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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04067 to 363-04079.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04067 to 363-04079
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Title
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Article about the war in South Vietnam
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Description
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Original title: "people", Keever's title: "Peace Talk Fuel Communist Drive at Risce-Rest Level." Article draft of the first in a three part series about the war in South Vietnam, namely the effect it has on the ground level. Written for the Christian Science Monitor
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AI Usage Disclosure
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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2020 sag
yy 1jp
people 1 (normass/deepe)
(This is the first of a three-part series on the multi-faceted
war in South Vietnam, as Washington-Hanoi peace talks begin).
the Evolution of
SAIGON, APRIL 10-As the world watches for high-level peace
talks on Vietnam, the Communists at the rice-roots level continue
to fuel up their people's war.
Even on the doorstep of Saigon, the Communists are re-organizing,
molding, sh twisting, bending the suburbanite and penson rural
peasntry peasantry to carry forward their war to a more bloody and
bloodier andf fiercer dimension.
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- Page 2
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zC2c sag
yy 1jp
people 2 (normass/deepe)
A two-line Vietnamese Communist jungle is g racing like a
flash-fire through the population in the provinces outside of Saigon;
"Blood will flow in May. Peace
the English translation of the jingle is:
will come in June."
"The third phase of the war will come soon and the people should
be ready for it," the Communists are reportedly telling the Vietnamese
the donut-shaped
peasants and v suburbanites in Gia Dinh province,
province surrounding Saigon.
This
Tet offensive is a six-month campaign in 1968," the
Communists are reportedly saying.
are
"These six months of continuous
offensive to prepare for the future revolutionary government by the
people."
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2020 sag
yy lmp
vy 1jp
people 3 (normass/deepe)
Reliable sources indicate the Communists are telling the
Vietnamese population in Gia Dinh that the first phase of the Tet
offensive was the physical attacks upon the cities beginning in
late January;
the second phase of rocketing and shelling installations
has now passed; March ist was the month of 1 preparation for the
third phase--and now the third ph
without descrit description of
the form it would take, is soon to be begin.
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zczo sag
ᎩᎩ ljp
people 4 (normass/deepe)
These developments appear to be a Vietnamese enactment of
Mao Tse Tung's dictum that "political power comes out of the barrel of
a gun." si And, significantly,
And
since the Tet offensive the Communists
have moved and maintained their guns closer to Saigon and other urban centers
without returning to their frontier base areas,
reliable sources report.
The Western
standard Western observation that "the Saigon government does
es the
or is
not have the support of the people," already appears Sp passe,
gotermmen government at the rice-roots level is either accomodating, in
in exile because of increased Communist military pressure,
accommodating with the Communists in a sort of state of co-existence,
or else has been outright executed strong hard-line anti-Communist
officials have been executed outright. Reliabel Reliable sources report
are attempi attempting with some success-to chopó
off the Vietnamese government's organization and officialdom at the e
rice roots level, and then benningmihemyukthin them setting
To
the Communists
Uncuum.
up its own administrative machine to bend the will of the population
to suit their purposes.
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- Page 5
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2020 886
ᎩᎩ ljp
people 5 (normass/deepe)
In other cases where the local Vietnamese government officials
the population appears to get
still administer the edicts of Saigon,
caught in a corrs crossfire of between contradictary instructions
from the government on the one side and the Communists on the other.
current example is reported by reliable sources
One example
Ni Pe
to involve the cutting of/palm trees around canals and streamlets,
where the Communists often seek cover.
clearing out the brush,
local government officials in Gia Dinh pre
to clear out these vegetated areas,
defoliated;
and
Recently,
province ordered the population
since these areas could not be
the Communists countered this orde by ordering the
people not do it saying "we'll shoot anyone who dares to cut and clear
this area and in particular do not touch the nipa palm trees because
there and they'll shoot you," reliable
we have our men in the Ind
sources report.
In Gia Dinh and other provinces, all dogs in the villages have
==more router
been ordered to be killed, to forestall the possibility they will bark
at strangers passing through the area
-the Communist troops-passing
rough the area.
This practice was also ppl ordered by the Viet Minh
during the French Indo-China War more than a decade ago.
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zcze sag
vy 1jp
people 6 (normass/deepe)
For weeks, the population w'in Gian wa Dinh was also caught
in another squed squeeze play in what amounted to a low-level rioe
battle between the government and the Communists. The Communists
had forbidden the population to seel the sell their rice unmilled
paddy
rice di to the government,
and the government had forbidden D. BLE
Paddy
the people to v hill the un raw pedi, which would make it edible not only
for themselves, but also for the Communist troops. The Communists
pushed the population and the rice millers to protest against the
government, saying their lives were being disrupted.
But, the
Communists lost this round and then reportedly ordered the p various
famili
by hand
family to construct individual rice grinders from hardened olay-slabs
enclosed in rattan siding.
April, the Communists
to
Evidently, this did not work; in early
advised to sell the
the communipeasants to sell, their to CA
for the government, since
#
there was not shortage of rice
in the cities because of the American import progrem. However, the
peasants were specifically forbidden to sell any other produce send
any other produce into the cities--their chickens, pigs, e vegetables,
in order to strangle economically the government-held areas. And to
blacate the worried peasants, the Communists promised them
that when the Communists attacked the goterme goternment areas ag
again, they would capture the American rice warehouses and distribute the
rice free to the people--a feat they a performed in the Chinese-held section
of Saigon During the tet AHACKS.
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2020 sag
Jy 1jp
people 107 (normass/deepe)
In the other cases, however, the Communist policy and
ame
the government's execution of its own program a programs are not in
direct conflict-in fact, they rather compliment each other. For example,
on the question of trenchlines besides dug by each family near their homes.
The government has ordered the people not to dig trenches in Gia Dinh,
knowing it indicates the government has failed to provide adqua adequate
security--but the local officials, knowing the population is afraid, is
lenient in lotting them dig shallow trenches. The Communists have then
AN
through propaganda and word-of-w word-of-mouth messages, begun a
sort of civil defense course, advising the people to dig zigzag trenches,
or I-shaped,' or cross-shaped ones, which offer better protection.
The
Still following the government's within the government's allowances for
shallow trenches, the Communists have then advised the peansa peasants to stock
pile banana tree logs, mud and water nearby so that when fighting breaks out,
they can quickly build siding and a roof above the shallow trenche.
Communists have also advised the people that they should watch for smoke grenades,
which signal American fighte bombing strikes, and run for their holes, then--other
wise they should not worry too much about American bombing and helicopter gunships.
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zcze sag
yy 1jp
people 7 (normess
s/deepe)
Communist monthly and annual production taxes in Gian
a
Dinh province have also reportedly jumped jumped in some villages from,
fifty to seventy per cent since Tet on their surplus of goods after the
family's needs and expenses have been deducted.
In pro-Communist-herd or contest areas of Gia Dinh, Communist
a cadre have begun call calling on the family' of government soldiers
and officials, persuading or ordering them to have their relatives
working for the governmont "oll "come back h home within ten days or
you will be punished." The punishmen form of punishment was not
described,
reliable sources report, and some leeway was given for
explanations if the family fall failed to carry out the order.
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zeze sag
Jy 1jp
people (normass/deepe)
However,
"American ae agents spying on the people"-the
the
revolutionary development cadre, provincial reconnaissance units and
census riovence team members--are to be "shot without discussion",
F
Communists have stated, according to reliable sources; and as a consequence,
some of these operating oven in provincial towns have begun sleeping in a
different house each night. In some of the poorly-defended division headquarters
citics, also,
still shook up after the Tet
government civil servants,
attack and informed of Communist orders, are also known to hide out at
night in different homes.
In Gia Dinh, families of hamlet and village officials have been
told by the Communists that their relatives should resign from their government
post and u return home; not the official will be killed; if he does,
Iis
he will be granted a "guarantee of safety" by the Communists without
any discussion of his past activities for the government. or "his crimes against
the people." As a consequence),
an estimated seventy per cent of the
government's hamlet and village officiels are considered "operating in exile,"
refusing to live in their assigned particularly at night; some return to te
their assigned areas during the day; Some have set up their village office
m the VITAGE
several on miles away in the district headquarters
sources report.
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2020 sag
Jy 1jp
people (normass/deepe)
Wherever possible in Gia Dinh, the Communists established six
months before the Tet offensive a people-pasti portering system, with
very precise organization and regulations. Since Tot, mouth-to-mouth
propaganda, as well as Radio Hanoi and Liberation Radio have praised
the people who acted as porters during the p their country-wide/offensive.
The Communists have ordered that any family with five or more
persons-men or women or children-between the ages 15 to 50 should make
available. two persons each night that the cadre asks for porter help.
Any family with four persons or fewer in the same age grouping should
contribute the services of one member of the family.
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zezc sag
ᎩᎩ ljp
people (normass/deepe)
20
These men, women, or i children
have been instructed to
be in their homes following the 6 p.m. curfew, and are to be on call,
the cry when requested by the oad village caure, to work
e either from 6 p.m. to midnight or from
in six hour shifts,
midnight to 6 a.m. For security reasons,
these people-porter crews
SHOULD
are p guided by a liaison agent and are not told where they would go;
after carrying the supplies for six hours, s
up and leapfrogs them
security.
OVER
towards the destination,
another relay force picks them
giving the Communists & tight
MASSES of people.
Villagers have been specifically ordered that they can not hire
Substitute
anyone to t
for them; "you must do this yourself to contribute
to the revolutionary cause," reliable sources report.
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zczc sag
Jy 1jp
12
ass/deepe)
people 1 (normass/
In organizing this people-porti pore portering system, the
Communists have reportedly la laid out very precise regulations.
9/
For example, women are given lighter loads--generall a 22-pound case
Men, whether 15 or 50, are instructe instructed to
of ammunition.
carry roughly 50-pound loads-four AK-47's or AK-50's
a stack of rice straw, carried on their bat backs.
hidden under
Or each person,
twe
man or woman, is assigned two .60 mm. mortar rounds or B-40 rocket rounds.
Heavier and longer 122 mm.
rocket shes shells are carried by two persons
per shell.
These portering crews,
the area.
maximum of 50 persons per crew, have been
instructed to wear black Japa pejema thera traditional black-pajama costume
and to walk along the top of a dike near the foliage cora covering in
If they hear American fighter aircraft or helicopter but gunships,
AMERICAN
or if they become illimi illuminated with American high-powered flares,
the porters are ordered to drop down on the top of the dike, and form
a single line to melt into the lines ge configuration of the k dikes.
= = more Renten
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2020 886
yy 1jp
people 12 (normass/deepe)
"If by chance an af airplane swoops down and just starts shooting
at you,
"No one is to move;
just take it,"
the Communists have reportedly told the villagers..
no one is to break the line. Even if you're hit,
don't break the line. If you do, you can ben punished."
(Hank: I had intended to query you about this three-part series
on the operation piece, but the military didn't release this operation
Anyhow,
until today. It was supposed to be released Monday, I thought.
I've tried to put in a series the three major components of the situation
here, since we can't cover negotiations. Next piece will be on Communist
military strategy countrywide, based on my weekend interviews,
which I
mentioned in my letter-momo to you. Third article, is Thieu and Vietnamese
political side. But, these dont have to be run as a or can be run
separately, though I think the series gives more of a framework.
gotten some high-level quotes on Khe Sanh, but am waiting for our weekly
military briefing, which was supposed to be Tuesday,
So,
of
I'll file Khe Sanh interpretive Thursday,
ABLE
series, with third article sent F
and some foous pieces over the weekend.
I've
but now is Thursday.
as well as se second article
bied
Regards Bev).
end router
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Date
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1968, Apr. 10
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Subject
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Vietnam (Republic). Quân lực; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Peace; Vietnam--Foreign relations--United States
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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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B10, 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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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
