will end American involvement... 03:17:44 “I believe, as Thomas Jefferson did, that Americans will always choose hope over despair. We have it in our power to leave Vietnam in a way that offers a brave people a realistic hope of Freedom. We have it in our power to prove to our friends in the world that America’s sense of responsibility remains the world’s greatest single hope of Peace. And above all we have it in our power to close a difficult chapter in American history, not meanly but nobly, so that each one of us can come out of this searing experience w/ a measure of pride in our Nation, confidence in our own character, and hope for the future of the spirit of America.” Continued... Presidential Speeches; Vietnam War; False Ending; 1970s; NOTE: Speech at time is delivered as if on tranquilizers.