Agree AUT1.
My old man is a Nam Vet. Was over there in several different locations from Late 68- Early 71. I also met Hal Moore(We Were Soldiers) in DC a couple of years back on Veterans Day at a ceremony at the Wall.... I asked him about this as well. The general thought from talking to my pop, a couple of other Vets and General Moore, was that between 1965-Dec 1967, it was going great. The Tet Offensive happened in 68 and the war 'got' extremely political. Even in 1965 during the Ia Drang Battle from the movie (WWS), just as the battle was getting hot and Hal was starting to turn the tide towards our side, the politicians at the Pentagon ordered him evacuated out of LZ X-Ray. Right in the middle of a battle. A bloody fucking battle at that. Made no sense - unless you wanted to lose a war.
Oullette: Colonel, it's brigade headquarters. They want you out.
Moore: Well, we can't get out!
O: Not all of us. Just you. Saigon wants to debrief you.
M: That doesn't make any sense!
O: Colonel, brigade headquarters wants you lifted out on the first chopper at dawn.
M: Now, what idiot would keep ordering that in the middle of a damn battle?
O: General Westmoreland wants a briefing.
M: Give me that. (grabbing radio) I am in a fight, and I object to this order to return to Saigon. Now, I will not leave my men. Is that clear? Out.
Last line from Moore made it move. A REAL Field General.