Office of the Historian

176. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1

Washington, April 10, 1971.

SUBJECT

  • President Thieu’s Efforts to Publicize Operation Lam Son

Ambassador Bunker has reported that President Thieu is taking personal and effective measures to put Operation Lam Son into favorable public perspective, and is clearly intent on keeping it in the public eye. President Thieu told Ambassador Bunker that so far he and his government have taken the following steps:

  • —President Thieu’s press conference on March 31 in northern South Vietnam was well exploited on Vietnamese radio and television. He spent the next two days visiting troops which had been engaged in the operation, and found them in good spirits and proud of what they had accomplished.
  • —Troops are being given 100 piasters extra pay for each day they fought in Laos. Extra food allowances are being advanced to their families, some of whom have been flown to MR I to visit the wounded.
  • —Public demonstrations have been held in Saigon, Da Nang, and many provincial capitals to express support for the troops in Lam Son. More are being planned.
  • —Two of the more prominent Vietnamese political parties recently passed resolutions hailing the gallantry of the ARVN and supporting the men at the front.

Future plans. In addition, President Thieu outlined the following schedule to Ambassador Bunker:

  • —When Operation Lam Son is officially terminated, there will be a parade and ceremonies in Hue at which individual and unit citations will be awarded. When the units return to their home bases, there will be additional ceremonies which the public will attend.
  • —Vietnamese radio and television will present examples of the courage of the individual ARVN soldier.
  • —Special recognition of the Laotian and Cambodian operations will be made on Armed Forces Day, June 19, when a large military parade will be held and ARVN achievements cited.

Comment. Ambassador Bunker also asked President Thieu about some of the private scepticism regarding official claims of results achieved, concern over ARVN casualties, and criticism of the tactics employed. Thieu replied that it was so, but that it was largely confined to a few oppositionists and did not affect the broad base of public support for the operation.

The only public opinion survey taken on the operation so far tends to support President Thieu’s remarks. The survey indicated that 65 per cent of the population in the South Vietnamese countryside was aware of the operation. Of those aware, 83 percent considered it wise, and only three per cent thought it unwise. Continued publicity of the operation as outlined by President Thieu should certainly help maintain favorable public opinion.2

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 154, Vietnam Country Files, Viet 9 Apr 71–30 Apr 71. Secret; Nodis. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.” The memorandum summarizes telegram 4929 from Saigon, April 3, which was attached to an April 8 covering memorandum to Kissinger, in which Holdridge explained that he had summarized the telegram at Kissinger’s request and recommended that he send it to Nixon. (Ibid.)↩
  2. Nixon highlighted the last three sentences and wrote “Good” in the margin.↩