JFK Assassination, LBJ, and Vietnam War

Warren Commission

LBJ called for the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of JFK.
The commission was named after Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (involved in Brown v. Board).
The Warren Commission featured senators, congressmen, and Gerald Ford.
In September 1964, the commission released a comprehensive report (800+ pages).
The report concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
Some mistakes were found, but not of cover-up or conspiracy level.
Conspiracy theories persisted, involving the CIA, Cuba, and the mafia.

JFK Movie and Conspiracy Theories

The 1990s movie JFK, based on On the Trail of the Assassins by a former DA, promoted conspiracy theories.
The movie suggested CIA or FBI involvement.
Oliver Stone directed JFK, which was widely seen and fueled conspiracy theories.
Evidence presented in the movie was considered suspicious.

Case Closed by Gerald Posner

The book Case Closed examines evidence from conspiracy theories about JFK's assassination.
It concludes that none of the conspiracy theories hold water.
It supports that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
The speaker is open to other ideas if evidence presents itself but currently believes Oswald was responsible.
The speaker acknowledges the chance of Oswald being set up but hasn't seen evidence.
The Warren Commission reached the conclusion that Oswald acted along but many people couldn't accept it.

LBJ's Swearing-In

LBJ was sworn in on Air Force One, the only president to be sworn in on an airplane.
Jackie Kennedy was present, still wearing her blood-stained outfit from the assassination.
A justice of the peace from Dallas swore LBJ in.
The speaker speculates that Jackie Kennedy’s clothes are probably in the Smithsonian.
Jackie was in shock and didn’t have time to change.

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace can perform ceremonies, administer oaths, and certify documents.

Jackie Kennedy's Esteem

Jackie Kennedy was held in very high regard which would have made forensic examination of her clothes difficult.
The Kennedys were held in such high esteem that requesting her clothes seemed inappropriate.

LBJ's Early Career and Political Acumen

LBJ ran for president in 1960 but became Kennedy's running mate.
LBJ served as the Senate leader and a congressman from Texas.
He was a teacher in rural Texas in the 1930s.
LBJ was an excellent politician and knew how Washington worked.
He was intimidating, persuasive, and didn't take no for an answer.

LBJ's Domestic Agenda

Johnson knew domestic politics, as a congressman and head of the Senate.
He pushed through civil rights legislation in 1957.
As president, he had power, sympathy, and support.
LBJ called important figures in Washington, asking for their help and support.
This helped with the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

Press Coverage Then and Now

Kennedy had affairs that the press knew about but didn't publish.
The press at the time felt it would be bad for the country to bring him down.
Today, the press would report such affairs quickly.
Both Kennedy and LBJ had affairs.

Vietnam War

Vietnam was split into North and South, with the North being communist.
Ho Chi Minh, their George Washington and a communist, led North Vietnam.
The US supported Vietnamese nationalists during World War II against Japan.
After World War II, the US supported returning Vietnam to France and insisted that Vietnam and all of Southeast Asia that was formerly a French colony be returned to France as a colony. The Vietnamese fought the japanese during the war, guess who they fought now? they fought the French.
The US didn’t like Communism and needed France to be strong in Europe.
The origins of US involvement go back to World War II.
The US insisted that France return to Vietnam as their colonial leaders.
Ho Chi Minh and others continued liberation efforts, now against France.
The US provided resources to France to fight communism in Vietnam.

China's Influence and Domino Theory

In 1949, Mao declared the People's Republic of China communist.
China began funneling equipment and money to help North Vietnam fight the French.
By 1954, the French were losing the war with Guerrilla-style tactics.
Guerrilla fighting involves sabotage and assassinations.
The North Vietnamese communists were extremely effective in this type of warfare; the French, were not.
France eventually withdrew from Vietnam.
The US feared that if one country fell to communism, others would follow, known as the domino theory.
The US feared Vietnam falling would lead to Cambodia and Thailand falling.
The domino theory connects with the containment policy regarding communism.

Geneva Accords and Division of Vietnam

The US got the United Nations involved and reached a peace deal.
The Geneva Accords split Vietnam at the Seventeenth Parallel into North and South.
The northern part would be communist, under Ho Chi Minh, and the southern part non-communist.
A national election was planned within two years to elect an overall leader, but it never happened.
The North and South both claimed the other would rig the election.
The US decided to keep it split rather than allow the whole thing to be communist.

Divided Countries

By 1954, East and West Germany, North and South Korea, and North and South Vietnam were split.

Kennedy's Involvement

Kennedy inherited this situation in Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh began providing resources to communist fighters in the South.
These pro-communist fighters were known as the Viet Cong.
Kennedy sent over 16,000 military advisers to South Vietnam.
The US sent millions of dollars in military aid.

South Vietnamese Government Instability

The South Vietnamese government struggled and faced an uprising.
The government was corrupt and faced criticism from the Buddhist community.
The Buddhist monks went into public places, poured gasoline, and set themselves on fire in protest (self-immolation).

Buddhist Protests

Buddhist monks' self-immolation got a lot of press.
People no longer wanted to support the government that forced monks to do this.
Self-immolation is suicide for political purposes.
The monks mummified themselves in a lotus position.
Monks had trained themselves to sit in a meditative state in minus 10 degrees for hours.
The speaker gives an example of cold chambers used for testing winter clothing.

President Ziam

President Xian of South Vietnam met with President Eisenhower.
The relationship soured by the early 1960s.
Ziam wasn't willing to consider the advice being given by the American advisors

Overthrow of President Ziam

The American government decided Ziam needed to go.
The CIA worked with power sourced within South Vietnam to organize a coup and overthrow.
JFK approved of having him arrested and exiled to France.
Ziam was murdered by groups within South Vietnam.
The South Vietnamese government kept getting worse and worse.
The CIA didn't directly kill him, but contributed to events leading to his death.
Kennedy didn’t have to worry about it because three weeks later Kennedy was shot.
ZM was overthrown and killed on november 1.

LBJ's Inheritance

When Johnson became president, the government in South Vietnam was brand new and unstable.
He had to deal with this situation while also pursuing his domestic agenda.

Tonkin Gulf Incident and Resolution

In 1964, Johnson supported the South Vietnamese navy sabotaging North Vietnamese stuff.
Johnson begins to support the south vietnamese navy taking these small ships that were similar to the PT boat JFK was once on.
The South Vietnamese Navy took ships and landed their boat to sabotage North Vietnam.
The US sent naval ships off the coast of North Vietnam for surveillance.
North Vietnam sent boats toward the destroyers.
The US shot at the North Vietnamese boats, with limited damage, everything good with limited amount of causalities.
Johnson said they'd take strong steps if it happened again.
The next night, radar operators thought they saw something and fired madly into the darkness.
The planes that came over for air support reported they didn't see any any North Vietnamese ships.
Even the North Vietnamese didn't confirm it.
Johnson pulled out a resolution he had written to engage the full weight and power of the American military against North Vietnam.
After analysis, there was no attack, but Johnson used it as justification.
Congress voted for full authorization to use the full weight and power of the American military against North Vietnam - even when they were just shooting in the darkness