NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
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| SUBJECT: | Report of U.S. Special Mission to Indochina |
| TO: | The Joint Chiefs of Staff (Thru Commander-in-Chief, Pacific) |
1. The attached report of my visit to Indochina covers the results accomplished, action taken, and recommendations. The outstanding points are covered herein.
2. During this visit I talked with General Navarre and other senior French officials, as well as officials of the Vietnamese Government. All conversations were conducted in a spirit of frankness, with a free exchange of views and information.
3. During my stay in Indochina I had two conferences with General Navarre, in which we discussed the purpose of my visit and means and methods by which I could be of assistance to him. Relative to establishing myself in Indochina as a liaison officer to him, he emphasized that he did not desire U.S. overt participation at this level for political reasons but that he would not object to periodic visits by me and my staff. We agreed on my visiting Saigon at about six weeks' intervals. Navarre said we could try this out and discuss the matter further at my next visit.
4. In the field of psychological warfare, he was not particularly interested in U.S. participation. On the other hand, the Vietnamese are amenable to it.
5. General Navarre stated that while he felt some concern over the present situation, he sees no reason for changing his original plans for a fall offensive. The continued development of the Vietnamese forces is making possible the recovery of more units that should give him a preponderance of forces with which to strike the enemy.
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