Determined to Persist: General Earle Wheeler, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Militarys Foiled

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"Determined to Persist" takes readers inside the White House, the Pentagon, and the U.S. military headquarters in Hawaii and South Vietnam as it traces the internal debates, tensions, and critical inflection points of an extraordinary, six-year period of the Vietnam War.

The longest serving Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Earle G. Wheeler was the senior military advisor to Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. In disgust with their administrations' disastrous Vietnam War policies, Wheeler shredded his memoirs. He died three years later. In consequence, a gaping hole has existed in the historiography of the Vietnam War -- until now.

Using exclusive documents from the Wheeler family and others recently declassified, "Determined to Persist" overturns long-held, inaccurate perceptions of civilian-military relations during the Vietnam era and provides a fuller, more accurate representation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's role in the Vietnam War.

Approximating the viewpoint that Wheeler would have provided, "Determined to Persist" restores voice to this key foreign policy advisor to three U.S. Presidents who has remained an enigma for 46 years.

Although Lyndon Johnson was perhaps the most intimidating President to occupy the Oval Office, Wheeler was undaunted and openly resisted Johnson's Vietnam War policies, both publicly and behind the scenes. Between June 1965 and January 1969, Wheeler led his Joint Chiefs of Staff colleagues to advocate a more aggressive, offensive strategy toward victory over North Vietnam. "Determined to Persist" details for the first time the centerpiece of Wheeler's strategy -- a heretofore obscure, top-secret plan to invade North Vietnam.

"Determined to Persist" also details the Chiefs' decision to resign en masse after Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara betrayed them before Congress, a decision some of them later officially denied. Initially in league with his colleagues, Wheeler dissuaded them, and they soldiered on.

Author Bio

Colonel Mark A. Viney retired from the U.S. Army in 2021 after serving 35 years in uniform. He is the founder of Viney Development Solutions, LLC, providing nonfiction books and public speaking on historical, national security, and leadership development topics, plus executive and talent development coaching, leadership development instruction, and historical tours.

A former Director of the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center, Mark earned a Bachelor of Science in History from the United States Military Academy and a dual Master of Arts in Human Resources Development and Public Administration from Webster University. He served five years on the U.S. Army War College staff and completed its Defense Strategy Course.

Mark has lectured on Vietnam War strategy at the U.S. Army War College, Texas Tech Vietnam Center & Archive, Army Heritage Center Foundation, and elsewhere. His white paper, Insights From the Vietnam Withdrawal For the Afghanistan Drawdown, influenced senior Allied leaders in Kabul and informed a private discussion between the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Commander, International Security & Assistance Force. Mark offers unique perspective and the latest research on Vietnam War strategy in his groundbreaking two-volume series: General & Mrs. Earle Wheeler: Their Rise to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Amid America's Descent Into Vietnam, and Determined to Persist: General Earle Wheeler, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Military's Foiled Pursuit of Victory in Vietnam.

Considered for a position with the National Security Council, Mark has lectured on current national security issues for the Arizona State University Center on the Future of War, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, U.S. Army Cadet Command, U.S. Army Recruiting Command, and elsewhere.

Organizations that have benefited from Mark's leadership development expertise include American Airlines, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), General George Patton Museum of Leadership, U.S. Army Europe, U.S. Army Cadet Command, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Clausewitz Gesellschaft, and Bundeswehr Zentrum Innere Fuhrung.

Mark's first book is United States Cavalry Peacekeepers in Bosnia: An Inside Account of Operation Joint Endeavor, 1996. He received an Admiral George C. Dyer Award from Officer Review magazine for his World War I article, Journey to the Front.

Mark's next book will be If the Monkey Wants a Banana, Don't Give Him an Orange: Leadership Lessons for Success in the Military and in Business.