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Westmoreland V. Cbs: The Law Of War And The Order Of Battle Controversy, Stephen B. Young

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article will contend that the law of war obligated Westmoreland to accept lower numbers for the military Order of Battle because the persons under consideration for inclusion were arguably noncombatant civilians entitled to the protections that the law of war reserved for nonbelligerents. To support this conclusion, this Article will first discuss the necessary distinction, as embodied in the law of war, between combatants and noncombatants. Next, it will discuss the circumstances of combat that Westmoreland discovered when United States forces entered the war to fight one-on-one with Vietnamese Communist units. It will then discuss Westmoreland's personal obligations under …