Oral history transcript, Peter Braestrup, interview 1 (I), 3/1/1982, by Ted Gittinger
Title:
Oral history transcript, Peter Braestrup, interview 1 (I), 3/1/1982, by Ted Gittinger
Number of Pages:
64
Description:
Braestrup’s work as a journalist in Southeast Asia for the New York Times; New York Times coverage of Vietnam compared to Time magazine; how journalists covered Vietnam and the danger involved; how Braestrup became Washington Post Bureau Chief; Joe Alsop; Bureau Chief duties; the Tet offensive; print journalists and TV reporters; Braestrup’s theory of LBJ’s approach to Vietnam; LBJ’s credibility gap; the “Five O’clock Follies: the JUSPAO; Barry Zorthian; press leaks and obtaining accurate information; press coverage on US involvement in wars; French journalists; Peter Arnett; the difficulty of analyzing the big picture in Vietnem; LBJ’s relationship with Congress and Joint Chiefs of Staff; Earl Wheeler; LBJ’s failures in Vietnam; comparing LBJ’s 1968 actions to Nixon’s 1972 actions; LBJ’s 3/31/68 speech and reaction; William Westmoreland and publicity; Creighton Abrams and publicity; Braestrup’s book, Big Story, and reviews of it; TV coverage of Vietnam and Walter Cronkite’s visit to Vietnam; the effect of TV images and the evening news on the public; the credibility gap and LBJ’s mistakes involving Vietnam; Sam Adams and statistics; a CBS story about dissension inside MACV over intelligence; whether or not LBJ was ill-informed about issues regarding Vietnam; David Palmer’s Summons of the Trumpet; William Westmoreland’s and General Harold K. Johnson’s frustration over LBJ’s actions in Vietnam and lack of a coherent plan; other Presidents’ dealings with war; how LBJ failed in Vietnam.
