CHAPTER VIII
The Balance Sheet
An elite group has always appeared
within the Army during every war in which the United States has been engaged.
The Minutemen in the Revolution, the Cavalry in the Civil War, the Rough Riders
in Cuba, the Lafayette Escadrille in World War I, the Rangers in World War II,
and the Helicopter Pioneers in Korea�always some group has captured the
imagination of the American public and has embodied the national ideals of the
American fighting man.
As surely as such groups arose, there
arose also the grievances of the normally conservative military men who rejected
whatever was distinctive or different or special. The conservative approach to
military matters is, of course, by and large the safest, most effective, and
most practical. It is in the American character, however, to attack problems
vigorously, to attempt rapid and complete solutions, and to accomplish the
business at hand with a certain amount of independent daring and courage. Thus,
the emergence of Army units combining these characteristics is not unusual but
is the historical pattern. Future planners would do well not only to recognize
this American military phenomenon but also to capitalize on it.
In the conduct of conservative military
affairs, revisions of current military modes are frequently resisted with
missionary zeal and emotional fervor simply because they mean change, they are
different. In the complexities of handling national defense matters, a defender
of the status quo can find many reasons for not doing something. If a new
military program or unit is being developed in order to meet new needs, new
threats, or new tactics, consideration should be given to the use of elite U.S.
Army units, despite the customary resistance to change or elitism usually found
in conservative establishments.
The U.S. Army Special Forces had the
continuous and unswerving support of each commander of the U.S. Military
Assistance Command, Vietnam. Generals Harkins, Westmoreland, and Abrams
recognized the value of the Special Forces operations and consistently provided
the unit with maximum support, direction,
