A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
Why did General Harkins feel the way he did about John Paul Vann's report?
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General Harkins tended to believe the local ARVN commanders over his own men at times, believing they had some sort of inside knowledge that the Americans did not possess. As such, he believed that Ap Bac had been a success (since the VC were driven away). John Paul Vann's account was so different to his perceptions that it enraged him.