Tomes - Apocalypse then American intellectuals and the Vietnam War, 1954-1975

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Apocalypse Then

American Intellectuals and the Vietnam War, 19541975

Robert R. Tomes

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London

1998 by New York University
All rights reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tomes, Robert R.
Apocalypse then : American intellectuals and the Vietnam War, 19541975 / Robert R. Tomes.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8147-8234-5 (cloth : acid-free paper)
1. Vietnamese Conflict, 19611975United States. 2. Vietnamese Conflict, 19611975Influence. 3. IntellectualsUnited StatesPolitical activityHistory20th century. I. Title.
DS558.T66 1998
959.7043373ddc21 98-19769

CIP

New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability.

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Dedicated to
Vincent Gregory Tomes, my father, Lt. Col. Paul John Tomes, my uncle, and Vincent dePaul Tomes, my grandfather, three men who marched through the troubled times described herein with courage and compassion

Many people deserve and receive my heartfelt thanks for their generous encouragement, assistance, and inspiration during the years I have spent writing this book. Of course, any shortcomings or errors contained herein are my responsibility, not theirs.

My interest in American intellectuals and the Vietnam War developed, and subsequently became my dissertation topic, during my years as a graduate student at New York University. I thank my professors, who constantly challenged and motivated me: Paul Baker, Patricia Bonomi, Vincent Carosso, Carl Prince, David Reimers, Albert Romasco, Frederick Schult, Stewart Stehlin, Edward Tannenbaum, Daniel Walkowitz, and Irwin Unger.

I feel it is important to note here that I would not have gone to graduate school without the example, direction, and exposure to intellectual life that many good teachers provided beforehandnotably Thomas Bergin, Maurice Carroll, Mark Fulcomer, Robert Gannon, Peter Hansen, Renato Piazza, and, most of all, Aldo Tos. I acknowledge my debt to them because it is customary to do so in a first book, and, more importantly, because each figured significantly in my thinking on the topic.

I owe an enormous personal debt to Stewart Stehlin, who has had a profound impact on my intellectual development, as well as being a close and supportive friend. My mentor, Irwin Unger, has been an inspiration, example, and friend along the way, repeatedly taking time out of his very busy schedule to read the manuscript, make suggestions for improving it, and provide direction.

I also thank my colleagues and students at St. Johns University for their interest, discussion, and recommendations on matters related to the book, especially my dean, Kathleen Vout MacDonald, who has always been enthusiastic about my intellectual pursuits. Richard Lejeune of Information Technology at St. Johns solved numerous computer problems and glitches related to the many drafts of this manuscript, frequently working overtime to do so. Monica Wood of St. Johns University Libraries, offered invaluable professional assistance and a perpetual friendly ear, both of which I deeply appreciate.

The staffs of St. Johns University Libraries (both Queens and Staten Island campuses), Elmer Holmes Bobst Library at New York University, and the New York Public Library, particularly Marvelous Brooks and William Lee, were consistently gracious and helpful. My sincere appreciation also to Niko Pfund, director and editor in chief of New York University Press, whose enthusiasm for the project was evident from the beginning. Thanks also to Despina Papazoglou Gimbel, Andrew Katz, and Usha Sanyal, all of whom contributed to the editing of the book. I thank my proofreaders for their generous help: Joseph and Ellen Kenny, Daniel Leyes, Eric Miller, and Ann Quinlivan.

After successfully defending my dissertation, I set to work extending my research on the topic, hoping to turn it into my first book. Unforeseen circumstances intervened, however; in 1991, in the middle of intense research and revision, my oldest daughter, Christine, was stricken by a severe, untreatable neurological illness, Rett Syndrome. My familys life was changed forever, as countless and complicated medical, educational, and therapeutic decisions regarding her care needed to be made daily. Although I continued to read, think, and carry on my research, I often felt discouraged, and frequently wondered if I would ever be able to finish a project that not long before had seemed within fairly easy reach.

It was also at this time that I lost my father, Vincent Gregory Tomes, to a brave battle with cancer. He was in many ways the intellectual inspiration of my life, and I had more respect for him than for anyone I have ever known. This book is dedicated to his memory, in gratitude for all the years and all the love, and for the constant exposure he gave me to culture and to intellectual life in all forms. His love of reading and of the arts influenced me profoundly as a child and young adult, and he championed this topic all along as one that sorely needed to be addressed. It is to him I am most indebted for the historian, but most of all the person, I have become.

The double blow took time to heal. I mention it because I was very lucky to have my family and friends behind me throughout; it may well be that I would never have returned to the project without their encouragement and support. I thank especially Gerald Brooks, Salvatore Capuccio, Joseph Daly, James Ducey, Arnold Gold, Daniel D. Leddy, Jr., John McKenna, Thomas Mullin, Patricia OBrien, Gerard Sheridan, Monica Spiro-Farrell, Frances Tomes, and Robert Weiss, in particular, all of whom never stopped assuring me that the book was good, that it was an important contribution to the field, and that it would indeed be published some day.

I also thank my mother, Julia Tomes, for being so helpful and supportive of my professional endeavors. Her assistance in many practical matters, particularly in the later stages of this project, was truly invaluable. I know she is among the happiest to see it completed. My uncle, Paul J. Tomes, and my aunt, Athalie Tomes, have all along had a great interest in the topic, Paul having served two two-year tours in Vietnam as an officer in the U.S. Army. In our many discussions about Vietnam over the years, Paul offered a sobriety and perspective that few written sources could provide, and the book is richer for that. Im sure some of those memories were painful ones to recall, but he never let that stand in the way. I thank him and Athalie most sincerely for all their support.

My grandfather, Vincent dePaul Tomes, firmly believed in the importance of the study of history, and as patriarch saw to it that all the Tomeses had an appreciation of and a respect for the past. Toward the end of his life, when I entered graduate school, his pride in my choice of career goals was critical to my success and perseverancehence his inclusion in the dedication.