McMaster holds a Ph.D in American History from the University of North Carolina. His dissertation is a harsh criticism of [[President Lyndon Johnson]], [[Robert McNamara]], and other's conduct of the [[Vietnam war]]. McMaster notoriously is quoted as saying after the Battle of Tal Afar in 2005, “body counts are completely irrelevant.” <ref>https://leftistcritic.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/body-counts-are-completely-irrelevant-h-r-mcmaster-the-new-national-security-advisor/ </ref>
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McMaster holds a Ph.D in American History from the University of North Carolina. His dissertation is a harsh criticism of [[President Lyndon Johnson]], [[Robert McNamara]], and other's conduct of the [[Vietnam war]]. With a clear reference to Vietnam-era reporting, McMaster answered punctiliously how journalsts' questions fit into strategic thinking after the Battle of Tal Afar in 2005, “body counts are completely irrelevant.” <ref>https://leftistcritic.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/body-counts-are-completely-irrelevant-h-r-mcmaster-the-new-national-security-advisor/ </ref>