“They Don’t Send Lawyers to Vietnam”: A JAG Officer In Pleiku

Ken Rosenblum grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Brooklyn College, Brooklyn Law School, and New York University. After becoming a lawyer, he felt the call to serve in the military and entered the Judge Advocate General Corps. His initial duty was at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. While in that assignment, he volunteered for service in Vietnam, and was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division in Pleiku, where he served as both a defense attorney and prosecutor. After returning from Vietnam, he served at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., before leaving the military to enter private practice on Long Island. In his civilian career, he has served as a prosecutor, a consumer affairs advocate, and a reporter. In this interview, he explains his motivation for joining the military and serving as a JAG Officer. He describes several of the cases he encountered in Vietnam, analyzing the impact of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara’s “Project 100,000,” which resulted in the military lowering admissions standards to meet the needs of the war in Vietnam. Finally, he talks about the pride he derives from his service in Vietnam.