The Cost Of War – The Defense Budget For Vietnam In 1965 – Past Daily Reference Room
Mulling over the Defense Budget at the LBJ Ranch.
Click on the link here for the audio player: Sen. John Stennis – Meet The Press – Aug. 1, 1965
With our involvement in Vietnam amping up by the day in 1965, concerns over just how much this excursion into the abyss was going to cost began to surface.
When President Johnson announced the Military budget ceiling to fight the war in Vietnam was to be $100 Billion dollars, questions arose as to whether this was enough, too much – just what was this buying?
Handed the job of explaining the cost was Senator John Stennis (D-Miss.) who was acting Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman of the Senate Preparedness Committee and acting Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee.
Here is an interview from Meet The Press with Stennis, broadcast on August 1, 1965.
Another piece of the puzzle.
