Which general replaced Westmoreland as commander in Vietnam and oversaw the withdrawal of U.S. forces?

• A. Maxwell D. Taylor
• B. Creighton Abrams
• C. Harold K. Johnson
• D. Paul D. Harkins

Answer: (B)

Creighton Abrams is the general who took over command in Vietnam after Westmoreland and later led the United States toward withdrawing its forces. He assumed command in 1968, in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive, and faced a war that required redefining strategy amid growing public pressure. Abrams moved the effort in a direction that emphasized Vietnamization—shifting more combat burden to South Vietnamese forces while the United States reduced its own ground presence. This meant a deliberate, staged withdrawal of American troops and a reallocation of resources to training and supporting South Vietnamese units, rather than a continuation of large-scale U.S. combat deployments. His tenure set the on-the-ground framework for the reduction of U.S. forces that continued into the early 1970s.

The other generals listed held important roles at different times or within different commands, so they did not replace Westmoreland as commander in Vietnam and oversee the withdrawal in the same period. Maxwell D. Taylor was a senior officer who later chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Harold K. Johnson served as Army Chief of Staff during much of the mid-1960s; Paul D. Harkins led earlier phases of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam but not the post-Tet-era command transition that focused on withdrawal.