But secretly I suspect there was quite an undercurrent of pro-war feeling.

Regarding the above-mentioned whatever-it-is, I am quite of 
the suspicion that there lurked here in the USA a strong
undercurrent of definite war support that included major war
effort approval INCLUDING BIG ESCALATION! if need be, and that
there was a major drift towards getting it over with by way of
MAJOR POUNDING OF THE(so-called)ENEMY!!!!  Ah, but that sort
of method was potentially the road to GIGANTIC DISASTER, and
merely pulling out and later saying bye-bye to SVN GOV was a
'little problem' compared to the GIGANTIC PROBLEM of possible
mega-war, or at least the huge eruption of anti-war violence
that would have been inexorable if the war was escalated via
an all-out conventional effort with big mobilization.
The only way to get away with a really BIG mobilization was
early on, and yet for what?
   -Pearl Harbor was one thing, the invasion of France in '40
    was another (and earlier) thing; and the supposed shooting
    at US ships by NVN attack boats was another and ever so
    much smaller thing altogether>(even the crossing of ROK
    border by NK in '50 in big attack sweep was not met by
    all out mobilization).
HOW COULD USA GET AWAY WITH AN ALL OUT MOBILIZATION IN VIETNAM?
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
So, there was pressure to ensure the war was not over
escalated or dragged on forever. There was no other option.
Nixon saved the day....  
                   signed x hippie freak