William Westmoreland

1914 – 2005

William Childs Westmoreland was a U.S. Army general who commanded American forces in the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968 and later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1972. He repeatedly assured Congress and the American public that the war was being won—including a famous 1967 speech to the National Press Club declaring the enemy near collapse—weeks before the 1968 Tet Offensive shattered that narrative. His command oversaw the body-count strategy and the search-and-destroy operations of which the My Lai massacre and many similar atrocities were a part.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM