Why Vietnam? (Department of Defense film)
A frame from the Department of Defense film "Why Vietnam?" shows President Lyndon Johnson at a lectern with microphones, in profile, with aides behind him. The film's catalogue summary says it outlines US policy through statements by Johnson, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The tell is the format: official speakers address the camera and the case for the war is made in their words, with no outside voice.
- Date
- 1965
- Period
- Cold War
- Made by
- U.S. Department of Defense (Armed Forces Information film, PIN 46000)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Film stills
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Johnson Administration
- Leader
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Audience
- Mixed
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Event
- Vietnam War
- Techniques
- Testimonial
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Internet Archive (U.S. Department of Defense collection), retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- U.S. federal work (DoD, 17 U.S.C. 105); Internet Archive licenseurl: CC0 1.0 public domain dedication
U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Imagery Management Operations Center (DIMOC), via Internet Archive
Text on the object
No printed or legible text on this object.
The chosen frame carries no on-screen text. The film's narration and speeches are spoken audio and were not transcribed.
