The first drafts of this March speech by President Lyndon B. Johnson emphasized winning the war in Vietnam. An alternate version emphasized ending the war — Johnson chose that one. He called for a halt to bombing, greater reliance on the South Vietnamese, and a modest troop increase. In April, North Vietnam agreed to open peace talks.
Shown on this page, Johnson shocked even his closest advisers when he announced his decision not to run for a second term as President: “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
This draft includes corrections in the President’s handwriting.
