Interview with John Sherman Cooper, June 21, 1986

Partial Transcript: Senator for--for nearly a year, prior to the spring of 1970, you had been warning the Senate about the danger of--of the war in Southeast Asia widening.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper discusses his opposition to President Nixon's decision to send troops to Cambodia during the Vietnam War in 1970.

Keywords: Able; Amendment; Apprehension; Argument; Arrival; Assist; Bad; Boat people; Chairman; Communist sanctuaries; Congressional record; Deny; Different; Entrance; Escape; Expansion; Funds; Honorable; Investigation; Modification; North Vietnam; Offered; Passed; Possibility; Questions; Richard Nixon; Road; Secretary of state; Senate; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Senators; South Vietnam; South Vietnamese; Space shuttle; Today; Troops; Unable; Warning; Widening; William P. Rogers; Wrong

Subjects: Cambodia; Cambodians; Change; Disucssion; Honesty; Laos; Military; Newspapers; Politicians; Protection; Security; Southeast Asia; Sponsors; Thailand; Time; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; War; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: . . .The first Cooper-Church Amendment was introduced.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper recalls the circumstances behind the first Cooper-Church Amendment he introduced in 1970.

Keywords: Attack; Bipartisan; Commander-in-chief; Congressional record; Cooper-Church Amendment; Cut off; Deadline; Debate; Defense; Democrats; Disliked; Duty; Ernest Gruening; Exit; Foreign Military Sales bill; Frank Church; Funds; George Aiken; Governor; Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; Initiated; Intentions; Introduced; Joined; Lyndon Johnson; Mike Mansfield; Mistakes; Offer; Opposed; President; Problem; Promise; Reason; Republicans; Richard Nixon; Right; Senate; Senate Majority Leader; Senators; Sent; Time limit; Troops; U.S. Air Force; U.S. Navy; Vote; Voted; Wayne Morse; Well-known; Worse

Subjects: Alaska; Article; Authority; Cambodia; Criticism; Danger; Growth; Justification; Oregon; People; Politicians; Protection; Respect; Sponsors; Thinking; Time; United States; Vermont; Vietnam; Vietnam War; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Weren't--weren't you also talking with administration officials to try to work out some kind of a--a Senate presidential position on Cambodia?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper evaluates the Nixon administration position on sending troops to Cambodia. Cooper provides his opinion on the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Keywords: Accommodation; Against; Allies; Casualties; Commander-in-chief; Committed; Consultation; Correct; Defense; Difficult; Effort; Feeling; Few; Forces; Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; Introduced; Killed; Larger; Longest war; Lyndon Johnson; Mike Mansfield; Negotiations; No objections; North Vietnam; Objection; Outline; Peaceful; Plans; President; Proper; Questioning; Richard Nixon; Right; Senate; Senate floor; Senators; Size; Talking; Troops; Unsuccessful; White House; William Fulbright

Subjects: Administration; Danger; Fear; History; Meeting; People; Politicians; Power; Soldiers; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; War; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: The Cambodian invasion touched off a--a whole series of demonstrations across the country against the war, particularly on college campuses.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper remembers the anti-war sentiment that developed in the U.S. after the decision to send troops to Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Cooper reflects upon the lengthy Senate floor debates concerning the first Cooper-Church Amendment.

Keywords: Amendments; Angry; Beliefs; Bitter; Bob Dole; Claims; Commander-in-chief; Consideration; Continue; Cooper-Church Amendment; Debate; Defeat; Defense; Difficult; Disliked; Draft dodgers; Duty; Easy; Effort; Emotional; First floor; Groups; Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; Harry F. Byrd Jr.; Introduced; Involved; Long night; Margin; Mercenaries; Negotiations; Never discussed; No congressional approval; No criticism; No effect; Offered; Office; Old people; Open; Passed; Plans; President; Release; Repeal; Resolution; Right; Robert P. Griffin; Senate; Senate floor; Senators; Separate; Sessions; Support; Surprising; Troops; U.S. Constitution; Unable; Universities; Unsure; Visiting; Vote; Weakened; William Fulbright; Withdraw

Subjects: American University; Americans; Authority; Cambodia; Canada; Change; Demonstrations; Europe; Families; Honesty; Michigan; Politicians; Princeton (Ky.); Princeton University; Prisoners of war; Protection; Public opinion; Russell Senate Office Building (Washington, D.C.); Speeches; Students; Time; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Views; War; Washington (D.C.); Wealth

Partial Transcript: What in your opinion was the main significance of that first Cooper-Church Amendment?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper considers the significance of the first Cooper-Church Amendment. Cooper compares the Vietnam War policies of Presidents Johnson and Nixon, respectively.

Keywords: Able; Bad; Beginning; Civil Rights Act; Clear; Congressional powers; Constitutional questions; Debate; Defeated; Delegation; Detection; Determined; Different; Disliked; End; Fight; Firm; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Help; Intentions; Lal Bahadur Shastri; Lost; Lyndon Johnson; Met; Military victory; Naval base; News; Nixon doctrine; No More Vietnams (book); Present; President; Presidential powers; Privations; Reflection; Resources; Richard Nixon; Right; Rule out; Russian submarines; Sad; Secretary of state; Senate; Senators; Similar; South Vietnam; Southerner; Spreading; Studied; Successor; Today; Undertaken; Uninvolved; Vietnamization program; Visit; Won

Subjects: Administration; Airplanes; Anger; Books; Countries; Death; Great society; Guam; India; Islands; Lawyers; Military; Nuclear energy; People; Politicians; Power; Presidents; Prime Minister; Reading; Russia; Scholars; Soviet Union; Successful; Texan; Travel; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnamese; War; Washington (D.C.); Work; World War II; Writing

Partial Transcript: Now back--back to this Cooper-Church, do you remember anything about the--the Senate House Conference Committee. . .

Segment Synopsis: Cooper briefly talks of the congressional conference committee that was called for the potential passage of the first Cooper-Church Amendment. Cooper remembers how certain Senators voted on the first Cooper-Church Amendment.

Keywords: Against; Congressional conference committee; Cooper-Church Amendment; Deadlock; Good mind; Howard Baker Jr.; Hugh Scott; Independent; John Sparkman; Killed; Margaret Chase Smith; President; Senate; Senators; Sponsor; Supporters; Surprising

Subjects: Leadership; Politicians; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Washington (D.C)

Partial Transcript: What--what was your mail like on this issue, on the Cooper-Church?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper describes the type of mail he received regarding the Cooper-Church Amendments.

Keywords: Attacked; Attitude; Congress; Congressional conference committee; Constituents; Cooper-Church Amendment; Deadlocked; Delegations; Different; Emotional; Groups; Honorable; Idea; Issue; Negotiations; Office; Opinions; Opposed; Places; Ready; Refused; Same; Senate; Senators; Sent; Situation; Support; Talking; Universities; Unwilling; Visit; W. Averell Harriman

Subjects: Americans; Anger; Death; Families; Kentucky; Life; Mail; Military; Nurses; Paris (France); Politicians; Sons; States; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnamese; Volume; War; Washington (D.C.); Wives; Women; Writing

Partial Transcript: The--the Hatfield-McGovern Amendment.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper explains why he was opposed to the Hatfield-McGovern Amendment.

Keywords: Close friends; Co-sponsor; Congressional record; Cooper-Church Amendment; Deadline; Disagreed; Frank Church; Hatfield-McGovern Amendment; Idea; Killing; Moved; New amendment; Opposed; Public; Senate; Senators; Supporter; Tributes; Troops; Vote; Withdraw

Subjects: Integrity; People; Politicians; Retirement; Speeches; Sponsors; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; War; Washington (D.C.); Work

Partial Transcript: . . .That first Cooper-Church Amendment was revived in--in December of 1970.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper discusses the debates surrounding the second Cooper-Church Amendment in 1971. Cooper recalls two trips he took to Vietnam during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s.

Keywords: Accepted; Action; Agreement; Airplane; Amendments; Arrangements; Before; Beliefs; Border; Broken; Capital; City; Combat activity; Committed; Contradictions; Debates; Denied; Ellsworth Bunker; End; Familiar; Feeling; First time; Flight; General Westmoreland; Ground forces; Headquarters; Help; Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.; House; Ignored; Interested; Leaving; Limit; Limited; Little hope; Lyndon Johnson; Media; North Vietnam; Outcome; Passed; President; Print; Refused; Religious groups; Result; Return; Richard Nixon; Rights; Secretary of the air force; Senate; Senators; South Vietnam; Stayed; Stuart Symington; Supportive; Troops; U.S. Air Force base; U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam; Use of funds; Worse

Subjects: Administration; Cambodia; Change; Civilians in war; Honor; Law; Management; Men; Military; Murder; People; Politicians; Protection; Southeast Asia; Successful; Thailand; Travel; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; War; Washington (D.C.); Women; World Bank

Partial Transcript: Do you remember the. . .My Lai Massacre and the--the--the subsequent conviction of--of Lieutenant Calley, over that massacre?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper discusses some of the reactions of constituents to the My Lai Massacre in 1968.

Keywords: Conviction; Decorated; Letter; Phone call; Protest; Relatives; Return; Richard Nixon; Senate; Senators; Trauma; William Calley

Subjects: Arizona; Georgetown (Ky.); Kentuckians; Letters; Mail; Man; Medals; My Lai Massacre, Vietnam, 1968; People; Politicians; United States; Veterans; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: In 1971, you and Senator Church co-sponsored another Cooper-Church Amendment, this would be the--the third one.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper highlights his experiences with the third Cooper-Church Amendment in 1971.

Keywords: Accept; Amendments; Commander-in-chief; Congress; Congressional appropriations; Congressional powers; Cooper-Church Amendment; Correct; Defeated; Denied; End; Explicit; Forced; Funds; Henry Kissinger; Interests; Invited; Military funds; President; Prevention; Provision; Purpose; Reduction; Senate; Senators; Troops; Unable; Vote; White House; Widening; Withdraw

Subjects: Authority; Discussions; Federal government; Indo-China; Lobbying; Money; Politicians; Power; Pressure; Protection; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Voting; War; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: What--what about Kissinger?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper offers his opinion of Henry Kissinger. Cooper considers reasons as to why the third Cooper-Church Amendment was unable to pass.

Keywords: Able; Consideration; Debate; Defeat; Henry Kissinger; House; Indira Gandhi; Infrequent; Long; Opposed; Overseas; President; Richard Nixon; Right; Senate; Senators; Sent; Supportive; Talking; Troops; Visiting; Well-educated; Well-read; Withdrawn

Subjects: India; Intellectual; Meetings; Politicians; Press releases; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: What was your position on--on--uh--amnesty for draft evaders during the Vietnam War?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper explains why he was against granting amnesty for draft dodgers during the Vietnam War. Cooper discusses the level of information he received from the White House on the Vietnam War while serving on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Keywords: Asked; Beliefs; Chairman; Defense; Difficult; Draft dodgers; Effective; Evade; Failed; Information; Issue; Johnson administration; Killed; Negotiations; Nixon administration; North Vietnamese; Not forced; Obey; Pay; Peace talks; Private; Problem; Senate; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Senators; Support; Taxes; Undeserving; Violate; Well-informed; William Fulbright

Subjects: Amnesty; Fairness; Law; Men; Paris (France); Politicians; Religion; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; War; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: But then suddenly there was a new communist offensive.

Segment Synopsis: Cooper describes the consequences of President Nixon's reaction to a communist offensive in 1972. Cooper explains why he was against amendments that called for the release of prisoners of war before combat actually ended in Vietnam.

Keywords: Accusation; After; Against; Agreed; Agreement; Attack; Awful; Brooke-Church Amendment,; Case-Church Amendment; Casualties; Cease fire; Communist offensive; Congressional record; Consideration; Contingent; Continuing; Cut off; Deadline; Debate; Defeated; Different; Edward W. Brooke; End date; Fighting; Finished; Funds; Harry F. Byrd Jr.; Holding; In favor; Initiated; Introduced; Issue; John Pastore; Killing; Learned; Lessened; Mean; No co-sponsors; No conditions; No reason; Not released; Ongoing; Position; Progress; Questioned; Reason; Release; Response; Secure; Senate; Senate floor; Senators; Statement; Strange; Time period; Useless; Voted; Withdraw

Subjects: Bombings; Change; Good; Haiphong (Vietnam); Hanoi (Vietnam); Massachusetts; Patriotism; Peace; Politicians; Prisoners of war; Time; United States; Vietnam War; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; War; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Do you think by that time the anti-war movement in the Senate had pretty much collapsed?

Segment Synopsis: Cooper talks of the anti-war movement in the Senate during the early 1970s. Cooper evaluates his role in the Senate debates over the Vietnam War.

Keywords: Abroad; Against; Brooke Amendment; Circumstances; Concluded; Congress; Consistent; Cutting off; Dangerous; Deploy; Difficult; Doctor; Effort; End; Funds; Help; Influence; John Sherman Cooper; Late; Meet; Ongoing; President; Reason; Same; Served; Similar; Thankful; Troops; U.S. Constitution; Well-known; Work together

Subjects: Change; Encouragement; Georgetown (Ky.); History; Home; Hope; Justification; Law; National security; People; Politicians; Power; Risk; Threats; Time; United States; Vietnam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; War; Washington (D.C.)