A Deployed Analyst A Deployed Analyst in in The Vietnam War The Vietnam War E. B. Vandiver III 24 August 2007 1
Purpose � Relate the experiences of a deployed analyst during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. � Compare the experience of a deployed analyst in an earlier conflict with deployed analyst support to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) today. 2
3 Dalat Vinh Long Indochina
Vietnam War Background (1 of 2) 1945 The French reclaim their colonies in Indochina after the defeat of the Japanese. A Communist Viet Minh insurgency begins. 1954 The French leave Indochina after their defeat at Dienbienphu. Indochina is partitioned into four states: The Kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia, the Peoples Republic of Vietnam, and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). US supports RVN. 1960s Growing Viet Cong Communist Insurgency in RVN. President Diem assassinated in coup (1963) followed by successive coups and growing insurgent strength. North Vietnam infiltrates two divisions into RVN in late 1964. American Marines secure an enclave at Danang (Feb 1964). 173 rd Airborne Bde 1965 deploys to Bien Hoa airbase followed by 1 st ID. 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) deploys to RVN highlands (July). Battle of Ia Drang Valley (Nov). Buildup to 200k authorized. 1965 HQDA directs Combat Developments Command to conduct an evaluation of combat operations in Vietnam in September. 1966 Army Combat Operations in Vietnam (ARCOV) study conducted in RVN, Jan-Apr. 4 Buildup continues.
Vietnam War Background (2 of 2) 1967 Authorized strength achieved. Multi-division operations begin; e.g. JUNCTION CITY, CEDAR FALLS, Gen Westmoreland reports substantial progress to Congress in the Fall. 1968 The Tet Offensive (Feb). Walter Cronkite of CBS announces the war is lost (in reality the Viet Cong are destroyed). Peace talks begin. LBJ withdraws from the presidential election campaign. Bobby Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King assassinated. Urban riots. Riots at Democratic National Convention. Richard M. Nixon elected. 1969 Vietnamization begins. US Troop withdrawals begin. 1970 Incursion into Cambodia. Student rioting. Kent State shootings. 1972 Air Campaign resumes with laser guided bombs. Massive bombing strikes by B-52s and aerial mining of Haiphong harbor at Christmas. North Vietnam signs Geneva Accord. 1973 Last US combat troops depart. POWs returned. 1975 North Vietnamese multi-corps conventional invasion destroys RVN after Congress 5 signals no support for RVN by denying aid funding.
My Background 1960 BS Physics, University of Missouri. Commissioned 2LT US Army Chemical Corps 1962 MS Physics, University of Missouri 1962-64 Active duty with Combat Development Command CBR Agency, Fort McClellan, Alabama - Studies, Field Experiments, Analysis, Computer Simulations. 1964 Junior Analyst, Wargaming Division, Combat Operations Research Group (CORG), Fort Belvoir, Virginia 1965 Chosen to deploy to Vietnam in support of ARCOV Evaluation (Nov). 1966 Deployed to Saigon, Vietnam (Jan-Apr) for ARCOV 1967 Deployed to Saigon, Vietnam (three weeks Jan – Feb) on Artillery Ammunition Requirements Study for HQDA. 6
The ARCOV Evaluation • Number and intensity of combat operations increased as buildup proceeded throughout 1965. • Four kinds of infantry battalions had been or were deploying to Vietnam with very different characteristics. Infantry, Airborne Infantry, Airmobile Infantry, and Mechanized Infantry. Only Airmobile Infantry had been specifically configured for the counterinsurgency environment. • HQDA directed Combat Development Command (CDC) to conduct an evaluation of combat operations to determine adjustments needed to doctrine, organization, and equipment as a result of experience in the environment. • CDC engaged the services of CORG to provide analysis support in- country. 7
The ARCOV Evaluation Organization Military Assistance HQDA Command Vietnam HQ CDC US Army Vietnam CORG ARCOV Director BG Mabry Analysis Evaluation Field Data Group Staff Collectors 6 CORG Analysts 12 Officers (06 and below) 60 Majors and LTC’s on TDY 6 Field Grade 8 Officers
CORG Background 1949 Operations Research Office (ORO) created under contract to Johns Hopkins University. 1952 U.S. Army Combat Operations Research Group established at US Continental Army Command (CONARC), Fort Monroe, Virginia, with assigned officers and ORO analysts on site. 1954 ORO Transferred the CONARC work to Technical Operations Inc., a Massachusetts’ company specializing in physical optics. About 23-28 contracted civilian analysts. A separate CORG group supported the Air Mobility testing at Fort Benning, Georgia. 1962 Combat Developments Command formed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. CORG moved to Fort Belvoir and expanded to 100 contracted civilian analysts. 1964 CORG expanded again to 150 contracted civilian analysts. 1966 CORG supports ARCOV evaluation in Vietnam. 1967 CORG supports MACOV evaluation in Vietnam. 1970 CDC Systems Analysis Group formed in-house. CORG contract begins ramping down. 1971 CORG contract terminated. 9
The Deployment to ARCOV When CORG Team assembled in late fall of 1965 and were all in-country by the end of the first week in January. Departed the end of April. Who Six CORG analysts Wesley Curtis, Chief George Lewett Richard Pohlman Bill Brown Bill Carswell E. B. Vandiver III Where Work - Army Concepts Team in Vietnam (ACTIV) Compound (about 6 blocks from downtown Saigon). Living - Two Bills and me at De Tham Street second floor apartment about two blocks from the Central Market. The other three CORG analysts shared a house down the street from ACTIV. 10
11 The ACTIV Compound
12 CORG Analyst in Action!
Evaluation Methodology Mr. Wesley Curtis Five Functions of Combat Analysis Findings and Mobility (Bill Brown)* Issues Recommendations Firepower (Bill Carswell) 20 Objectives Questionnaires C3 (E. B. Vandiver III) & 62 EEA Intelligence ( Richard e.g. How many platoons e.g. Is the or companies are used Pohlman) infantry BN to secure Bn base? organized appropriately? Logistics (George Lewett) Field Data Collectors (Bn/Bde/Div) *Each CORG Analyst was paired with a field grade officer. I had Major Virgil Hensen, an Army Aviator 13 assigned to ACTIV.
Work on the Study Work Hours • Nominally 8-12, 12-2 Siesta, 2-7 Weekdays, 8- 12 Saturday. • Never less, frequently more . Technology • Paper questionnaires, mechanical calculators, slide rules, Support pencils and accounting pads, typewriters. Weekends • Sight seeing around town • Group dining out. • Several days off for the Tet holiday Trips to the • One trip via UH-1 to the Delta, Plain of Reeds, Bien Hoa. Field • One trip (Beaver) to Dalat. 14
15 Technology of the ARCOV Evaluation
16 Huey at Ton Son Nhut Airfield
17 Saigon from the Air
18 Port of Saigon
19 Rice Paddies and Canals
20 Heavily Armed Combat Analyst
21 Beaver at Ton Son Nhut Airfield
22 Into the Central Highlands
23 Souvenir Hunter
ARCOV Study Major Events Jan 1966 - Getting organized - Session with Ia Drang Valley battle participants. - Data collectors arrive. - Data collectors sent to the field with first set of instruments. - BG Mabry arrives Feb 1966 - Questionnaires begin returning - Session with selected data collectors near end of month. - Questionnaire revisions begin. Mar 1966 - Mid-term review and course corrections. - Visits by HQDA and HQ CDC poohbahs. April 1966 - Report and final briefing preparation. - Final briefs to General Westmoreland and Staff. Major findings and recommendations accepted. 24
Life in Vietnam Getting Around • Navy school buses ran regular bus Vietnam routes….hot , slow and not punctual. • Tiny Renault taxicabs with kamikaze drivers. • Pedi cabs & Cyclos. Noisy, dirty and scary. Favorite Eating • International Club…..good burgers. Places • Mayflower Café…..excellent French onion soup. • Tour D’ Ivoire…..Chinese. • Arc en Ciel…..Top of Line Chinese Bird’s Nest Soup. Shopping • PX for beer, scotch, and cigarettes. • Various arcades/shops downtown. • Corner tailor shop for special orders. Housing • Second floor walk-up. • Three bedrooms/living room, kitchen and bath. • No water last month (Tooth brushing with Heinekens). • Rolling electrical blackouts Terrorism • Major incidents Special Weekend • TET 25 • Saigon Port Visit
26 View from our Balcony
27 Below our Balcony
28 Victoria NCOQ
29 Lighterage Unloading In-Stream
30 The Mess Ashore
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