Introduction – The War JFK Wanted to End

By late 1963, President John F. Kennedy had made a decision that shocked Washington’s most powerful figures—he planned to pull the U.S. out of Vietnam.

At the time, the Vietnam War was still in its early stages, but the CIA, Pentagon, and defense contractors had already committed to escalation.

Newly declassified JFK records are now fueling one of the most explosive questions in modern American history: Did JFK’s withdrawal plans threaten powerful war interests—and did those interests remove him to protect the system?

The Vietnam War and the Shadow Forces Behind It

1) JFK’s Withdrawal Plan – A Threat to the War Machine

One of the most frequently cited documents in this debate is National Security Action Memorandum (NSAM) 263 (October 11, 1963), which aligned U.S. policy toward withdrawal—beginning with 1,000 personnel by the end of 1963.

Whether JFK would have fully withdrawn is still debated. But what matters for this investigation is simple: his direction ran against the momentum inside the security state.

2) The Military-Industrial Complex – Who Benefited from Escalation?

After JFK’s assassination, policy direction shifted quickly. Supporters of the “power interest” theory argue that the timing is too perfect to ignore: the war expanded, budgets increased, and entire corporate ecosystems grew around conflict.

Even if you reject a conspiracy conclusion, the logic of motive still stands: major war creates major winners.

3) The Generals and Intelligence Leaders Who Opposed JFK

JFK’s restraint on military action placed him in open conflict with top leadership in the defense and intelligence establishment. The question isn’t whether disagreements existed—those are well documented.

The real question is darker: did those disagreements ever cross into removal?

The Open Case – What’s Still Missing?

Even with thousands of pages released, critical parts of the story remain incomplete. What’s missing is often as important as what was revealed.

• Top-level memos on Vietnam withdrawal debates remain redacted or scattered.
• Internal discussions connecting escalation strategy to intelligence policy remain unclear.
• Full records of immediate post-assassination decision-making are still disputed.
• The clearest motive of all—profit—remains difficult to map to direct operational proof.

Key question: If JFK’s assassination was unrelated to Vietnam, why do so many policy winners emerge immediately after his death?

Closing Thoughts – What Comes Next

JFK’s assassination didn’t just change who sat in the White House. It may have changed the direction of war itself. Vietnam became one of the defining conflicts of the modern era—and the timing of its escalation remains one of the most troubling pieces of this entire case.

Up next in the series: Part 6: The CIA, The Mob, and Jack Ruby – The Man Who Silenced Oswald.

Your turn: Did JFK’s plans to pull out of Vietnam get him killed? Or are people connecting dots that aren’t meant to connect?

Drop your thoughts below. If you’ve found something in the files, share what you’ve confirmed—or what you believe has been falsified.