38. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1
983. Departmentʼs 899.2 We completely agree expanded effort in military civic action should make important contribution to achievement our objectives in Viet-Nam. MAAG is trying to get civic action program developed by Army mobile civic action team accepted by GVN and believes supplementary team could not be properly used until program developed by previous team accepted. Embassy concurs MAAG view and will work with MAAG in trying obtain acceptance program by GVN.
As Department aware we expect have what amounts to large scale civic action program in civilian field. Village improvement program announced by joint communiqué 3 weeks ago is civic action par excellence and all other USOM programs also directly bear on civic action possibilities. Progress now held up awaiting Washington approval of 1962 program and other relevant actions which subject separate cable Toaid 431.3 Trust response thereto can be expedited.
Under circumstances do not believe civic action team could be profitably used at this time in either military or civilian civic action field, but quite possible might well be useful in helping organize for implementation in both fields. In meantime would be interested in Departmentʼs views on composition team and specifically what it might do here.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/1-2962. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.↩
- Document 30.↩
- Not found.↩