October 13, 1966

Irish American Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara declared on this day in 1966 that the Vietnam War was progressing satisfactorily. McNamara was born in California. His father’s side was very Irish. He served as the eighth Secretary of Defense under both President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson. He played a large role in escalating the United States’s involvement in Vietnam and formulating the strategic matters.