A man of extraordinary inner strength and patriotic devotion,
General Harold K. Johnson was a soldier's officer, loved by his men
and admired by his peers for his leadership, courage, and moral
convictions. Lewis Sorley's biography provides a fitting testament
to this remarkable man and his dramatic rise from obscurity to
become LBJ's Army Chief of Staff during the Vietnam War.
A native of North Dakota, Johnson survived more than three
grueling years as a POW under the Japanese during World War II
before serving brilliantly as a field commander in the Korean War,
for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for
"extraordinary heroism." The latter experiences led to a series of
high-level positions that culminated in his appointment as Army
chief in 1964 and a cover story in Time magazine.
What followed should have been the most rewarding period of
Johnson's military career. Instead, it proved to be a nightmare, as
he quickly became mired in the politics and ordeal of a very
misguided war.
Johnson fundamentally disagreed with the three men--LBJ,
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and General William
Westmoreland--running our war in Vietnam. He was sharply critical
of LBJ's piecemeal policy of gradual escalation and his failure to
mobilize the national will or call up the reserves. He was equally
despondent over Westmoreland's now infamous search-and-destroy
tactics and reliance on body counts to measure success in
Vietnam.
By contrast, he advocated greater emphasis on cutting the
North's supply lines, helping the South Vietnamese provide for
their own internal defenses, and sustaining a truly legitimate
government in the South. Unheeded, he nevertheless continued to
work behind the scenes to correct the nation's flawed approach to
the war.
Sorley's study adds immeasurably to our understanding of the
Vietnam War. It also provides an inspiring account of principled
leadership at a time when the American military is seeking to
recover the very kinds of moral values exemplified by Harold K.
Johnson. As such, it presents a profound morality tale for our own
era.
General
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