Former White House Military Social Aide Alan Merten talks about the night LBJ thanked him for his work
Alan Merten worked in the White House during Lyndon Johnson’s presidency as Military Social Aide. He recalls a vivid memory of one night following a party during the difficult early days of the Vietnam War, Merten was standing with other staff in a crosshall when the President emerged from one of the rooms. Johnson thanked them for the evening and the opportunity to relax and have a good time with friends. As the President turned away, Merten says “You could feel the weight of the world as he walked down that hall."