Page 21 - Contrast1967November

our polir..;yth<?rc. Thjs ranges from slanted
accounts with carefully chosen quotes to instructions
on how to set up a "teach-in" protesting the war.
College students are naturally interested in the
Vietnam situation, it's too bad they can only
readily obtain one point of view.

6. Is the U.S. winning the war in Viet Nam?

We are definitely winning the war in Vietnam.
In the central highlands alone (45% of the land
mass of South Vietnam) roads that were closed to
traffic since 1957 have been opened in the past
year and kept open day and night, allowing the
people to travel and transport their trade goods.
An nbove ground pipeline carrying fuel from Qui
Nhon to An Khe (60 miles) has been operating for
over a year with little difficulty. Rice that 18
months ago went to the Viet Cong, North Vietnamese
units and to North Vietnam now stays in the hands
of the people. Most of the hard-core Viet Cong
and North Vietnamese regular units that dominated
the area have been destroyed, dispersed, or driven
into Cambodia and Laos. The majority of the
population in this area is constantly protected
from Viet Cong terrorism by allied troops.
Communist defections increase daily. There is no
doubt; we are winning.

7. What is the long range objective of the
United States in Viet Nam and in Southeast
Asia?

Our long range objective in Vietnam and the
rest of Southeast Asia is to help maintain free
and independent nations where the people can
develop and progress according to their own
choice, not to the wishes of a power which hopes
to gain control through aggression. I truly
feel that we are committed to freedom.

8. How do you feel about the use of Napalm in
the bombing of the North? About the use of
Napalm?

If the Air Force and Navy Aviation Commands
feel that napalm is required to eliminate certain
military targets in North Vietnam, so do I.
Napalm is a flame munition that is used against
materiel as well as personnel targets. It is
neither more nor less discriminatory than many
other air delivered munitions. It is no more
horrible nor fatal to die by napalm than it is
by a 750 pound bomb. We should keep in mind the
fact that our Aviation Commanders do their best
to avoid noncombatants and choose their weapons
to best accomplish their military missions.

9. What about reports of growing use of drugs
by American soldiers in Viet? What motivation?