“Fighting The Wolves At The Door”: From Advisor In Vietnam To Department Head At West Point

BG(R) Robert Doughty grew up in Louisiana, and graduated from West Point with the Distinguished Class of 1965. He branched Armor and, after a tour in Germany, deployed to Vietnam as an Advisor in 1968. Aside from a brief stint at Fort Leavenworth, and a tour in Germany from 1979-1981, his career revolved around education and teaching. He earned a Master’s Degree at UCLA and a PhD at the University of Kansas, and then served on the faculty at Leavenworth before returning to West Point, where he spent the remainder of his career. He retired in 2005 after 40 years on active duty, and 20 years as the head of the History Department. In this interview, he talks about his childhood and his decision to attend West Point. He describes his tour in Vietnam and provides his perspective on working with the ARVN, paying particular attention to the qualities of the Vietnamese Soldiers he worked with. He discusses his experiences with the Army History Program, his own scholarship, the West Point Department of History under the leadership of BG Thomas Griess, BG Roy Flint, and finally his tenure as the department head. He concludes by examining institutional issues at West Point.