Grover Sr
One of the best things Lyndon Johnson
Saturday, November 24, 2018, 19:24

Did.

In 1966, France (under Charles de Gaulle), declared that it was pulling
out of NATO. French motives were simple: they did not want to be seen as
the 2nd rate power they had become in the shadow of America. De Gaulle
announced that all American troops on French soil must leave so as to
eliminate any trace of US military presence.

President Lyndon Johnson, who would soon be savaged by the American media
and anti-war movement ("Hey, Hey, LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?")
had his moments of honor. He also had a better grasp of history than most
politicians and protestors. Remember that this was the same France and
Charles de Gaulle that had been liberated largely by American troops in
two costly World Wars. Many thousands of US KIA's were buried throughout
France.

When Johnson's secretary of state, Dean Rusk, briefed LBJ on De Gaulle's
declaration and the resulting US plan to move NATO HQ from Paris, to
Brussels, Belgium, along with the withdrawal of all US troops from France,
the US commander in chief had only one comment: "Ask him about the cemeteries."
Rusk tried to talk LBJ out of this controversial response,
but the president was insistent: "Ask him about the cemeteries, Dean!"

LBJ stood by this presidential command. Rusk later brought it directly to
De Gaulle, following his brief as to how the US would honor the French
demand. Did the French in fact insist upon the removal of ALL American
troops from French soil - to include the bodies in the cemeteries?
In Rusk's autobiography, he records that De Gaulle, embarrassed, did not
reply.