The Vietnam War was a crucial period of American and world history that included many significant military and political leaders. Of the military leaders, the most important men include Robert McNamara, William Westmoreland, Clark Clifford, Vo Nguyen Giap, Nguyen Van Thieu, and William Calley Jr. The noteworthy political leaders included Ho Chi Minh, Ngo Ding Diem, Dean Rusk, Bao Dai and American Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon.