136. Memorandum From the Vice Presidentʼs Military Aide (Burris) to Vice President Johnson1
RE
- Viet Cong Activity
Viet Cong activity is being intensified on an increasingly broader spectrum. Attacks against reserve forces have been enlarged to supply lines, communications, transportation, and even to units of South Viet Namʼs regular forces.
On March 27 Viet Cong attacked and derailed four trains and tore up the tracks. On the same day the VC for the first time attacked two vehicles of the International Control Commission and wounded two individuals. The vehicles were plainly painted and marked with insignia of the Commission.
In the face of this increased activity, South Viet Nam statistics, in one area in particular, are somewhat alarming. Desertions from the regular forces have increased to 1,000 a month. Even this does not include the figures among the pare-military forces. When the battle casualties are added the total losses are expected to increase to the point where an overall increase in the effectiveness of the South Viet Nam armed forces is doubtful. The significance of the high desertion rate is indicative of military and national leadership. More fundamentally, it reflects the willingness of the South Vietnamese to free himself from the Communist menace.
The Chief of the British Advisory Commission, Mr. Thompson, feels that the philosophy of the present effort in South Viet Nam is wrong. Based on his experience in Malaya, he feels that the conflict is between the Communists and South Viet Nam citizens instead of between Diemʼs government and the Viet Cong guerrilla forces. The village is the foundation of the social structure of Viet Nam. The villages also constitute the base of Viet Cong organization and support. Thompson concludes that present government action will never be too successful unless this fact is dealt with and the role of the civil defense forces increased. Therefore, he recommends that the villagers [Page 285] be encouraged or even rewarded to resist the VC. He would also concentrate training of the villagers even at the expense of units of the regular forces to disrupt the base of VC efforts.
- Source: Johnson Library, Vice Presidential Security Files, Memos from Colonel Burris, Jan. 1961-June 1962. Secret. A notation on the source text reads: “VP has seen.”↩
- The date on the source text is March 20, which is incorrect. Telegram 1243 from Saigon, March 29, substantiates the information regarding the attacks referred to in the second paragraph. (Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/3-2962) Presumably the correct date is March 30.↩