The Titans, Story Behind The Movies, Chapter 4

Student protests during Lyndon Johnson's Administration intensified as U.S. troop build-up and American deaths increased. Despite the President's excellent record on Civil Rights (follow the links to view both his signature on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the signing ceremony), LBJ could not escape mounting popular dissatisfaction with the way he was handling the conflict in Vietnam.

Americans were concerned about needless deaths: of innocent civilians as North and South Vietnam fought each other; of Buddhist priests who set themselves on fire because they disagreed with the leaders of South Vietnam; of Vietnamese soldiers. They were even more concerned about the escalating war and the rising body count of U.S. military personnel.

The President knew that would happen. In March of 1964, he was concerned about the same issues. Follow this link to hear recently released, secretly taped conversations between LBJ and a few of his most trusted advisors - like Senator Richard Russell. What you hear may surprise you. For example, the President observes:

I've got a little old sergeant that works for me over at the house, and he's got six children, and I just put him up there as the United States Army, Air Force and Navy every time I think about making this decision, and think about sending that father of those six kids in there. And what the hell are we going to get out of his doing it? And it just makes the chills run up my back.

Senator Russell replies:

It does me. I just can't see it.