E-mail Author Author Archive Send to a Friend Version July 22, 2005, 8:21 a.m. A Noble Soldier, Not a Great Soldier Westmoreland's Vietnam strategy ignored key considerations. General William Westmoreland, who died earlier this week, was an honorable man and a noble soldier. But unfortunately for the United States and the late Republic of Vietnam, he was not a great soldier. Students of the Vietnam War, including many who served in the conflict, have blamed America's defeat primarily on Lyndon Johnson and his secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. While they do bear much of the responsibility for the defeat,...