Office of the Historian

144. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam1

Washington, April 4, 1962—2:01 p.m.

1171. Refs: (a) Saigon Toaid 647;2 (b) Deptel 1166;3 (c) CHMAAG to JCS MAGAR OT (PS)687, 3-05Z Jan 62.4 Task Force Viet-Nam. Ref (a) received with much interest. Need urgent for complete integration of our civil and military civic-action and rural rehabilitation programs without regard for restrictions imposed by departmental or agency terms of reference and funding procedures.

To this end, we need ASAP:

a.
Overall US-GVN time-phased civic action plan principally keyed to, but not restricted to geographic areas to be affected in near future by politico-military strategy of clear and hold. For ARVN role, consideration should be given to recommendations in Viet-Nam Civic Action MTT Report which was approved and recommended to GVN (Ref c).
b.
Estimate and schedule of personnel and materials assets required to support timing and thrust of plan.
c.
Your specific recommendation as to who will do what.

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Imperative that Civic Action proceed expeditiously. Because of lead time involved urge advance estimates be cabled on hard-core of any new funding procurement and personnel requirements so that we may arrange quickly to support field requirements. We will sort out required authority for dispensing services on cross-service basis and for requesting with GVN further third-country support.

Aside from conviction that success in Viet-Nam depends much on successful civic action program, an unparalleled opportunity exists to demonstrate functioning inter-agency and international effort, which could serve as guidance in other free world struggles. Program for medical civic action sought in ref (b) could be a guidepost in this field.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/4-462. Confidential, Priority Drafted by Wayne James (DOD/ISA) and cleared with Heinz, Cottrell, and Stoneman Also sent to CINCPAC for Polad and repeated to COMUSMACV and USOM in Saigon.↩
  2. Not found.↩
  3. Telegram 1166 to Saigon, April 2, concerned improvement in medical care supplied to the rural population. (Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/4-262)↩
  4. Not found.↩