South Vietnam, January, 1968: Sen. Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy (D-Mass.) talks with refugees at Thuong Duc during his fact-finding mission to South Vietnam.

Upon his return he called for the U.S. to shift its emphasis in Vietnam from “search and destroy” operations to the protection of civilians in populated areas if peace negotiations were not begun soon. He also urged the Johnson administration to threaten Saigon with complete withdrawal of U.S. armed forces if the South Vietnamese government failed to seriously tackle the corruption plaguing the government.