Vcri TAW, a Toi;B:Kiakiser

VcriTAW, a Toi;b:KiAkiser Continued From Page 1, Col. 2 his ideas that had been unpopular in the 1960's, Mr. In Vietnam, Dies in Crash. employe, his death was an- Vann's influence climbed. On nounced immediately. a visit to the United States several months ago, he spent two hours briefing ]?resident Former Officer, 47, Had Career. Approached Legend Nixon on the course of the war. By PAUL L. MONTGOMERY A few days ago in South Spent More Than Decade In a war largely without he- Vietnam a friend was talking roes, John Paul Vann was one about Mr. Vann. "John is too With Saigon's Forces of the few men in South Viet- good," he said. "When he fi- nam whose career approached nally gets killed, and he will Special to The New York Times legend. be one of these days, I shudder SAIGON, South Vietnam, Sat- From the time he arrived to think what will happen to there in 1,962 as a young lieu., those people he's been advising. urday, June 10 — John Paul tenant colonel to advise a He has come closer to being the Vann, a senior American ad- South Vietnamese division un- indispensible man than any viser and one of the most expe- til his death as one of Ameri- other American in Vietnam, and rienced United States officials ca's highest ranking civilians, that's a very dangerous thing." ever stationed in South Viet- he attracted a devoted circle of John Paul Vann was born nam, was killed in a helicopter friends, caught by his frank- in Roanoke, Virginia, on July ness, his personal bravery, the 2, 1924. At the age of 18 he crash last night. depth of his knowledge and his enlisted in the Army Air Force, Mr. Vann, whose work with enthusiasm for the Vietnamese spending the latter part of South Vietnamese forces people. World War II as a navigator spanned more than a decade, While his friends included of a B-29. was 47 years old. He was ap- many who turned against the After the war, he began war or who were against it to training in the paratroops, then parently checking the develop- begin 'With,. Mr. Vann could the service most attractive to ing military situation on his • The New York Times never have been considered a ambitious young officers. Al- way to Kontum in the Central dove. His harshest criticisms, though he was not a West Point John Paul Vann Highlands yesterday when the angering superiors and allies man, and did not come from helicopter in which he was fly- alike, were reserved for what an Army family, he worked his he considerdd failures to pros- way up through drive and dedi- ing crashed in flames. been under siege by an enemy division for several weeks. ecute the war properly. cation. It seemed probable that the Thereafter contact was lost. "My entire goddamned in- In 1950, he went to Korea volvement here has been to try a captain, commanding the first helicopter had been shot down A search operation by Amer- by one of the strong North to bring sortie reason and jus- airborne ranger company to be ican helicopters and supporting tice to our effort," he said in Vietnamese units reportedly op- sent into action. Much of the aircraft was begun and South an interview last year. "One company's work was behind erating near the crash site in Vietnamese troops at Fire Base thing is goddamned sure. I'll enemy lines, and Mr. Vann ac- the II Military Region, where never be able to get a job any- quired his life-long interest in 41, about 10 miles north of where else." lie was assigned. Pleiku on Route 13, told the guerrilla warfare and counter- A spokesman of the Ameri- Mr. Vann's last position—as insurgency. Americans they had seen a can command said Mr. Vann director of the United States After Korea, Captain Vann helicopter go down in flames. Second Regional Assistance took off in a light helicopter went to Rutgers University as The crash site was found Group, in the Central Highlands assistant professor of military from his base at Pleiku at 9:15 soon afterward and the bodies —was virtually without paral- science and tactics in the lel in South Vietnam, largely P.M. for the short flight to all three occupants of the R.O.T.C. program. He also Kontum, about miles to the of because of his personal pres- studied at night and gat his helicopter were recovered. north. With him were two tige and influence. B.S. degree from Rutgers in The identities of the pilot and Had Wide Authority 1954. Through the Army, he Americans, an Army pilot and the accompanying officer were went to Syracuse University an Army officer. Although he was technically for further study, and got an withheld pending notification only the senior adviser in the Soon after leaving Pleiku, of their families, but since Mr. M.A. in business administration Mr. Vann's helicopter was heard area, with rank equivalent to in 1959. He acquired enough Vann was a State Department major general, his authority credits for a Ph.D. in public radioing for landing instruc- often seemed to exceed that of Continued on Page 11, Column 1 administration, but could never tions at Komtum, which has the South Vietnamese lieu- write a thesis that satisfied tenant general in command. him. In the last few years, Mr. In 1962, a lieutenant colonel, Vann became more dedicated he volunteered to go to South to the war and the possibility Vietnam, where the American of "winning" , it. This is what military 'involvement was still he said in an interview in May, on an advisory level. He was 1971: attached to the South Vietnam- "Actually, the whole nature ese Seventh Division in the Me- of the war has changed. It kong Delta and soon estab- once was quite clearly a rebel- lished a reputation as one of lion. There is no denying that the most respected American it was externally stimulated officers in the country. and assisted, but it was still a Unlike many South Vietnam- rebellion of the rural popula- ese officers he joined the tion against the existing Gov- troops in battle. To get to know ernment of Vietnam. his territory, he walked over it "The war has now been and criss-crossed it in his jeep. transformed quite clearly into The Vietnamese regarded him a- North Vietnamese invasion. as something of a madman, I frankly anticipate that the driving alone at night over Government is going to be suc- roads the Vietcong were be- cessful, but if it is not success- lieved to control. ful in the political conflict, I, His narrow escapes were as an American, am not going many. Once, a Vietcong patrol to be ashamed that the Govern- attempted to capture his jeep, ment of Vietnam has not been and he fought his way out with, given an adequate chance." his pistol. With the change on his views The young lieutenant colonel and the acceptance of many of began to develop his own ideas I !about counterinsurgency and A key point was the battle career, as a general officer, fell give him time to spend with 'pacification, most of them run- of Apbac in the first week of into disfavor. When his year's his wife and five children. ning against the conventional tour ended in April, 1963, he wisdom of his Army superiors. 1963. A superior South Viet- 964, he was the Colorado namese force had a Vietcong went to the Pentagon expecting organizer for the unsuccessful One of his arguments was to give a full report, like other battalion surrounded, and then Republican Presidential can- that the massive infusion of returning advisers. He found didacy of Henry Cabot Lodge. American heavy equipment withdrew igdominously rather that nothing was scheduled, and In February, 1965, Mr. Vann then arriving—trucks and heli- than take casualties, allowing began to give presentations on copters and bombs—was only the Vietcong to get away. gave • in to the prime . interest his own. Word of their value in his life and went back to corrupting the South Vietnam- Colonel Vann rallied a mixed got around, and he was sched- ese ground forces into not force of cooks and radiomen South Vietnam as a civilian uled to brief the Joint Chiefs employe of the Agency for In- fighting. and managed to take a few of Staff. "This is a political' war and prisoners, but , the battle was ternational Development. At that time Maj. Gen. Vic- In December, 1966, Mr. it calls for the utmost discrimi- lost. tor Krulak, adviser on Vietnam, nation in killing," he said at Lodge, then the Ambassador in The colonel did not stint in to Secretary McNamara had Saigon, named him head of the time. He believed -that a telling reporters of the defeat, just returned from a trip with knife or rifle was best for the a view that wls unpopular civilian operations in the III a report glowing with optimism Corps in . a command shake-up purp.ose, and that planes and with are commalid in Saigon, about Saigon's progress— artillery were the worst, since which was interested only in intended to stiffen American exactly the opposite of the colo- efforts. they killed many innocent peo- victories. He also prepared a nel's view. ple in a war where the enemy report stating that the pacifi- One of Mr. Vann's causes at was indistinguishable from the cation program was failing be- Briefing Suddenly Canceled the time that made him un- populace.

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