-
derivative filename/jpeg
-
363-08099 to 363-08103.pdf
-
Digital Object Identifier
-
363-08099 to 363-08103
-
Title
-
Article about Strategic Hamlets and the war effort
-
Description
-
Original title: "war", Article draft about the Strategic Hamlet program, for the Washington Post
-
AI Usage Disclosure
-
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.
-
Transcript
-
--------------------
- Page 1
--------------------
Beverly Doupo
IV CORPS MEADQUA
South Viet Na
foundation
of the military effort in the crucial southern third of Viet Nam--tho
multi-million-doll
strategie heslot and village militia program-ha osved
inf fnd the war in nor being lost there.
The vital question is whether the new militery government,
ndministrators and unit commanders can reverso the xizmin trond. Fow observers
hore believe the war against the Viet Cong Communist guerrillas can be
mon without an offective strategio hamlet program
Strategic hamlet experts in the field believe the U. Se-mapported
Vieta more govoriment bas lost at least six months in the fight against
the Communist guerrille They predict it will bo mid-1964 before the
government can rebuild the hemlot program to its former position.
The strategio homlott villages fortified with bamboo at kos
and barbed wire and defended by volunteer militiamen--were deviced in an attempt
to separate the Viet Cong guerrilles from population, food and intelligence
information. The program ben succeeded tolerably well in the mountainous
two-thirds of the country, where military parts believe the government
ie holding its om.
(Moro)
--------------------
- Page 2
--------------------
Dospe
However, in the 13 provinoor of the southern third of the countryw
popularly called the Mekong Delta--the must food is in abundance in
the richest part of the country end the population is widely scattered, making
almost impossible the cx denial of bad and information to the
torrille.
Under consistent Viet Cong barrages during the past six months,
thousands of the hamlete h-vo bom attack Many of the persons thought
to be government supporters have been dir driven from thong hopese have
been burned; ge
driven off.
Pamant functionarien
The government in mom abandoning sabandoning hundreds of
outposts, heslote and watchtowers which they had once defended. In
the 13 provinces south of Saigon, "big shifts" are nur expeated
in the numbers of strategie hamlets notually held by the government
and those carried on the books
For example, An yon province, a Viet Cong stronghold ares
at the southernmost tip of the poninsulo, only five per cent of
that the sixtyfive healots once listed as guvernment controlled
are now considered viable. Start Further north in Cheong Thien
province, only twenty percent of the f
1970-170 completed homlete and now considered scoure.
(More)
--------------------
- Page 3
--------------------
Dooge
The situation is no less disheartening in the provinces forming
he Saigon parimotor. In Dinh Tuong province, the government rot in
control of only 45 of the 200 hamlete they cace thought it controlled. In
Long in province, which begins only 15 miles south of Saigon, the gove
has lost about 75 per cent of its hamlets, many of which sosured Highway No.
connecting the rice-rich dolts with the arital city. Amba Ambushes
aze now regularly laid on the outskirts of sag Saigon.
To control 200 garle eis either side of Highmy Fo. 4 during the
days aid one /merican working in tap province "And we don't oven control
that in the nighttime. To now hold the provimin ospital and of
Cistriot ospitals at night...and watre Iwas lucky to do that."
te the hamlet program z ambled, so did the med volunt
militis that defendol them. In one province alono, the fighting strength
of the village militie in fifty pee cent of what it had boon. Hong
fought bravoly in defonso of their homes and familien. Ochore cimply
locorted their healote, come joining the Viet Cokcy no frunaing inte
the bust." In June, some of them began trening their was back to the
ment officials and refused to cooperate with the prog. Other
weapons lost provided on aroonal of shotgans
arbines for the onemy.
The orpabilities of the Viot Cone in warpone, spplies, personnel and training
hae increased dramatically in the delta in the past six months.
In addition to the partial collapse of the strategic hamlet progres
the government in now withdrawing troops from outposts and watchtowers
which had once defended some of the hamlets, bridges, canale and roads.
In the nine provinces of IV Corps, 200 A outposts and watchtowers have
bean withiram. Unit strength withdrum ronged from 30-man platoons
to 100-openies.
(More)
--------------------
- Page 4
--------------------
Howly-appointed province chiefe in the celte are now taking
now lock" at the hamlet pr
valuating how many are viable,
robuilt the otherne
which ones to withdrew troops from.
The official word for this is "consolidation,
but 14 rant be con ddered
retirant fo
The
land and people
id it hold.
now aonaldo od
aritical that U.
Ambasador
Cabot Lodge be called in one provinci
advisors for poolel briefi
He rushed his an i
An prorings to
on-the-mot check
end them cimetched there a task force of U
information and economic
eid experie
Why did the nt logte hamlos progonta
Thew populer versions in me 'weat too far too foot
so badly?
Intence pressure from Delgon, province and district chief strung bearbe
wire fence Sub thon Magy's could hang Christmas realights. The bamlets
motivated
formar regine under Prenddont go Mnh em refused
withdrawing the prestige of his
to and homlete bearuso "it mont
over, in a report which hit desk of mbassador en Lodge wit
formrded it to Tashington, reasons for dam
amlet det
was that the villegers wedo promised security from regular forces and
reinforcements during night attnak. But when village onlled for if
reinforcements, government officials sont flareships and artillery.
Belden
trope to meat the Ti Cong where thoy
(More)
on the ground.
tion
--------------------
- Page 5
--------------------
Reape
Bottor trained a troops that were in theory supposed to patrol outside
the strategio homlete at night to ward off Vit Viet Cong attacks
But they never did. They wore tied down to static positions in ethow
outposts and watchtowere and hamlots. The hamlet militia soon realized
they were "atting ducks** estinz and began pulling out of the progren.
Military advisors agree that one of the key prog problems is th
parallel ra that seldom mot.
there has consistently been two
the war of the daytime, where elite government unite om lounched
operations with helicopters and armored
Second was the war of the night,
where the Flet Cong rossed at will, soldon endangered by government night
patrols.
While the strategio hamlet is dioboartening, it is not hopeloos,
provinciel advisors boilove. They believe the concept is valid if
properly implement with enough military strength and aggressiveness. They
point out exemplos of hans no thanh tuo district in Long An provinco.
Shax More than 1000- samy regular soldiers secured the district and helped
villagers build their homlete in one end half months. And once the regulars
moved out, the aggressive district chief personal personally lod
night reinforcements to nid a village under attack.
ment the advisors new
the belet
progres will succood boonuse it must. There is no other alternative to it.
<-30-
-
Date
-
Unknown
-
Subject
-
Vietnam, 1961-1975;
-
Location
-
Saigon, South Vietnam
-
Coordinates
-
10.8231; 106.6311
-
Size
-
20 x 26 cm
-
Container
-
B2, F1
-
Format
-
dispatches
-
Collection Number
-
MS 363
-
Collection Title
-
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
-
Creator
-
Keever, Beverly Deepe
-
Collector
-
Keever, Beverly Deepe
-
Copyright Information
-
These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
-
Publisher
-
Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
-
Language
-
English
