Johnson. [ applause ] the archive of this library contains thousands of letters to our 36th president , many of which concern the vietnam war. Here are two letters from soldiers stationed in vietnam during the height of president johnsons tenure in office which reflect contrasting views of the war held by americans including our troops. Dear mr. President here is a picture of a little girl and myself. She has three older sister, two older brothers and a younger brother. They live in a village. Their mother was killed by the vc. Because of us she is able to smile. It is our duty to keep the smile which portrays so much on her face. There are many more who do not have the freedom smile which she has. It is our duty as americans to bring happiness to those who may never be as free of care as she. To be able to pose with her and have her look so happy gives the idea of the good we are doing here. This is worth fighting for. This is worth dying for. I know the weight you must carry on your shoulders, sir i pray that god will help you. I hope this let skpr picture will bring you a blessing. She says the marines are number one. Sincerely yours, first corporal u. S. Marine corps. Dear sir, hope this letter finds the president in the best of health. Before i begin allow me to introduce myself. United States Marines in vietnam. This is the topic like most of the servicemen fighting here i dont fully understand this war. Were given training and long talks and finally a weapon and told we have a war to fight so that the people of vietnam can have a communist free government. In short, sir, were fighting this war for the vietnamese people and i would like to know why . Why should they have to die fighting for what hes doesnt understand or believe in. Ive been here for seven months and probably until my 13 is completed if all goes well but never will be able to understand why are these americans and maybe myself must die for people who really dont seem to give a damn. Most of us are hoping one day to see our loved ones and to me this seems the most important to most of us. If you were to ask the question, what are we fighting for . The honest men would tell you, to get through these 13 months to get back home. I hope you can understand our feelings and answer our questions in this letter. Thank you, sir, for your time to read this letter, yours truly, p pfc charles nichols, United States marine corps. Im going to read two letters from my husband who also was a marine in vietnam we got married in december in washington and he left in march. He came home on our daughters six month birthday. This is may 31st, 1968. My darling linda, i was a lucky man, 11 00 this morning i was back at the bunker ba fall onand walking towards the command bunker when i heard the familiar sound incoming mortars. I yelled incoming and dived for the nearest home. Just as the first round landed about 20 meters away. Within ten seconds other marines had dive into the very same hole on top of me which is only big enough for two people to begin with. Rounds continued to land all around us for the next minute or so. Then there was a pause of about 30 seconds and one last round landed right on the opposite edge of the fox hole. Fortunately, all of the shrapnel went forward in the same direction the round was headed and none of it came back into the fox hole. As it was, that one round which completely destroyed the two Company Office structures next to my office and killed a small dog which was not smart enough to get into a hole in the incoming started. My Office Structure was only slightly damaged and only marine casualties from the last round were the two mild concussions suffered by two men who piled in on top of me. Had the round landed just 6 inches shorter, all of us would have been killed. Needless to say, we felt very lucky, even though there were a few others in the general area who did not fare so well. Often chucks Company Provided security for road sweeps and this is in august 5th, 1968 letter. I usually outpost the road all the way out and pick up the troops on tanks and tracks on the way back. Otherwise the roundtrip would take a day each way. We were a little past the half point Halfway Point when one of the am trucks was blown up we what we later discovered was a demand detonated 5pound box line. Command detonated means it was set off by a person hiding some distance away with a fuse box instead of a pressure relief mechanism. It was immediately engulfed in flames as the mine ignited six of the gas tanks. I had one entire platoon on the vehicle at the time. In addition to a threemen Forward Air Control team and fourman crew. The net result was 30 casualties, many from shrapnel but all from burns. Just yesterday i had received a fairly large number of replacements and assigned over half of them to this platoon to make up for previous losses. Now they are back down to almost nothing again. For tomorrows convoy, ive already made arrangements to borrow a platoon from another company. Someone is watching over me personally because i was on the amtrak right behind the one the enemy decided to blow up and would have been just as good a target. Fortunately the enemy doesnt launch a group attack a ground attack to go with it. I was very proud of the company again when the chips are down, they are tremendous. This is a letter written to president johnson by captain of the republic of vietnam army, in alabama, on americas 190th birthday, july 4th, 1966. Fourth of july, 1966, the honorable lyndon b. Johnson, president of the United States, the white house, dear mr. President , im captain of vietnam now under training at the u. S. Army center at fort mcclellan, alabama. Im grateful to you for your recent thoughtfulness speeches which make me read over and over again u. S. History and declaration of independence. Again i found your speeches, the spirit of liberty that make america strong and free. Im confident with a generous action of your heroic nation we shall emerge victorious in the struggle for freedom and independence. A study i have tried to write in english for the first time. Im taking the liberty to bring to your attention as a token of my appreciation, i sincerely hope that it may express to you our burning desire to fight for freedom that almost it may serve as a selfexplanation of a humble but grateful people who truthfully show his weakness to a true friend in order to be helped more effectively. With my very best wishes and respect to you, the leader of the free world and to your honorable family, may i congratulate you, mr. President , on the occasion of your independence day. Thank you. When patrick and i met the summer of 1965, he was graduating from college and already a member of the air national guard. We married a year later with a dream reception in the white house. Our first child was nine months old in april of 1968 when patrick volunteered for vietnam. Patrick did not have to go to war he went because he wanted to serve his country. Like many wives of servicemen, i frequently went home to my parents, lying in my bed in the white house, i often heard the picketers say, hey, hey lbj, how many boys did you kill today. I lived in the terror of knowing my husband and brothers in law chuck rob and jerry nugent might be one of those boys. For my father it was all so very personal. Three of you dont understand troops in vietnam were family, all felt like it. It was daddys constant struggle to bring them home safely and our country to the peace table. And in january of 1969, patrick wrote his fatherinlaw and commander in chief a letter. My father shared it with me because he was so proud of patrick and grateful to him. His children and i remain so forever. 12 january. My dear mr. President , chuck and i had a very peaceful and eventful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and in the yul tide season was a telephone call from you, mrs. Johnson and lucy and linda. Lynn made a strong effort to converse with his daddy but the conversation was one sided, all on his side. Sunday i look for him to be president of at t that is, Christmas Day, chuck and i made three stops to distribute the articles he had gathered and our first stop was a small village, some 30 miles southwest of danang, where he passed out food and toys to the villagers. We went weto the catholic orphanage and handed out all sorts of toys to the children. Our final stop of the day was the Naval Hospital in danang where we visited with the patients in the orthopedic ward. We also handed out write gs materials and christmas 1968 will always be a memorable one for two reasons, number one, my first christmas away from my family and i hope the last. And too i was able to help other people appreciate the meaning of christmas. The war activity is increased somewhat since the beginning. Everyone is half expecting some sort of offensive. The hot areas are located northwest of saigon along with cambodian border. Ten days ago, my aircraft came under mortar fire as we were coming to a halt on the runway. As usual, i didnt realize that we were being fired upon. My primary concern was to offload the 56 gis i had on board. Thank god no one was hit. Never received a scratch. The number of days i have remaining in vietnam is diminishing quite rapidly. Or as the gis refer to it, im getting short. As of this writing, i have 88 days remaining. Last week in effect state im to report to burke strom air force base for separation from active duty upon return stateside. This letter will be my last addressed to you as my commander in chief. I consider it both an honor and a privilege to have served under your command and direction. I didnt want to see you vacate the presidency since you are the best we have. But at the same time, i respect your decision and i am extremely proud of you. Our men in vietnam know that you have done everything in your power to bring about a peaceful solution to the war. Unfortunate unfortunately, we cannot negotiate with ourselves. Nor it is our desire to abandon the hope of a free and democratic south decree vietnam. You and mrs. Johnson are in my prayers and thoughts today and every day. Love, pat. Ps, i enjoy talking to everyone last night. Thank you. And tonight it is indeed a tremendous honor for me to speak to you as we come together to honor our Vietnam Veterans and particularly those brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for fighting for freedom and democracy in vietnam. Around this time on april 30th, vietnamese American Communities commemorate and honor the fallen soldiers. We also remember and mourn the loss of millions of lives in vietnam who die seeking freedom. Today on behalf of the vietnamese american community, i would like to express my deepest gratitude for the sacrifices made by america during the vietnam war. 58,000 brave american soldiers and their families made the ultimate sacrifice which allow vietnamese American Communities to survive and migrate to this great country. 50 years ago, South Vietnam stood in the fort res of freedom and democracy, safeguarding against the expansion of communism in indochina. 58,000 americans together with 250,000 South Vietnamese lost their lives. North vietnam was to prevent Foreign Occupation and independent integrity and over 450,000 north vietnamese soldiers died in the fight for that cause. Today what can we say achieve these great losses . Communist states around the world have already fallen. Vietnam still remained a communist state. North vietnam primary obtdive has now turned vietnam into a chinese vessel state. Vietnam today still has neither freedom nor democracy. What has transpired in 21 years since the war ended, does not change. We have for the brave men and women of the vietnam war is we honor them today. I mention these facts to honor those heroes we must examine what their sacrifice means to us today and how much the cost of for which they died still remains to be achieved. One day when vietnam is no longer under communist control and once a land of freedom and democracy, the vietnam war will no longer be a reminder of division, instead it will be a reminder of a high price that freedom requires in all great countries. On that day, i believe that we will have finally truly honored these soldiers and source of those brave men and women, well be proud that the sacrifice the most important blessing foreman kind, freedom. Why am i here today . Im here today because a young man saved my life and changed my life. In four years of combat there were many soldiers who did this for many of us. The name larry moreford. He was 24 when he was killed. 15 days before coming home. This man was in a battalion i commanded in 69, 70. In that area, if you can remember, it was the height of the antivietnam war. Larry was a christian. Yet he was one of the very few who volunteered in a battalion i had over 90 were draftees, he was one of the very few volunteers. One day i asked larry, why if youre such a christian, are you here . I know you dont believe in combat as the way to resolve conflict. And i know that you dont believe we should be in vietnam. Why are you here . His answer was simple, sir, i could not stay home when others were fighting this war. Sir, also, the job that you and i are doing is the job of the beast. And the least beastly of us should be doing it. And that was sergeant morefords message. He lived his sermon. Hes the man that has inspired me to create an award every year at west point, sergeant moreford award that sends west point cadets to china also, to teach Preventive Medicine in chinese high school. He along with a corporal by the name of laj fun, killed at age 24 are two soldiers that are remembered in china. Were trying to make soldiers be role models of what a good citizen should be. As Cardinal Spellman mentioned, a religious leader in the United States, he said it this way, if i cannot been a priest, i most certainly would have been a soldier. Because they are both called to do the same thing, protect the innocent and right the injustice. I listened to mark, our host and he has given me a strict rule and i must tell you that i left the army and went to medical school and became a missionary in africa and in africa the rule is simple, you can only speak as long as you have one leg up. When you can no longer keep that leg up, you must give up the podium or the audience can spear you. Let me end by saying, its only fitting my remembrance of larry moreford should be followed by Sergeant Henry kissinger because many of you probably dont know that before dr. Kissinger became famous he was a sergeant in the u. S. Army. May your parachutes open. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome mr. Larry temple. Good evening. [ applause ] as chairman of the lbj foundation it is my privilege to welcome you to this key note presentation of the vietnam war summit. Lyndon johnson would have been very proud of this summit and would have wanted it to take place. He would particularly have been proud that the valor and commitment of the men and women who served this country in vietnam is being recognized and honored here. While few people seek disagreement and dispute, Lyndon Johnson never shied away from controversy. When this library was dedicated lbj famously pro claimed its all here. The story of our time with the bark off. There is no record of a mistake or of an unpleasantness or criticism not included in the files here. The exhibits and papers in this library certainly testify to the remarkable accomplishments of lbjs legacy. His monumental success is in civil rights were kron keled in the Summit Program held two years ago. But this library does not ignore lbjs anguish. The tragedy of the vietnam war. His greatest disappoint was the failure to achieve peace in the war in vietnam that he inherited and pursued. President johnson also wanted this stage to be the forum for the great issues of the day. That includes reflections and revisiting of events of an earlier period to learn lessons to apply to the current time. So that is why i can say with certainty that president johnson would welcome the discussions of this summit including criticisms of decisions and actions that were taken 50 years ago. To borrow president johnsons own words, the aspirations of this summit is to revisit the entire story of vietnam with the bark off. There should be no record of a mistake or an unpleasantness or criticism that is not included in this forum. Now it is my pleasure to introduce lbj Foundation Chairman emeritus tom johnson who will present the program tonight. [ applause ] thank you, larry. It is my honor and my priflth to introduce my friend dr. Henry kissinger. Dr. Kissinger and i have known each other since 1967 when he was a relatively young professor at Harvard University and i was a very low Ranking Member of president Johnsons White house staff. In july 1967, dr. Kissinger was a top secret channel for president johnson through french interimmediate yarryes with north vietnamese Prime Minister and ho chi minh. He offered a bombing halt if a cessation of bombing would lead to productive discussions between the United States and hanoi. President johnson proposed a direct meeting between dr. Kissinger and hanois representatives. As a good faith measure, president johnson unilaterally halted bombing in the vicinity of hanoi. The north vietnamese response was entirely negative. And i quote, we can neither receive mr. Kissinger or comment on the american views as transmitted through this channel. In a very highly classified meeting in the cabinet room on october 18, 1967 president johnson, secretary of state dean russ, secretary of defense Robert Mcnamara asked dr. Kissinger to make one more attempt, the north vietnamese response and i quote, theres no reason for us to talk again. What we soon learned was hanoi was planning a massive allout assault throughout vietnam, a sledge hammer blow designed to shadow the north Vietnamese Army and hopefully to drive the United State