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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-05636 to 363-05641.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-05636 to 363-05641
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Title
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Article about Communist guerrillas fighting the French - anti-colonial war"
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Description
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Original title: "The Communist sercret weapon - the Guerrilla", Keever's title: "Viet Cong Political Carde outrank Guerrillas", article about Communist guerrillas fighting the French - anti-colonial war
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Transcript
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doope
article 6 of 15 articlo corios
paço 1
COMUNIST BECHST WEATORIE GUERRILLA
Salcon--A touch, viry Vietnamese Any major star loaned againot
building at Son Son Ihuta airport not long ago, waiting for his
flight to the battlo-conry Holong Delta area in the south.
While uniting, ho began to reminisce about the days too
twenty years ago whon ho vas a roginontal commander for the Communist
guerrillas fighting the French--then called Viet Minh-during their
anti-colonial ver.
"When we started in the dolta region, we had only five non--
arned only with knives and doggars," he recalled, lighting a monthol
cigarette. "Wo hid in the svampo and attacked the Fronch with our
Imives and bare hands--and ton captured a few guns.
"Within a wool, wo had a squad and within a month we had a
40-on platoon and throo months lator vo had a 150-man company.
It did not take us long. When the Bronch convoys cano doun the road,
vo aimed all our guns at the noe their machif
we wore woll azmod.
99%
(More)
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doopo
article 6
page 2
#Wo boat the French becaus
Wo
watched the little things. Wo would wait for hours when the
they vont to their rear bases for supplies; when they returned they
though the road was socuro and casually marchod along. Then wo
hit then and grabbed their supplies.
thoir own carolocamos0.
We boat the Ironch because of
Ho vas asked whether the Communist guerrillas now fighting tho
American-baolod government in Saigon uood tho sono tactics.
"Yeah," ho laughed. "It's just tho como now, but the time
periodo ano difforont.
American generale in Saigon frequently doseribo
Vietnamono guerrilla varface as being similar to the "cowboy and
Indians" tapana hit-and-run fighting of the American Old Wost.
While guorzilla verfare has boon practiced for yourd, it was the
Mao Too-Tung who made the first oyotonatic obudy of 10- 6
By combining it with the evolutionary appeal of Common, bo
Conducted one of the most radical revolutions in Asia.
One of his boy tactical principles was, "In guerrilla variavo,
poloct tho taetie of sooning to come fron the coot and atteciring fou
the vost; avoid the solid, attacl: the hollow; attack; withdraw)
deliver a lightning blow, coolt a lightning decision."
A moro important principle une "political pú pouer comes out
of the barrel of a gun." Consistontly in quorrilla warfare writing
Mao at once the importance of the political factors which cups
ition all the decisions of the guerilla
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articlo 6
page 3
In his day-to-day o oslatence, the guerrilla is both protected
by and aided by the civilian population; one of the common problems
facing all Vio Viotnamoso field commandors is the ability of the
Communist guerrilla to "molt" into the rico-paddy peasant population
in the dolta
as voll as the "green hell" jungles of the
mountains bordoring Laos.
The significant political decisions of the Communist guorrillas
in Vietnam are, of course, made by the Communist party, or the
People's Revolutionary Party. When The Communist party
in Viet nam administers its political polley decisions through
ton various "specialised sections." oporating at the five
basic levels or organization: the central lovol,
provincial, district and village. Thomacesnes
sections revealing the emphasis of party work aret
Military Section (Idboration Army)
inter-sone,
Those opoeialised
Action Among Enony Troops (1. c. infiltrato the national army)
*Action Among Civilian Population
Action for the National Liboration Front
Propaganda and Cultural Affairs
Training and Education
Organisation Work for the People's Revolutionary Party
Economic and Financial Affairg
Communication and Idaison, Basos
Security and Public Ordor
(Moro)
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articlo 6
Dago 4
While the military section is given primary priority in
the administration of Party work, it is important to noto that thore
aro nine other areas of Party interest, with the other nine
soctions dealing with political and administrativo activities.
Ining The secretarysconoral of the executive
committoo of the Party is generally responsible for acting as chief
of the military section, but he has other responsibilities as voll.
Sometimes one political cadro is chiof of several sections.
Throughout their organisation in Viet Non, the Party has
given the political conto commissar of one lovol an equal rank with the
military rank of the immediately higher rank. A víz battalion
commander, for example, im is outrankod politically
by a political cadro from his subordinato district lovol. Within
his own battalion, an important political cadre with the rank
of sorgeant may outrank him on political decisions.
For oxamplo, the battalion commandor may well docido that
an a systematic campaign of terrorism would leads to greater
military success in a shorter time. However, the political cadro
would over-rule hin, saying simply that no short-torn military
expediency voumenban must be subordinate ob to long-term political
objectives. In short, too much terror would create more staunchly
anti-Communist onenios who would be eager for revenge against thon.
(Hozo)
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doopo
Buttolo 6
There are two basic theories about the nature of tho guorrilla
in Viet Nam. Ono is that the revolution they nook is basically
"homegrown" with South Vietnamese peasant spontaneously
rising against thoir own govornmont. The second thoory--the line
gonorally followed by American policy-makers--is that the guerrilla
support is based on the "foreign agroosion" from Hanoi.
Byt a
By a quirk of history, both soon partial truo. The 1954
Genova Agreements partitioning Vietnam provided that made the basic
provisions under which 600,000 South Vietnamese were resettled in
tim forth Viet Nom and anothtor 6-700,000 Motor North Vietnamoso
voro robot novod into the not southern rop ropublic.
loast 1961 onwards, the South Vietnamese,
Pron at
aftor intensive
training and indoctrination in North Viet Nam, bogan 2 to.
infiltrate into their old honon in the South. Official ostinatos
indicate that more than 5000 infiltrated into the South in 1961;
more than 4000 in 1962 and is anothor 4000 in 1965. Those wowo
primarily political cadro-not guerrillas-to provide leadership
for the organisation and formation of guerrilla units, to
organize the Party. But their numbers are the equivalent of a
national army division.
Yet, the infiltration also indicates a "honogrown" revolution,
to liberato South Viot as by South Vietna000
of South Vietnaneco by South Vietnamoso. But the hardcore of thom
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doope
page 6
article 6
vore trained and indoctrinated in North Viot fan and then again
2000 90 cook boostile in the south.
The difforoncos botwoon the Communiot guerrilla and the
: political avaroness of the American GI may bo
summarised bost in the wondo of retired U. S. Marine general,
Samuel Griffiths
"In the United States, we go to considerable trouble to
loop coldlows out of politicas, and even nose to hoop politics out of
coldions. Guorillas do exactly the opposite. They go
to great longths to make sure that their non are politically educated and
thoroughly awazo of the issues at stako....His indoctrination
begins even before he is taught to shoot accuratoly, and it in
unceasing. The ond product is an intenooly loyal and politically alert
fighting man."
This key difference betwoon guerrillas and American military
oyston practice may demand lie a substantial ro-adjustmont of
the concept of the role of the military syston if the
now Bob now enony soczet weapon of the futuro.
guerrillas become
Como row: "Pormito" Warfazo.
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Date
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1964
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Guerilla warfare; Việt Nam Ä‘á»™c láºp đồng minh há»™i; Colonies; France--Foreign relations--Vietnam
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B187, F2
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Format
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dispatches
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
