Essential Matters A History of the Cryptographic Branch of the People’s Army of Viet Nam, 1945-1975 with Supplement on Cryptography in the Border Guard, 1959-1989 DDavidavid W.W. GaddyGaddy wwasas tthehe ffounderounder andand firstfirst ChiefChief ooff NNSA’sSA’s CCenterenter fforor CryptologicCryptologic History.History. HHee bbeganegan hhisis ccareerareer iinn ccryptologyryptology aass a ccryptanalystryptanalyst ((foreignforeign language)language) iinn 11953953 aandnd sservederved iinn a vvarietyariety ofof staffstaff andand lineline managementmanagement ccapacitiesapacities bbeforeefore bbeingeing givengiven thethe opportunityopportunity toto createcreate thethe CCenterenter fforor CryptologicCryptologic HistoryHistory inin 19891989 andand headingheading itit duringduring itsits firstfirst threethree years.years. Mr.Mr. GaddyGaddy wwasas a ccharterharter membermember ofof thethe SeniorSenior CryptologicCryptologic ExecutiveExecutive SServiceervice aandnd a ggraduateraduate ooff tthehe AArmedrmed FForcesorces StaffStaff CollegeCollege andand thethe NationalNational WWarar CCololllege.ege. HHee hheldeld ddegreesegrees ffromrom MMarsars HHillill CCollegeollege ((A.A.),A.A.), tthehe UniversityUniversity ofof NorthNorth Carolina,Carolina, ChapelChapel HillHill (B.A.),(B.A.), andand thethe GeorgeGeorge WashingtonWashington UUni-ni- vversityersity (M.S.).(M.S.). HeHe waswas NSA’sNSA’s secondsecond rrecipientecipient ooff tthehe NNationalational FForeignoreign IIntelligencentelligence MMedaledal ooff AAchievement,chievement, awardedawarded byby thethe DCI.DCI. Mr.Mr. GaddyGaddy wwasas a rrecognizedecognized sspecialistpecialist iinn mmid-nineteenthid-nineteenth ccenturyentury mmilitaryilitary history,history, concentratingconcentrating onon tthehe SSignalignal CCorps,orps, ccryptography,ryptography, aandnd ssecretecret serviceservice ofof tthehe CConfederateonfederate States.States. HeHe waswas a coauthorcoauthor ofof thethe 19881988 CComeome RRetribution:etribution: TThehe CConfederateonfederate SSecretecret SServiceervice andand tthehe AssassinationAssassination ofof Lincoln,Lincoln, cco-winnero-winner ofof thethe 19881988 NationalNational IIntelligencentelligence SStudytudy CCen-en- tterer ““bestbest book”book” aawardward fforor intelligenceintelligence literature.literature. Mr.Mr. GaddyGaddy retiredretired fromfrom NNSASA iinn 11994994 aandnd passedpassed aawayway iinn 22015.015. Cover: North Vietnamese listening post operator Essential Matters A History of the Cryptographic Branch of the People’s Army of Viet Nam, 1945-1975 with a Supplement on Cryptography in the Border Guard (formerly Armed Public Security Forces), 1959-1989 Translated and Edited by David W. Gaddy Center for Cryptologic History National Security Agency 1994, Reprinted 2017 GU /,, f' QI' TON KI N R2 CQl,,/I OP TllA/lAA'D INDOCHINA ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS _.."""" ,. _ __,, ___ .,._ -___....... -~-<r.•- ~-......, ,.,,,,,,_,,,,,,_ ..........,, ,, - • A<,o<o..- ·.,..,. iu.1':. ,_":;::..-;:.;:'r,"·-·'--._.. ~.. ~ --~,,,.,., ·, __, 't r .......... 0 s Contents Introduction to 2017 Edition ..................................................................................................... v Foreword ....................................................................................................................................vii Notes on the Translation ........................................................................................................... xi Essential Matters Facsimile of Original Title Page, Epigraph, and Photos ...................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 The Genesis of the Cryptographic Branch of the People’s Army of Viet Nam .......................................... 7 Chapter 2 Consolidating and Building Organization and Professional Technique, Meeting Command Leadership Requirements in the First Five Months of the Protracted Resistance (1947-1950) ........... 21 Chapter 3 The Army Cryptographic Branch Continues to Build and Develop in Every Aspect, Serving Command Leadership, Developing Guerrilla Warfare, and Stepping Up Mobilization for Progress into War of Movement (1951-1953) ............................................................................................. 51 Chapter 4 The Army Cryptographic Branch in the Winter-Spring Strategic Offensive of 1953-1954 and the Dien Bien Phu Campaign (1953-1954) ........................................................................................................ 67 Chapter 5 The Army Cryptographic Branch Expands in Every Aspect; Widespread Use of the KTB Technique; Participating in the Discharge of Duties in the New Stage of the Revolution (1955-1965) ............................................................................................................. 77 Chapter 6 Ensuring Leadership and Command Service in Beating the Escalating War of Destruction of the American Aggressors in the North and the Violent Local War in the South (1965-1968) .................105 Map, opposite: “Indochina Atlas,” October 1970, Directorate of Intelligence, Office of Basic and Geographic Intel- ligence, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (Courtesy of The General Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin) Essential Matters Chapter 7 Ensuring Service to Leadership, Guidance, and Command in Defeating the American Imperialists’ “Vietnamization Strategy” and their Second War of Destruction in the North (1969-1972) ............................................................................................................................121 Chapter 8 The Army Cryptographic Branch in the Strategic General Offensive to Liberate the South in the Spring of 1975 .........................................................................................................................141 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................................... 155 Supplement: Cryptography in the Armed Public Security Forces, 1959-1989 ......................................................... 159 iv Introduction to 2017 Edition Dave Gaddy’s original foreword tells readers all American students to gain deep knowledge in a ton- they need to know about the text that follows. How- al language. The complicated writing system that the ever, I would be remiss if I did not use the opportu- French developed using Latin letters for Vietnamese nity to tell you more about Dave Gaddy, for this book characters also presented more “tactical” challenges would not have been possible without his unique for sending Vietnamese in Morse code. skill set. He came to NSA as a new college graduate Gaddy and the early analysts of the Viet Minh in 1953. Without telling him anything about the pro- saw the organization grow in sophistication—not spective job, the NSA recruiter mysteriously asked just in their military capabilities but also in their him if he liked puzzles or chess. Gaddy was soon cryptography. By 1957, Gaddy said, “We saw greater offered a position and began his career at Arlington communication security and the use of more sophis- Hall, Virginia. After six months of language train- ticated techniques in code construction.” Years lat- ing, he was assigned to the division that targeted the er, the Americans learned the first Viet Minh cryp- Viet Minh, the Vietnamese communist resistance to tographers had studied the subject in China for six the French and then the Americans. Decades later, months. Gaddy found the work rewarding, sum- he would recall the difficulty of the Vietnamese lan- ming it up as, “Working the Viet Minh or North guage in an oral history. There were no Vietnamese- Vietnamese problem was a great intellectual chal- English dictionaries in the early 1950s. NSA linguists lenge. There was always something new to learn. in search of meaning had to initially look up words We became totally absorbed, living and breathing in a Vietnamese-French dictionary, then consult a our problem.” From 1961 to 1967, Gaddy was chief French-English dictionary. of the division that produced SIGINT on the North The Vietnamese language instruction at NSA Vietnamese Army and he went on to hold a number was good, but it had to be supplemented by practical of very senior management positions at NSA. experience. The instructors did not hold clearances, In 1989, prompted by then NSA Director Admi- so they taught the language in general; the analysts ral William O. Studeman, Gaddy drew up the con- needed it as used in conversation by a military orga- cepts for the Center for Cryptologic History (CCH) nization engaged in military activities. In addition, and became its first chief. Furthermore, he cleared since the instructors emphasized a reading knowl- the bureaucratic hurdles to enable the first Crypto- edge of the language, it was more difficult for the v v Essential Matters CCH, Gaddy began its onerous translation. In 1994 CCH was able to publish it. We believe that the translation of Essential Matters is an essential part of any cryptologic history library and, indeed, a neces- sary part of any Vietnam War historian’s collection. Dave Gaddy passed away in 2015, but to hon- or his memory, we offer this updated version with enhanced images, graphics, and text. The original translation remains that of Gaddy. He was a man of wide-ranging talents and remarkable energy, and Essential Matters is but one small part of his endur- ing legacy. The photograph shows