VIETNAM STUDIES Allied Participation in Vietnam DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 959 .704334 L334a c.4 .) ..—..-7 I, THEAST ASIA •y NORTH L \ V.. 1E T N A M B U R M A HANOI • TON Kir DELTA r GULF 0 F TONKIN \ A THAILAND U. \ A X BANGKOK / ' \ • \RSPUBLIC 1 CAMBODIA G U L F \ 0 F V 4 PHNOM PENH T H A 1 L AND i VIETNAM A SAIGON MEKONG l'J\ DELTA SOUTH CHINA SEA BOUNDARIES NOT AUTHORITATIVE VIETNAM STUDIES ALLIED PARTICIPATION IN VIETNAM by Lieutenant General Stanley Robert Larsen and Brigadier General James Lawton Collins, Jr. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON, D.C., 1975 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 74-28217 First Printing For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $2.45 (paper cover) Stock Number 0820-00524 Foreword t V The United States Army has met an unusually complex chal­ lenge in Southeast Asia. In conjunction with the other services, the Army has fought in support of a national policy of assisting an emerging nation to develop governmental processes of its own choosing, free of outside coercion. In addition to the usual problems of waging armed conflict, the assignment in Southeast Asia has required superimposing the immensely sophisticated tasks of a modern army upon an underdeveloped environment and adapting them to demands covering a wide spectrum. These involved helping to fulfill the basic needs of an agrarian popula­ tion, dealing with the frustrations of antiguerrilla operations, and conducting conventional campaigns against well-trained and determined regular units. It is still necessary for the Army to continue to prepare for other challenges that may lie ahead. While cognizant that history never repeats itself exactly and that no army ever profited from trying to meet a new challenge in terms of the old one, the Army nevertheless stands to benefit immensely from a study of its ex­ perience, its shortcomings no less than its achievements. Aware that some years must elapse before the official histo­ ries will provide a detailed and objective analysis of the experi­ ence in Southeast Asia, we have sought a forum whereby some of the more salient aspects of that experience can be made available now. At the request of the Chief of Staff, a representative group of senior officers who served in important posts in Vietnam and who still carry a heavy burden of day-to-day responsibilities has prepared a series of monographs. These studies should be of great value in helping the Army develop future operational con­ cepts while at the same time contributing to the historical record and providing the American public with an interim report on the performance of men and officers who have responded, as others have through our history, to exacting and trying de­ mands. All monographs in the series are based primarily on official records, with additional material from published and unpub­ lished secondary works, from debriefing reports and interviews with key participants, and from the personal experience of the author. To facilitate security clearance, annotation and detailed in bibliography have been omitted from the published version; a fully documented account with bibliography is filed with the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The reader should be reminded that most of the writing was accomplished while the war in Vietnam was at its peak, and the monographs frequently refer to events of the past as if they were taking place in the present. Lieutenant General Stanley Robert Larsen is well qualified to write the history of the Republic of Korea armed forces in the Vietnam conflict. As Commanding General, I Field Force, Viet­ nam, from August 1965 to August 1967, he skillfully managed the complex administrative and logistical problems incidental to the arrival of Korean Army and Marine units within his area of command. As the senior U.S. military official in the II Corps Tactical Zone to which the Koreans were assigned, General Lar­ sen was in a good position to observe the abilities and accom­ plishments of the Korean forces in Vietnam. Drawing on his previous experience as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations of the Eighth U.S. Army in Korea, General Larsen worked closely with the Koreans on joint military operations and on numerous programs designed to win the allegiance of the Vietnamese people. In recognition of his outstanding service and assistance to the Korean armed forces in Vietnam, the Kore­ an government awarded General Larsen the Order of Ulchi, one of its most prestigious decorations. Brigadier General James Lawton Collins, Jr., presently the Chief of Military History, U.S. Army, has the wealth of experi­ ence required to tell the story of allied participation in the Viet­ nam War. After having served in Korea as the Assistant Com­ mander, I Corps (Group) Artillery, General Collins had two tours of duty in Vietnam that involved close liaison with all na­ tions participating in the allied effort. In 1964 he was assigned as the senior U.S. adviser to the Vietnamese Regional Forces and Popular Forces, and in May 1965 was named Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. In the latter capacity General Collins was the personal represent­ ative of General Westmoreland to the Vietnamese Joint General Staff on all matters pertaining to the co-ordination of U.S., Viet­ namese, and allied forces operations. For his outstanding service in Vietnam, the Republic of Vietnam awarded him the National Order and the Army Distinguished Service Medal, two of its most coveted awards. Washington, D.C. VERNE L. BOWERS 1 May 1974 Major General, USA The Adjutant General IV Preface More than forty nations provided assistance to the Republic of Vietnam in its struggle against North Vietnam. This aid ranged from economic and technical assistance to educational and humanitarian contributions. Hundreds of Free World civil­ ians worked in Vietnam as doctors, teachers, and technical spe­ cialists. Eight nations also provided military assistance. The flags of these Free World countries—the United States, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Republic of China, and Spain—flew alongside the colors of the Republic of Vietnam at the headquarters of the Free World Mili­ tary Assistance Forces in Saigon. The military contributions of these nations included combat troops, army medical teams, and individual political warfare advisers. The degree of assistance and co-operation among the concerned Free World nations re­ sulted from years of work and involvement. While many nations expressed sympathy for the plight of South Vietnam, aid did not always come easily, quickly, or to the extent desired. Many na­ tions, beset by their own internal economic and political prob­ lems, could do little to help; others did nothing. The story of the efforts of the contributing nations and the efforts to enlist their aid is the subject of this monograph. The members of the Sixth Army Historical Staff, under the guidance of Mr. Herbert Avedon, Sixth Army Historian, gave generous assistance in putting together those elements of the monograph that refer to Korean activities after 1 August 1967. Without their detailed research and helpful suggestions the sto­ ry of the Koreans in Vietnam would have taken much longer to complete. The revision of the Korean part of the manuscript owes much to the skill of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Focer, Headquarters, U.S. Army, Pacific. For their efforts in researching and drafting other chapters in this volume thanks are due especially to Dr. Richard A. Hunt, who helped to assemble the monograph in its final form, over­ seeing its progress through the staff and contributing to the first chapter; Lieutenant Colonel John E. Eshelman, U.S. Army, who helped to launch the volume; and Loretto C. Stevens, who gave skilled editorial assistance. Their work and support made the his­ tory of the Allied effort in Vietnam immeasurably less difficult to tell. Washington, D.C. STANLEY ROBERT LARSEN 1 May 1974 Lieutenant General, U.S. Army JAMES LAWTON COLLINS, JR. Brigadier General, U.S. Army VI Contents Chapter Page I. THE BACKGROUND, 1961-1966 1 Early Negotiations for Aid to Vietnam 2 Free World Troops in Vietnam, 1965-1966 .... 14 II. THAILAND 25 Beginnings of Thai Assistance 26 Thai Operations 45 Last Years of Assistance 48 III. THE PHILIPPINES 52 History of Philippine Aid 53 Pacification Efforts 76 The Thanh Dien Refugee Resettlement Project ... 83 IV. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 88 V. THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA 115 VI. THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA 120 The Korean Commitment 120 Operational Control of Korean Troops 131 Initial Developments 135 Results of Korean Combat Operations 147 Evaluation of Korean Operations 151 Tactics 154 Ambushes 156 Pacification Efforts 157 VII. NONMILITARY AID TO VIETNAM 160 Far East 161 Middle East 163 Africa 164 Europe 164 North America 168 Latin America 168 vn Page APPENDIX A: LEAFLET ADDRESSED TO THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE 171 GLOSSARY 175 INDEX 177 Tables No. 1. Strength of Free World Military Assistance Forces, 1964-1970 23 2. Location, Strength, and Mission of New Zealand Forces, June 1969 110 Charts 1. Organization of Royal Thai Army Volunteer Force, 25 January 1968 39 2. Royal Thai Forces, Vietnam 43 3. Philippine Civic Action Group, Vietnam 63 4. Organization of Philippine Contingent, Vietnam 75 5. Republic of China Military Assistance Group, Vietnam . 118 Maps 1. Royal Thai Forces, Vietnam, August 1969 45 2. Concept of Ben Cam Operation, Royal Thai Army Volunteer Force, 24 November-4 December 1969 46 3. 1st Philippine Civic Action Group, Vietnam, Disposition, 1967 . 61 4. 1st Philippine Civic Action Group, Vietnam, Tay Ninh Prov­ ince, 1967 84 5.