June 7

This Day in History

Also on This Day

Lead Story
First successful ascent of Mt. McKinley, 1913
American Revolution
Lee Resolution presented to Continental Congress, 1776
Automotive
Switzerland welcomes first drive-through bank, 1962
Civil War
Rebels turned back at Milliken's Bend, 1863
Cold War
Czechoslovakian president Benes resigns, 1948
Crime
Michael Skakel convicted of 1975 murder in Greenwich, 2002
Disaster
Earthquake destroys Jamaican pirate haven, 1692
General Interest
Gandhi's first act of civil disobedience, 1893
British king visits U.S., 1939
Battle of Midway ends, 1942
Hollywood
Jean Harlow dies, 1937
Literary
Louise Erdrich is born, 1954
Music
New York magazine publishes the story that becomes Saturday Night Fever, 1976
Old West
Chief Seattle dies near the city named for him, 1866
Presidential
Reagan nominated for governor of California, 1966
Sports
Bo Jackson drafted by Kansas City Royals, 1986
Vietnam War
Westmoreland requests 44 battalions, 1965
McGovern continues to campaign against the war, 1972
World War I
Battle of Messines Ridge, 1917
World War II
Japanese land troops on the islands of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians, 1942

Vietnam War

Jun 7, 1965:

Westmoreland requests 44 battalions

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General Westmoreland requests a total of 35 battalions of combat troops, with another nine in reserve. This gave rise to the "44 battalion" debate within the Johnson administration, a discussion of how many U.S. combat troops to commit to the war. Westmoreland felt that the South Vietnamese could not defeat the communists alone and he wanted U.S. combat troops to go on the offensive against the enemy. His plan was to secure the coastlines, block infiltration of North Vietnamese troops into the south, and then wage a war of attrition with "search and destroy" missions into the countryside, using helicopters for rapid deployment and evacuation. Westmoreland had some supporters in the Johnson administration, but others of the president's advisers did not support Westmoreland's request for more troops, because they disagreed with what would be a fundamental change in the U.S. role in Vietnam. In the end, Johnson acquiesced to Westmoreland's request; eventually there would be over 500,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam.

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This Week in History, Jun 7 - Jun 13

Jun 07, 1965
Westmoreland requests 44 battalions
Jun 07, 1972
McGovern continues to campaign against the war
Jun 08, 1965
U.S. forces are available for ground support
Jun 08, 1969
Nixon and Thieu meet at Midway
Jun 09, 1964
CIA report challenges "domino theory"
Jun 09, 1972
South Vietnamese soldiers reach An Loc
Jun 10, 1965
Battle begins at Dong Xoai
Jun 10, 1968
Westmoreland gives farewell press conference in Saigon
Jun 11, 1963
Buddhist immolates himself in protest
Jun 11, 1970
Battle for control of Kompong Speu in Cambodia
Jun 12, 1965
South Vietnamese premier resigns
Jun 12, 1972
Lavelle testifies before Congress
Jun 13, 1971
The New York Times publishes the "Pentagon Papers"
Jun 13, 1973
Kissinger and Le Duc Tho sign new peace agreement

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