Who is William C. Westmoreland from The Best and the Brightest and what is their importance?

General William C. Westmoreland was named commander of American forces in Vietnam in June 1964. He had been born in South Carolina in 1914, three miles west of Spartanburg. His father was the manager of a local textile factory. Even as a youth, Westmoreland had been fascinated by uniforms and playing soldier. He attended the Citadel and then West Point where he became the First Captain of his class. He served in North Africa in World War II and then in Sicily. He was also involved in the invasion of Normandy and was made Chief of Staff of the 82nd Airborne. It was then that he married Kitsy Van Dusen.