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Interview with Lewis B. Hershey, April 27, 1971

Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia
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00:00:10 - Outlining Senator Russell's committee involvement

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Partial Transcript: I'm with General Lewis Blaine Hershey, who is advisor to the president on manpower mobilization and who is the retired director of Selective Service.

Keywords: Appropriations Committee; Military Affairs Committee; Selective Service Committee; Senate Armed Services Committee

00:08:57 - Senator Russell's delegation of authority / States' rights

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Partial Transcript: General, would you say then perhaps the closest working association you had with Senator Russell was during the early days of the Korean War?

Keywords: Armed Services Committee; Korean War; Vietnam War; confidence; federalism; leadership; subordinates

00:17:00 - Selective Service reform: the Burke Marshall Commission

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Partial Transcript: General, do you recall anything specific about the 1967 act concerning Russell?

Keywords: 1967 Draft Act; Armed Services Committee; centralization; draft; military; reserves; student deferment

00:23:00 - Speculating about Russell's positions on military strength

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Partial Transcript: General, I'm not sure exactly when this talk started but I know now, there's a lot of talk about an all-volunteer army as opposed to any selective service.

Keywords: Armed Services Committee; Veterans for Peace; military; national security; realism; volunteer service

00:30:27 - Lieutenant William L. Calley and desertion cases

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Partial Transcript: General, here again, this is something that happened after the death of Senator Russell, but it's something that has been going on for approximately three years and that is the case of Lt. [William L.] Calley...

Keywords: military law; relief of duty; resignation

00:35:32 - Senator Russell's capability as a chairman

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Partial Transcript: General, you mentioned the Truman-MacArthur situation, and of course, this was in 1952...

Keywords: Joint Committee on Armed Services and Foreign Relations; MacArthur; Truman

00:44:59 - Russell and the 1952 Democratic nomination / Russell and President Johnson

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Partial Transcript: General, would you have any observations about 1952 and Russell's candidacy for the president?

Keywords: Ernest Vandiver; bipartisanship; party; selective service

00:53:14 - Politics during crisis / Comparing Russell's relationships with presidents

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Partial Transcript: General, I'll mention several things that may have affected you and may have caused you to have had some conversations with the Senator. One is the Lebanese War, if you want to call that in 1967...

Keywords: Cuban missile crisis; Eisenhower; Kennedy; Vietnam; communications

01:02:28 - Senator Russell's character and lasting impact

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Partial Transcript: General, what would you say was his most outstanding personality trait, Senator Russell's most outstanding personality trait?

Keywords: Armed Services Committee; National Guard; integration; race; segregation