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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04633 to 363-04641.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04633 to 363-04641
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Title
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Second article about Communist strategy
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Description
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Original Title"recruit", Keever's title: "Viet Cong seek to Organize and [?]" Article draft about Việt Cộng recruitment efforts as pressure on Việt Cộng positions in Saigon increases. 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
Jy ma
recruit 1 (nommass/deepe)
(This is the second of a three-part series on Communist strategy
for the remainder of 1968).
SAIGON, JULY 9--The Viet Cong High Coj Command has ordered the
urban population of this jittery capital city to be organized into
Communist self-defense platoons.
The orders, issued in April, wore contained in an elaborate,
The directive
detailed directive recently captured by Allied forces.
also applies to Saigon's Chinese twin-city of Cholon and the urban
sections of Gia Dinh province, which surrounds the capital city.
more router
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- Page 2
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zcze sag
Jy nnm
recruit 2 (normass/deepe)
The directive reads in part:
K
"Any bloc or whole street of Saigon should be or organized
into one platoon of people's self-defense force....This is a struggle
for human power against the (anti-Communist) Vietnamese government to
recruit the people and organize them into self-defense forces at blous
streets or subprecincts."
BLOCKS
Just how successful the Viet Cong have been is still unknown and
will probably remain so until a critical time, such as during a Communist
ground assault from the outside of the city when the urban sympathizers
are often TERMEL
would be ordered to emerge. Any of these new urban recruits would be
- VIETNAMES
Cards
Carree "legal" Viet Cong; they hold valid/ government identity /and
residence papers,
but would be working underground
until ordered to reveal themselves at a decisive t
arm
for the Communists
The anti-Communist Vietnamese government is also attempting to
some of the Saigonese and have met with some success.
more reuter
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- Page 3
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2020 906
yy mm
recruit 3 (normass/deope)
The Viet Cong directive, which called for the recruiting of at least
one and a maximum of two platoons for a long street, also ordered that
small base areas-or "safe places for Communist activity"--be established
along urban Saigon streets where Communists could meet to exho exchange
information, hide out, receive instructions and store thoir munitions.
unit
Several light mobilo battalions of the elite C-10 sapper unit, currently
estimated to total roughly 1200 mon, have roamed through Saigon for months,
carrying out terrorist, sabotage and assassination missions.
ore router
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- Page 4
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2030 006
Jy mm
recruit 4 (normass/deepe)
The urban » Saigon-Cholon-Gia Dinh complex is the militar a military
hub called the T-700 region, operating directly under the Viet Cong
High Command. This hub is currently expected to be a pivotal battleground
ATTEMP
in the future as Communist big big-unit and guerrilla formations slash
into the city from the outside while underground Communist endre attempt
to spark revolution from the inside of the city.
Immeditinto
Immediately outside this urban hub, the outter Saigon perimeter
has been carved up into five Communist sub-divisions-like five slices of a
pie, all leading towards the capital. Each sub-division also operates
directly under the Viot Cong High Command, called the Contral Office of
South Vietnam (COSVN).
more reuter
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- Page 5
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8080 088
yy mm
recruit 5 (normans/docpe)
In the past several months, the Communist headquarters has also
ordered a significant escalation in their command organisation, with oooh
of the five sub-divisions directed to establish a division headquarters.
These five sub-divisions form an irregular circle around Saigon, with a
5 radius varying from 35 miles from Saigon on the south to fifty miles from
Saigon on the oast.
Other intelligence sources also report the Communists have already
begun recruiting, organizing the population into self-defn defense forces
and issuing weapons to the peasants in some villages of Gia Dinh province
within twenty miles from Saigon.
ΤΟΠΟΣΟ router
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- Page 6
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2030 sag
yy mm
recruit 6 (normass/deepe)
The Viet Cong High Command has also laid down specific infantry and
support unit requirements for each sub or of the five sub-divisions, and
for districts, villages and hamlets within each sub-division.
Each of the five subdivi sub-divisions surround
Sei surrounding Saigon
at least one full regiment
has been ordored to maintain the followings
infantry regiment of regular troops, one battalion of artillery (involving
three types of weapons: motas mortars, recoiless we guns or rockets), one
battalion of three companies of commandoos (used in spearheading ground
assaults), one signal company for the ready sub-division headquarters,
one platoon for ground-line telephones, one platoon for radio communications,
ono company of ongo engineers, usod for sabotage of either ground or water
communications into Saigon, and one platoon of flamethrowers.
more router
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- Page 7
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zczo sag
Jy nam
recruit 7 (normass/deepe)
Each of the five sub-divisions is then broken down into four to
seven districts. In addition to the requirements at the higher sub-division
level, each district has also been directed to maintain the following
unit strengths:
of one autonomous battalion of regular troops, one
artillery company of four to six weapons mortars, rockets or recoiless
weapons, one engineering platoon, with a second one added for sabotage
of waterways and bridges, one commando platoon, one reconnaissance
platoon, onehe heavy weapons battalion, one platoon of sappers for
sabotage, terrorism and assassinations.
In addition, the village level within each district has been ordered
by the Communist High Command to maintain at least two and a maximum of
three que squads of local guerrillas. At the hamlet level (severi(several
hamlets comprise a village), Communist cadre have been ordered to recruit
and organize "in order to develop the guerrilla guerrillas as widely and
deeply as possible."
These guerrillas are formed into self-defense
forces, to defend their own home areas, but are also invaluable in acting
as porters and guides for the regular, big-unit formations.
==more reuter
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- Page 8
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2020 sag
Jy nnm
recruit 8 (bor (normass/deepe)
The current Communist order of battle around in the environs of
Saigon is estimated to be roughly the following
five division headquarters commands,
sightin
thi without divisional unit formations;
eight infantry regiments (one for each of the five sub-divisions, plus three
as general reserve); one the 38t 208th Rocket and Heavy Weapons Regiment
of four battalions; twenty separate regular and autonomous infantry
battalions, operating independently from the regiments; six separate
battalions of artillery, including two battalions of 122 mm. rockets,
one battalion of 107 mm. weapons, one battalion of 120 mm. weapons, one
battalion of recoiless weapons and one battalion of anti-aircraft weapons,
plus many speciali specialized units.
Generally, the Communist battalions are manned by 300 to 450 troopes
troops, but it is currently unknown whether the Communist units are
up to full strength.
more reuter
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- Page 9
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Jy m
recruit 9 (normass/deepe)
If the directive of the Communist High Command has already been
fulfilled, the equivalent of at least five Communist divisions are within
ready walking distance to Saigon. However, some Allied sourcos believe
the Communist units around Saigon are currently withdrawing slightly to
intermediate base areas. While those Allied sources believe the Communists
vill launch onto another assault into Saigon, they admit the timing,
scope, magnitude and form of the action is still uh unknown. The Alliod
command here remains ponfident that the Communists will fall fail in their
military efforts to occupy the capital to to and to topple the
constitutional go South Vietnamese govormont.
sendt
(Hanks sorriest I was unable to this off to you over the week-end;
I drove to Bion Hoa to check on this more. I'll send third article late
today or early tomorrow. I'll have to cable it, but will try to airmail
all of the refugee articles. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Seventh Fleet on a
press trip with President Thieu-I don't know if that will turn up a story
You might advise John Hughes that the situation is pretty quiet here
now and no one is sure whon that it will change. Regards Bev).
or nota
ond routor
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Date
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1968, Jul. 9
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Subject
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Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam; Strategy; Tactics; Saigon (Vietnam); Recruiting and enlistment
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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, F38
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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
