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4526047
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Vietnam/McNamara, August 26, 1967
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4526047
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document
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Vietnam/McNamara, August 26, 1967
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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1967-08-31
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1967
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1967-08-01
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1967
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The original documents are located in Box D22, folder "Vietnam/McNamara, August 26,
1967" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R.
Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D22 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE SATURDAY AM's--
August 26, 1967
STATEMENT OF REP. GERALD R. FORD (R-MICH.)
The published statement of Defense Secretary McNamara before the Senate
Preparedness subcommittee appears to be at odds, not only with the views of all
the top military witnesses heard by the committee, but also with the recent
actions of President Johnson. Since my August 8 speech to the House on our
Vietnam policy, the President apparently has authorized increased military
pressure against North Vietnam through selective bombing of more significant
targets previously forbidden to U.S. airmen.
Now we find the Secretary of Defense defending the ineffective and deceptive
airpower policies of the past two and one-half years in contradiction to the
responsible judgment of our best military leaders and the conclusions of both
Democratic and Republican Senators who have heard all the evidence. Mr. McNamara
is entitled to his convictions but before the President commits more than half
a million Americans to the ground war in South Vietnam we, as a nation, should
be very sure the Secretary of Defense is right and all the others are wrong.
This credibility gap is deadly serious. A nation at war cannot afford confusion
and doubt about its basic policies.
I want to support my Commander-in-Chief when we are at war and so do all
Americans. But WE must know where he stands, where we are going, and how we
will get there. It does no good to compound public concern by declassifying
more target data and playing meaningless numbers games, as if this terrible war
were merely a debate. Forget the past. What is our present policy? What hope
is there for future U.S. success in Vietnam? That's what the American people
want to know, straight, on the level, from the man in charge.
Only the Commander-in-Chief can clear up this deepening doubt. It should
not be too much for the American people to expect that when our nation has been
committed to the use of force, and since 1965 has paid a high price to pursue
this course, that both the civilian and military leaders responsible should be
in substantial agreement and that some end is in sight.
###
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
TOTAL SIGNIFICANT TARGETS IN NORTH VIETNAM
FORD
UNHIT 70%
OFF LIMITS 50%
90%
HIT 30%
UNHIT
80%
OFF
75%
75%
LIMITS
75%
75%
UNHIT
OFF
UNHIT
UNHIT
LIMITS
67%
UNHIT
65%
60%
HIT
OFF
LIMITS
48%
OFF
LIMITS
35%
OFF
35%
33%
LIMITS
UNHIT
HIT
25%
25%
25%
HIT
HIT
HIT
12%
OFF
10%
LIMITS
HIT
TRANSPORTATION
OIL STORAGE
POWER COMPLEX
WAR MAKING
AIR DEFENSES
MILITARY FACILITIES
LAND & SEA
DEPOTS
ALL HYDRO PLANTS
ALL PORTS & CANAL LOCKS,
ALL COMMAND & CONTROL
MAINLY AMMO DUMPS HIT,
INDUSTRIAL
HQS, MOST MIG BASES
ALL NAVAL BASES
MOST REPAIR FACILITIES
FORBIDDEN
COMPLEX
FORBIDDEN
FORBIDDEN
FORBIDDEN
TOTAL SIGNIFICANT TARGETS IN NORTH VIETNAM
FORD :- LIBRARY
UNHIT 70%
GFRV76
OFF LIMITS 50%
90%
Ю
HIT 30%
UNHIT
80%
OFF
75%
75%
LIMITS
75%
75%
UNHIT
OFF
UNHIT
UNHIT
LIMITS
67%
UNHIT
65%
60%
HIT
OFF
LIMITS
48%
OFF
LIMITS
35%
OFF
35%
33%
LIMITS
UNHIT
HIT
25%
25%
25%
HIT
HIT
HIT
12%
OFF
10%
LIMITS
HIT
TRANSPORTATION
OIL STORAGE
POWER COMPLEX
WAR MAKING
AIR DEFENSES
MILITARY FACILITIES
LAND & SEA
ALL COMMAND & CONTROL
MAINLY AMMO DUMPS HIT,
DEPOTS
ALL HYDRO PLANTS
ALL PORTS & CANAL LOCKS,
INDUSTRIAL
HQS, MOST MIG BASES
ALL NAVAL BASES
MOST REPAIR FACILITIES
FORBIDDEN
COMPLEX
FORBIDDEN
FORBIDDEN
FORBIDDEN
SIGNIFICANT MILITARY TARGETS IN NORTH VIETNAM
TOTAL TARGETS
OIL/GAS
POWER
TRANSPORTATION
INDUSTRIAL
AIR
MILITARY
(P.O.L.)
COMPLEX
LAND & SEA
COMPLEX
DEFENSES
FACILITIES
25%
HIT
30%
65%
33%
HIT
HIT
HIT
25%
HIT
75%
UNHIT
10%
25%
70%
HIT
HIT
67%
UNHIT
35%
75%
90%
75%
UNHIT
UNHIT
UNHIT
UNHIT
UNHIT
12%
35%
60%
80%
75%
48%
50% OFF-LIMITS
OFF-LIMITS
OFF-LIMITS
OFF-LIMITS
OFF-LIMITS
OFF LIMITS
OFF-LIMITS
ALL HYDRO
PLANTS
FORBIDDEN
MAINLY
AMMO DUMPS
HIT; ALL
NAVAL BASES
EVERYTHING BELOW LINE
FORBIDDEN
CANNOT BE ATTACKED UNDER
ALL PORTS &
HIGH-LEVEL RESTRAINTS FROM
CANAL LOCKS,
WASHINGTON AS OF JULY 1967
MOST REPAIR
FACILITIES
COMBAT U.S. PLANE LOSSES OVER NVN
FORBIDDEN
ALL COMMAND
AS OF AUGUST 1, 1967 = 636 PLANES
& CONROL HQS,
ONLY CEMENT
MOST MIG BASES
AND STEEL PLANT
FORBIDDEN
STRUCK YET
(All the above percentages are approximate and should be so qualified.)
GERALD FORD