Wednesday, April 7th, began at the Carlisle in New York, a little past 10.

This is Lady Bird Johnson, recording her daily White House diary entry.

Finally, the big event of the day, Lyndon's speech in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins University,

an important nationally televised speech, one of his major efforts to explain Vietnam to the United States

and hopefully to more of the world.

Lady Bird has this mostly right. It is an important speech, for reasons we'll get to in a moment.

But ever the loyalist, she has erred in her husband's

favor on one important point. This appearance will not be one of the president's efforts to

explain Vietnam. Essentially, this will be his only effort. With the conflict intensifying in Asia

and opposition growing at home, 60 million Americans will be watching Lady Bird's embattled husband

try to persuade the nation that this is a war worth fighting and a cause worth dying for.

Members of the faculty of John Hopkins, student body, my fellow Americans.

I'm David Brown, and this is episode 3 of LBJ's War.

I'll look back at how one of the most gifted political figures of his time lost his war I'm David Brown, and this is episode three of LBJ's War.

I'll look back at how one of the most gifted political figures of his time lost his way in a war he didn't start and didn't want, but somehow couldn't end.

Tonight, Americans and Asians are dying for a world where each people may choose its own path to change.

This is the principle.

Through 1964, an election year, LBJ had largely succeeded in keeping Vietnam under the radar.

But now, in the spring of 65, pressure is building on the president to explain his Vietnam policy to the nation. After much foot

dragging, he's agreed reluctantly to do so and has come to Johns Hopkins to make his case

to the country. Problem is, the country is already divided on what it wants him to do about the war.

In early April, 1965, I think he is getting it from both sides.

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