This past Memorial Day evening found me regrouping from a hectic road trip at a motel in Burlington, VT.  Scanning the TV channels I came across a ceremony on CSPAN at the Vietnam War memorial in DC.  A military chaplain gave a solemn speech meant to sound significant.  This was followed by a drab discussion about the importance of refurbishing the foreboding monument.  It was all very official.

What these military officers failed to mention, however, is the declassified documents confirming that the “gulf of tonkin” incident, which was the primary …