About the Program
Military historian Lewis Sorley recounts the career of General William Westmorland, who led American forces in the Vietnam War from 1964-1968. Mr. Sorley recounts Gen. Westmorland’s service prior to Vietnam, from his participation in World War II and the Korean War to his appointment as Superintendent at West Point. The author contends that Gen. Westmoreland’s skillful self-promotion allowed him to assume leadership positions in the military that he was not qualified to maintain. Mr. Sorley focuses on Gen. Westmoreland’s tactics during the Vietnam War and argues that the War may have been won if not for Westmoreland’s poor decisions. Lewis Sorley speaks at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.