Movie of the Day: THE FOG OF WAR

As Secretary of Defense under John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, Robert S. McNamara was deeply involved in the events leading up to and the start of the Vietnam War.  The event that was the tipping point, leading the United States to go to war with Vietnam was the Gulf of Tonkin incident, in which North Vietnamese war ships engaged the USS Maddox.  This led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the commencement of war against North Vietnam.

The truth regarding whether or not the USS Maddox had been fired upon was in question immediately.  Books, articles, and interviews from those who were involved suggested the firing upon the USS Maddox never happened.  In the 2003 documentary The Fog of War, Robert McNamara addresses it directly.  Troubled by the events all of these years, McNamara, who was both applauded and reviled, agreed to making this film as a permanent record of what happened and his feelings about it.

McNamara died six years after the release of this film, but it remains his going on record about the build-up and execution of a futile war.  He has been condemned for going along with Lyndon Johnson's intentions for going to war and not coming out openly about it for decades, and praised for coming out with the truth of what really happened.  I invite you to watch this engaging documentary and see where he stands with you.

Fog Of War Eleven Lessons From The Life Of Robert S. Mcnamara from DCTV on Vimeo.

Terry