robert mcnamara does not that it was a mistake all along. what do you think motivation was back here in? washington to push this forward. you know, i don't know. i don't know if it was just inertia that we were so locked into our antics mentality at that that we we couldn't quit because it would be a defeat for american prestige and american around the world that allies would not respect. what we did. and, you know, there could have been that kind of damage to america's reputation role in the world. but i still think that would have been less deleterious than just causing more suffering for several more years, because we couldn't end this war. and of course, the you know, there were all these missed opportunitie way. ho chi minh had been helped by the office of strategic s at the end of world war two, when declared independence for north, he used some words from declaration of independence. he had worked as a dishwasher here in new york. he knew something about america, and they had a lot of admiration for americans. but like all vietnamese,

. >> jesse: who can forget robert mcnamara's tet offensive, or donald rumsfeld's lifo during operation freedom. i did not select an elective surgery scandal to be with the defense secretary. i was thinking maybe -- kamala harris, or heat. i want to know a little bit about the surgery. was a cosmetic? was a day breast reduction or something like lay sick? that will make -- count something like lasic surgery? that would make me more so pathetic. going to germany for an emergency heightening procedure, and he came back procedure. we did not ask questions because of hip up. if you are biden -- >> greg: i violated that. >> jesse: i'm sorry. if you are biden's summoning buddy in the situation room and ask for the secretary of defense. "he is in the icu." or what happened to the chief of staff? "the chief of staff is sick with the flu." "sorry, the deputy is on vacation in puerto rico and is not coming back." you are now trying to may be asked sticky sammy to come to the situation room. that's how far down the totem pole you are going. i do not question austin's judgment. as a defense secreta

. >> one of the different principle architects of the war, defense secretary robert mcnamara makes an appearance in your book. secretary mcnamara came out later and saided war was wrong all along. >> yeah, he knew, but never said so or never do anything to it, unfortunately. yes, he makesnppearance and he goes out to a fortified hamlet. that was one of the ideas that the british brought to southeast asia that you could make these fortified hamlets and keep the vc from coming in at night and at the end of it, there's a scene where secretary mcnamara attempts to say, long live south vietnam in vietnamese. instead because he didn't use his tone correctly, and the vietnamese language depends on six tones, and what he told the audience, the southern duck wants to lie down so everyone laughed. and that incident actually happened. so i put it in there, i thought it was emblematic of some of our ignorance. >> host: so, 60 years on, peter prichard, president johnson sends more and more troops, general mcnamara didn't admit it was a mistake all along. what do you think the motivation was mere i

this strategy was named mcnamara's line after defense second robert mcnamara. these missions were dangerous as they were required to fly close to the ground, making them prime targets. on january 11, 1968, commander olson's plane went down. he lost his life along with his other crewmen and their mascot, a dog named skippy. in 1968, commander olson was first listed as missing in action later changed to killed inár action. while ground conditions made recovery extremely dangerous, we are grateful to the u.s. -- that the u.s. military sent out multiple teams and all the crew were recovered. commander olson was laid to rest at the arlington national cementtary in. commander olson earned multiple awards for his service including the navy commendation medal with valor purple heart, national defense service medal vietnam service medal and the republic of vietnam campaign ribbon bar. his name is inscribed on t memorial wall on the national mall here in washington, d.c. i know i speak for all north dakotans when i say we are proud of commander olson's dedicated service