Lewis Sorley, a military historian and retired United States Army officer, passed away on September 25 at his home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, at the age of 90. His death was confirmed by his stepdaughter, Susan Merritt.
Mr. Sorley is known for his revisionist book “A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America’s Last Years in Vietnam,” published in 1999. The book gained attention at the Pentagon during the early years of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, where it was assigned reading for officers seeking insights for those conflicts. However, its main thesis was largely rejected outside the Pentagon.
In his book, Mr. Sorley argued that the Vietnam War was won by the U.S. by the end of 1970, attributing this success to the pacification of the South Vietnamese countryside. He contended that the U.S. “defaulted” on commitments to South Vietnam after 1972, which allowed North Vietnam to prevail.
A graduate of West Point, Mr. Sorley credited General Creighton Abrams, under whom he served, for shifting military strategy from attrition to winning hearts and minds. His research included taped meetings with General Abrams, which he considered crucial for his analysis. In 2011, he published a critical biography of General William Westmoreland, Abrams' predecessor.
In the conclusion of “A Better War,” Mr. Sorley stated that the withdrawal of American support led to South Vietnam's defeat. However, many historians, journalists, and veterans criticized his perspective, arguing that it overlooked key factors that rendered the Vietnam War unwinnable.
Critics pointed out that Mr. Sorley minimized the national liberation aspect of the conflict for the Vietnamese Communists and the lack of support for the American-backed government in Saigon. They also noted the significant civilian casualties that turned public opinion against the U.S. and the weak resolve of South Vietnamese forces.
Journalist Jonathan Mirsky described Mr. Sorley’s arguments as lacking serious analysis, questioning why the South Vietnamese armies, despite U.S. backing, were so ineffective. Mr. Sorley’s defense of General Abrams and his strategies, particularly the Accelerated Pacification Campaign, was also scrutinized for its impact on civilian casualties.
Mr. Sorley expressed criticism of Ken Burns’s 2017 PBS documentary series on the Vietnam War, labeling it as “deeply flawed.”
Born on August 3, 1934, in West Point, New York, Mr. Sorley had a distinguished military career. He served in various capacities, including as a tank platoon leader in Germany and as an instructor at West Point. He participated in the Vietnam War and later joined the U.S. Army War College faculty.
After retiring from the Army in 1976, Mr. Sorley worked as a senior civilian official in the CIA and earned a Ph.D. in national security policy from Johns Hopkins University in 1979. He authored several books on military history and strategy.
Mr. Sorley is survived by his stepdaughter, two stepsons, a sister, and four step-grandchildren. His wife, Virginia, passed away earlier this year, and he also lost a daughter from a previous marriage in 2018.
His stepdaughter remarked on his passion for the military and admiration for the generals he wrote about, stating, “He loved the Army, and being in the military, and driving tanks.”