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United States Foreign Assistance Oral History Program Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training United States Foreign Assistance Oral History Program Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection An Interview with ERNEST C. KUHN 1995 Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Arlington, Virginia This oral history transcription was made possible through support provided by the Center for Development Information and Evaluation, U.S. Agency for International Development, under terms of Cooperative Agreement No. AEP-0085-A-00-5026-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. ASSOCIATION FOR DIPLOMATIC STUDIES AND TRAINING ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, was established in 1986 to enhance the training of foreign affairs personnel and to instill in the public a greater appreciation for our diplomatic history. The Association’s Foreign Affairs Oral History Program was established in 1988 and is housed in the Lauinger Library of Georgetown University and at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, VA. The collection is comprised of oral histories taken from a number of projects, with the unifying factor that all concern the conduct of American foreign affairs and experiences of those employed in the field of diplomacy and consular affairs and their families. The oral history collection includes interviews done under the auspices of the Foreign Service History Center of George Washington University, which was amalgamated into the Foreign Affairs Oral History Program, the Foreign Service Family Project, the Women Ambassadors’ Project, the United States Information Agency Alumni Association Project, the Foreign Assistance (AID) Oral History Project, the Senior Officers’ Project, the Labor Diplomacy Oral History Project and others. The aim of the US Foreign Assistance Oral History Program, in particular, is to develop a collection of oral histories of those who have served USAID and predecessor agencies and those who have served in foreign assistance programs of associated organizations such as private firms, private voluntary organizations, and other US government agencies. The Center for Development Information and Evaluation (CDIE) of the USAID has made a grant to help finance the preparation of 120 oral histories. For the most part these interviews are carried out by retired USAID personnel on a volunteer basis, directed by the Oral History Program. The interviews are unclassified, and unless so marked are available for use by researchers. Most of these interviews have been transcribed and then returned to the person interviewed for editing. The transcript is an edited version, and is not a word for word rendition of the cassette tape. The editing usually consists of correcting of names and dates that have been missed during an interview. The individual interviewed may also choose to expand upon topics that may not have been developed in the time allotted for the interview. [Footnote citation example: Ambassador John X. Jones, oral history interview, Georgetown University Library, 25 December 1988, p. 13. Bibliographic citation: Jones, John X. Oral history interview, Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection. Georgetown University Library, 25 December 1988.] To preserve the integrity of the program researchers should have written permission before copying more than the equivalent of five pages from any one transcript.© copyright 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS ERNEST C. KUHN From the Peace Corps to USAID, 1963-1965 ............................... 4 Rural Development Division (RDD), 1965 ................................. 4 Refugee Work, 1965-1966 ............................................ 5 Misplaced Emphasis on the Meo ........................................ 10 ADayOff ....................................................... 15 Carrying Arms .................................................... 20 Rice Drops ....................................................... 23 Quonset Hut Fire ................................................... 25 General Ma’s Visit .................................................. 27 Mendenhall and the AID Operation ...................................... 30 Charlie Mann as Mission Director in Laos ................................. 31 Kuhn’s Relationships with AID Employees ................................. 32 Chao Saykham’s Relationship with the French .............................. 34 Meo and Guerilla Tactics ............................................. 36 American Relationship with the Meo ..................................... 38 U.S. Objectives in Laos .............................................. 40 Integration of the Meo into Laos ........................................ 41 Notion of an Autonomous Meo State ..................................... 42 Personality of Vang Pao .............................................. 43 Vang Pao’s Suspicions of Pathet Lao Refugees, 1969 ......................... 44 Nai Khongs and AID ................................................ 47 Don Sjostrom’s Death, 1967 ........................................... 47 Development of Operation Linkup ....................................... 52 Senator Young’s Visit, 1968 ........................................... 55 Rumors of Phou Pha Thi Under Attack ................................... 55 Eleven Americans Honored by the King of Laos ............................. 57 North Vietnamese Attack Phou Pha Thi ................................... 58 TACAN- Navigational System ......................................... 59 AID Command Post for Sam Neua--Site 111 ............................... 60 Defense of Pha Thi ................................................. 61 Decision to Abandon Pha Thi .......................................... 66 Refugee Problem Following the Attack ................................... 69 BBC Documentary on Laos, 1968 ....................................... 72 Media Attention on Laos ............................................. 73 Events of the Autumn of 1968 ......................................... 76 New USAID Mission Director .......................................... 78 Vietnamese Road Built Near Pha Thi ..................................... 79 North Vietnamese Attacks............................................. 80 Vang Pao’s Attempt to Recapture Pha Thi ................................. 82 Helicopter Accident ................................................. 83 End of the Attempt to Retake Pha Thi and the Attack on Na Khang ............... 84 Refugee Work at Lat Sen ............................................. 86 Evacuations to Vientiane, 1969 ......................................... 87 Attack on Muong Soui Leading to an American Death, 1969 .................... 88 Airstrip at Xieng Dat ................................................ 90 Transferred to Ban Houei Sai .......................................... 94 Bombing of Friendly Areas by American Planes ............................. 94 Refugee Work in Ban Houei Sai, 1970 .................................... 98 Amnesty is Offered to Communist Terrorists, 1970 ...........................100 Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs’ Fight Against Heroin .................103 Reassignment to Vientiane, 1971-1975 ....................................104 Unofficial Assistance to the Pathet Lao, 1973-1974 ...........................108 Evacuation of the AID Mission, 1975 ....................................110 Chapman Keeps the Embassy Open in Laos ................................113 Map of Laos, 1965-1975 .............................................118 Map of Xieng Khouang, Sam Neua and E. Luang Prabang Provinces, 1965-1970 ......119 KEY WORDS ERNEST C. KUHN 1962 Geneva Agreement forbidding foreign military personnel 50 ACA (American Community Association) 7 AD-1s or Sandys 12 ADC militia 65 air commando 8 Air America 6 Air Force planes 13 Alex Mavro 7 Ambassador [William H.] Sullivan 7 Andy Leonard 104 Ann Bradley 82 Armée Clandestine 9 Army Captain Joseph Bush 89 Arnaud de Borchgrave 74 Autonomous Meo State 42 Bell Huey 13 Beta Mode 68 Bill Garrett 73 Bill Lair 57 Bill Wamzak 103 Blue Boy 85 BNDD (Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) 103 Bob Daken 14 Bob Parshall 88 Bob Shaplen 74 Bob Six 6 C-123 24 C-46 23 Captain Daychar 11 Captain Gia Tou 60 Caribou 24 Carl Rickter 54 Carol Mills 82 ceasefire 108 ceasefire violation 50 Chamlong Srimuang 61 Chao Sayavong 9 Chao (Prince) Saykham Southakakoumal 9 Charlie Mann 30 Charlie Whitehouse 110 Chinese 38 Chris [Christian A.] Chapman 112 CIA 5 Colonel Chansom Pakdimonivong 9 Colonel Douangtha Norasing 10 Colonel Khamphay Sayasith 103 Colonel Khongsavan 10 Colonel Phai Vilypan 94 Colonel Phan Syharat 48 Colonel Thong Vongrasamy 10 Colt biplanes 56 Communist terrorist (CT) 101 Continental Air Services 6 defense of Pha Thi 61 deferment 14 Diana Dick 8 Dick Elder 56 Dick Santos 34 Division of Refugee Relief 104 domino theory 38 Don Schanche 75 Don Sjostrom 12 Doug Blaufarb 7 Dr. Charles Weldon, “Jiggs” Weldon, 5 Dr. Kameung 8 Dr. Pat McCready 5 draft boards 14 economic development 40 economic stability 41 Edgar “Pop” Buell 5 ENI, a teacher training college 9 FAC (Forward Air Controller) 51 FAG, a forward area guide 64 FAR ADCs 60 FAR (Forces Armées Royales) 7 FAR troops 6 fixed positions 36 floods in Vientiane 30 foggy conditions 51 Forward Area Program 4 Frank Becker 84 Frank Bewitz 108 Frank Odom 34 French Indochina war 12 Garnett Zimmerly 109 Gary Byer 108 General Amkha
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