Many people have wondered what the world would be like today had John F. Kennedy not been assassinated. During his presidency he faced several of the most dangerous situations of the 20th century. Virtual JFK: Vietnam if Kennedy Had Lived looks at the decision he made and speculates about his mindset on Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
JFK had said “the United States will never start a war,” and his actions during his presidency followed that statement. In 1963 there were 16,000 Americans serving mostly as military advisors in Vietnam. In 1968 when Lyndon Johnson left office there were 500,000 American troops in Vietnam. If JFK had not died and continued to serve as president, that last number would have been vastly different. Looking at his mindset and his previous decision regarding military action, this documentary shows what John Kennedy did during his time in office and how he would possibly had tackled the situation in Vietnam.
Kennedy had known the situation in Southeast Asia was complicated. He also stated that the world situation was “the most dangerous time in the human race.”
Six Potential Military Conflicts in the Kennedy Presidency
Six times during the Kennedy presidency the nation was on the brink of war and six times Kennedy decided not to use military action.
In 1961 the Bay of Pigs brought the United States and Cuba to the brink and all his military advisors were urging President Kennedy to use the United States military to help oust Cuban dictator Castro. But Kennedy said he did not want the United States to be the aggressor and opted out of the situation, which cost him a lot of popularity back home but he felt was the right thing to do.
The situation in Laos could have also brought the United States into a military conflict. Again Kennedy decided to avoid using military force and opt for a diplomatic solution.
The Berlin crisis was a touchy situation. When the Berlin Wall went up it pitted the United States directly against the Soviet Union. American tanks faced Russian tanks. Kennedy called for the tanks to retreat and not to start a war. This could have erupted into World War III had JFK decided to attack. But his opinion was to let things settle down and work with the diplomats instead of with weapons.
In 1961 when the Vietnam conflict escalated, Kennedy sent equipment and advisors to the country, but no combat troops. The conventional wisdom at the time was that if Vietnam fell to the communists the domino theory would prevail and all of Southeast Asia would follow. But John Kennedy was apprehensive about sending American troops to fight in this uncertain area of the world. Having personally barely survived World War II, JFK knew military conflict first hand. He knew there were times when it was necessary and times when it was not.
The Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 was another critical time which could have been the flashpoint for World War III. All the military advisors wanted the president to attack the Russian missile sites they were constructing in Cuba. Kennedy opted for a military blockade instead and in the end that turned out to be the right decision.
And finally, the last time John F. Kennedy faced a military decision was in 1963 when he decided to withdraw the American forces from Vietnam. He had wanted to withdraw 1,000 Americans by the end of the year to be followed by more the following year. This was in lieu of sending combat troops to the country.
All six of these situations were met by Kennedy’s cautiousness about armed conflict. He resisted the pressures to go to war. It is this reason the filmmakers conclude that had John Kennedy not been assassinated the Vietnam War would not have included American troops.
The Documentary Looks at JFK’s Foreign Policy Decisions
Through film archives and audio recordings, Virtual JFK: Vietnam if Kennedy Had Lived tackles the Kennedy presidency year by year and delves into the crucial decisions made by the president on many occasions. It is an interesting look at the Kennedy Administration and more so at the man in the oval office. While the conclusion is not necessarily what would have happened if Kennedy had not been assassinated, the filmmakers make a valid case for their conclusion. People may agree or disagree, however the situations in this documentary are good history lessons for everyone, whether they lived through them, have read about them in history books, or even have never heard of them.
The documentary does not paint JFK as a man totally opposed to using military force. Rather it paints a picture of a man who personally knew combat and realized when it was necessary and when it was not. The final numbers for the Vietnam war are 58,000 Americans and 2 million Vietnamese were killed in Vietnam. Would this have been different had the events in Dallas on November 22, 1963 not occurred? Looking at the mindset of President Kennedy during each time he was tested is an eye-opening experience, making this a compelling film.
Virtual JFK: Vietnam if Kennedy Had Lived premiers January 29, 2011 at 8 pm ET/PT on Documentary Channel. It is well worth watching.
Read about two HBO JFK documentaries and a TLC JFK documentary.
