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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-07774 to 363-07777.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-07774 to 363-07777
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Title
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Article about the South Vietnamese draft
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Description
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Original title: "Draft", Article draft about the South Vietnamese effort to draft civilians into their army, for the New York Herald Tribune
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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y Deepe
101 Cong Ly
Saigon
Draft--1
Sent
May 21.
Saigon-American advisors have been ordered-for the first time
in the warto watch carefully the recruitment of Vietnamese draftees in the
provinces.
The problem of recruitment is crucial; General Maxwell D. Taylor,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, fx delved into it during his mid-May
visit. While American Defense for Secretary Robert S. McNamara authorized in March
20man mx increase for the understrength Vietnamese armed forces, the government
is having difficulty filling the quota.
During a recent month, the government issued a draft call for
20,000 man--but only 1,500 (repeat 1,500) showed up, according to reliable
Training centers lack the necessary number of recruits to train at full
sources.
capacity.
Yet, according to American advisors in the provinces,
are so popular they're running out of recruitment forms."
"The Communists
the government discus discovered the armed forces were understrength
only recently when they found a number of non-existent persons listed on the
military payrolls, according to prime minister, Gneral General Nguyen Khanh.
"Alot of people were drawing pay who were not members of the
armed forces," General Khanh said in an interview with New York Herald-Tribune.
"When the government re-checked the payrolls, we found we were unds understrength.
Under (ex-President Ngo Dinh) Diem, every statistic was phony."
on the
some
While the goateed general would not estimate the number
padded payrolls, which are primarily paid indirectly by U. S. funding,
estimates run as high as 50,000 men. If to true, the 50,000-man increased
authorized by McNamara would, in fact, only restore the actual fighting
armed forces strength which Washington and the Vietnamese government presumed
they had in the armed forces several months ago.
(More)
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Deepe
Draft-2
General Khanh said he expectes the quota to be filled in June.
The order to American advisors stationed in Vietnam 43 provinces
and 100 districts (provincial subdivisions), was issued in a directive dated
May 9 and signed by Brig. Gen. Ben Sternberg, assistant chief of staff, J-1
unclassified
(personnel). Parts of the directive, headed "Selective Service System, "
reads as follows:
"1. Decreasing RVNAF (Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces)
strength continues to be the major problem facing the GVN (Government of Viet Nam)
and is therefore of primary concern to U. S. advisors. The success of the
Pacification Plan and the ultimate winning of the war is tied directly to GVN
ability to maintain the fighting units at authorized strength.
#2.
Conscription is the primary means of securing the manpower
resources needed. Many problems are being encountered particularly
in issuing draft notices, insuring draftees report for induction
and apprehending draft evaders.
"3. Your assistance in monitoring GVN m conscription
efforts and procedures...is essential...."
American advisors are also issued a five-point checklist which
attempts to expedite and tighten recruiting procedures at the lowest levels.
The Vietnamese selective service system operates similar to
that in the United States, except respe responsibilities are divided between
two ministries-Defense and Interior. At 18, the male individual reports to
his nearest administrative office. Two years later, if he is found fit and is
not deferred, he is scheduled to be drafted.
or father does not have (More) funds to buy him out,
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Deepe
Draft 3
below the age of
"But the Viet Cong us take young men much before 18 years or
"By the time he's ready
one American provincial representative groaned.
to go into the Army, he's already taken off with the Viet Cong or has gone into
hiding."
The current authorized strength of regua regular army, navy,
marine and airforce units is 200,000
The actual strength, however,
is classified, according to General Khanh.
are known to be operating understrength,
Paramilitary forces add another
Almost all units, however,
some as much as 50 per cent.
200,000.
to the armed forces.
The problem of recruitment is not so much a single problem but
a visible index of many underlying difficulties, according to military
sources. It indicates the succesf successfulness of Communist terror, of
intimidation or high-powered persuasion tactics among an uneducated.
population and the government's incapability to either counter them or to
offer a meaninful alternative.
A corollary to the recruitment problem is that the government
completely
thus indicating
izuna is unable to hold or appeal to its own armed forces,
low moresle morele and the Communists' skill in infiltrating the military organizatio
An estimated seven per cent of the armed forces total are communist
with the
viet cong agents or sympathizers, according to reliable sources,
figure running as high as 20 percent in some units. In one known case, 100 percen
of the unit defected
elite special an entire elite unit defected the night
officers
EXERCIS GOD
PERCent
U. S. Army Special Forces estimate 15% of the
: ts
before their graduation
lower low echelon paramilitary units they train are Viet Cong agents or
sympathizers.
(More)
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deepe
draft-4
In a special training course teaching Vietnamese soldiers
to handle military sentry and scouting dogs, some soldiers are known
to have defected after conclusion of the course-taking their $1000 German
shepherd dogs with them. Several Vietnamese Air Force pilots, almost all of thom
have been trained in either France or the United States, are suspected by
While
American pilots of landing their T-28 fighter planes on red-clay stripes
TRANS FERRg
in Viet Cong territory and duming their 100-bombs into enemy hands.
American military sources in Saigon deny this transfer of ordinance, American
officers in pain field have told correspondents of one specific suspected
VIETNAMESE
case. A DEFEction figures
FRE
CLASSIFIED.
Themgomo
Sizeable quantitities of U. S. aid goods distributed through
the government's civilian strategic hamlet administration has also slipped.
into Viet Cong hands, according to reliable sources, (Informatively a USAID
official) including chemical foiz fertilizer which the Viet Cong can use
in making ammunition.
(Note to Editor:
#
Most of these incid
CASES
About defections were p picked
up from txxx talking to provincial advisors;
the Americans of higher rank
may deny them, but I'm sure they're accurate,
since the provincial advisors
were talking about instances based on their own experiences in their areas.
s.Y
I'm enclosing the recruitment directive;
convenience.)
could you return it to me at your
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Date
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1964, May 21
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Draft; Vietnam (Republic). Quân lực; Soldiers
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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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B3, F7
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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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Collector
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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
