Westmoreland Libel Suit

Gen. William Westmoreland’s decision to drop his $120-million dollar libel suit against CBS is a clear indication that if brought to the decision of the jury, the former general would have lost his case and would be caught in a second attempt to deceive the American public.

It seems to me that Westmoreland has been pressured from the very beginning by top military brass to pursue this suit against CBS in an attempt to protect themselves from any more bad publicity on the Vietnam War.

Once Westmoreland and his lawyers saw that their case was no longer valid, they dropped the suit so that the war itself would not be fully heard in a court of law and the general public, as well as the brave soldiers who fought in Vietnam, would not have their day in court.

Even though there was no court decision on this case, let us learn from this trial so we will not be as so eager to engage ourselves and our young men into another bloody and embarrassing war.

In a time of increased moves toward involvement in Central America, let us understand what was going on just a decade ago, because as we know, history does repeat itself and so does the pain.

RICHARD HAMEL

Santa Ana

CBS is claiming victory in the Westmoreland suit. The real victors were the Communists who now control and enslave much of Southeast Asia.

CBS was part of the liberal news media that wanted us out of Vietnam. Now if they can get us out of Central America and have us retreat behind our Maginot Line--the Rio Grande--they will have accomplished their goal.

FREDERICK D. MULLEN

Upland

Westmoreland apparently thought that the right-wing climate of the Reagan era presented him with a chance to claim by jury verdict what was denied to him on the battlefield: victory in Vietnam. It turns out, though, that his court “victory” looks pretty much like the one in the field.

However, the gracious reluctance of CBS to rub the general’s face into it allows him now to assert that his court mission was accomplished after all by achieving the acknowledgement of his patriotism and loyalty. As to the former, one needs to quote only Samuel Johnson’s line: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Regarding loyalty one might ask: Loyalty to whom?

The problem with Westmoreland is that he wants to present himself as the honest soldier who did nothing but his duty and got a bad rap for it. Not so! He was the willing representative of President Johnson’s wrong-headed policy. Just remember the day in April, 1967, when he addressed a joint session of Congress in full military regalia--not after V-E day, as Dwight D. Eisenhower, not after his dismissal, as Douglas MacArthur, but in the thick of the Vietnam debate--defending Johnson’s policy! Sorry, general, that policy was a failure and so were you.

KARL H. KAHRS

Laguna Beach

The Westmoreland story. It is too bad that he ever filed suit. He does not seem to comprehend the situation at all. Did the Defense Department tell him to drop it when subordinate officers started to testify against him? His honor. Did he really think he had much after he did what he did? As I understand it, men died because of what he did. All this has done is to dig the old wound a little deeper.

ALFRED W. DAY

Pasadena

Gen. Westmoreland handled his suit against CBS as he handled the war in Vietnam with bravado, bluster, and when faced with a reality he could not alter, retreat.

Here the cost is measured in dollars, there in the nearly 56,000 valorous young Americans who died and in the countless number who will bare the scars forever.

Would that the general had been equal to the men he led.

CANDY CAREY

Sun Valley

Poor Gen. Westmoreland, so worried lest he be thought of as unpatriotic. No one ever questioned his patriotism, a contrived reason for the suit. It’s his morality that I question. I not once am aware of his stating his regret for the blood bath that took place. He was responsible and chose to risk the lives of the young soldiers rather than risk the wrath of the President and/or Congress.

There is something pathetic about the general’s claim that victory was his. We know differently. Does he equate infallibility with patriotism? Must a general never (admittedly) be wrong?

My congratulations to CBS. It behaved in a most generous and kindly manner. The CBS statement was superb. It allowed the general to save face and walk away with his precious patriotism intact--that’s all he had left.

Sleep well, General, your patriotism is in tact. I wonder how well the mothers of those sacrificed are able to sleep knowing that their sons never had a chance.

JANET KAYE

Beverly Hills

In ending his libel suit against CBS, Westmoreland finally executed a maneuver he should have done years ago in Vietnam: cut his losses, withdraw, and declare victory.

JOSHUA ALPER

Los Angeles