On subject of Gen. Maxwell Taylor, Proteus writes:
“You should ask Bill Kelley for his source. He recently wrote:
“General Maxwell Taylor (US Army): Personally appointed as Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) over other, more qualified officers, based on a book he wrote that Kennedy read and liked. At the time of the assassination, Taylor and the JCS were meeting with the West German General Staff who later reported that they were incredulous at Taylor’s response to the news of the assassination – he took a nap.”
In his talk about JFK´s Vietnam policies, John Newman pointed out Taylor´s role at the Honolulu conference on at 20/11 and 21/11 (Ed. note: November 21-22] 1963. According to Newman, Taylor “gutted” the plan to withdraw 1,000 troops till the end of ´63 by simultaneously preparing plans for stronger actions against North Vietnam.
General Loan , told me that Taylor treated Vietnamese Generals like West Point Cadets.
There’s a slightly different version of Taylor’s nap in A J Langguth’s book Our Vietnam: The War 1954-1975.
“Before Jack Kennedy recalled him to active duty, Taylor had been hired to oversee construction of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan.During that civilian interlude, he had taken to napping every day after lunch. When he returned to the Pentagon, Taylor ordered his staff never to disturb him when his door was closed. He had barely stretched out on his sofa when a general disobeyed him and called from the military command center to say that the president was dying.”
“Taylor summoned the Chiefs to his office to discuss whether this was part of a plot to overthrow the US government. Orders went to the nine ranking commanders around the world to raise their level of readiness.”
Taylor knew he could be up for many hours. He gave orders, and then had the good sense to prepare himself for those hours awake. The most basic book on Leadership warns that a Commander must take care of himself. It is critical to high ranking Officers they are above things. It is of the utmost importance they have a moral Officer for Chief of Staff.