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Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Microform: Vietnam Documents and Research Notes Series: Translation and Analysis of Significant Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Documents


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0099 KCLMA MF 825-830

Held at: Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Title: Microform: Vietnam Documents and Research Notes Series: Translation and Analysis of Significant Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Documents

Date(s): 1967-1975, 1991

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 6 reels

Name of creator(s): Joint US Public Affairs Office (JUSPAO)

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Joint US Public Affairs Office (JUSPAO) was an interagency organisation created in 1965 by the US Embassy, Saigon, the US Operations Mission, and the US Information Agency as part of the US Mission in South Vietnam. JUSPAO co-ordinated all US psychological and information programs in South Vietnam. These programs explained and interpreted US policies to Vietnamese audiences. JUSPAO was also responsible for providing overall policy guidance to and co-ordination of US psychological operational efforts through analyses of captured Viet Cong and North Vietnamese papers. From these sources, they developed, advised, and supported countrywide psychological operations (PSYOPS) that involved the Vietnamese national media and the Vietnamese Ministry of Information. In the field, the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) executed PSYOPS with JUSPAO providing support, especially for pacification and development programmes. Ultimately, JUSPAO was responsible for evaluating through captured papers PSYOP activities in the field and on the national level in order to determine their validity and effectiveness. These captured papers were compiled and distributed by the North Vietnam Affairs Division of the JUSPAO in the US Embassy. After Dec 1967, these notes were distributed by the Minister-Counsellor for Information, and after Oct 1972, by the US Information Service Branch of the US Embassy.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

The Vietnam Documents and Research Notes Series reproduces in microfilm captured and translated Viet Cong and North Vietnamese political and military reports, treatises, resolutions, directives and programme descriptions compiled by JUSPAO, Oct 1967-Feb 1975. The 'notes' in the collection also contain US and South Vietnamese commentary on the enemy materiel, as well as analyses of political methodology, strategy, infrastructure, and history. While the majority of notes relate to political topics, military topics include analyses of soldiers' diaries and comments on military conditions and operations. Papers include composite diary highlighting the plight of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldiers serving in South Vietnam, Dec 1966; diary of a North Vietnamese Army soldier en route to South Vietnam, including mention of his political indoctrination and military training, Oct 1967; North Vietnamese directive defining the political tasks for North Vietnamese An Thai Regt, Oct 1967; directive from Headquarters of Viet Cong Military Region 5, relating to repression of counter-revolutionaries, Oct 1967; Viet Cong training document, Mar 1968; Viet Cong post-operation report relating to military operations during the Tet Offensive, Apr 1968; Sixth Resolution, Central Office, South Vietnam, assessing the results of the Tet Offensive, Jul 1968; Liberation Radio broadcast texts outlining the political programme of the Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces, Sep 1968; broadcast reports relating to the death of Ho Chi Minh, Sep 1969; speeches by Gen Vo Nguyen Giap, Nov 1969; report, issued by the commander of Unit 591, detailing the shortcomings of his unit, including low morale, poor leadership, self-inflicted wounds and surrender, Feb 1970; conference notes relating to the Indochinese Peoples' Summit Conference, Apr 1970; report detailing the establishment and organisation of the Public Security Sector and the People's Police Force in North Vietnam, Jan 1971; captured documents highlighting the effects of an unsuccessful military campaign, loss of key cadre on the village levels, and the slow recruitment of personnel, Apr 1971; full text of Liberation Radio broadcast of Maj Gen Tran Do highlighting the problem and result of poor political indoctrination and ideological education, May 1971; lists of members, denoting office or responsibility of Communist Vietnamese organisations including the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam, the National Liberation Front and the People's Revolutionary Party, Jun 1972; articles by Gen Vo Nguyen Giap, Jun-Oct 1972; papers relating to the abandonment of the military and political seizure of Danang, Dec 1972; Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN) directives relating to the economic situation in South Vietnam following the Paris Peace Talks, 1974-1975

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Conditions governing access:

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Enquiries concerning the copyright of the original material should be addressed to University Publications of America, Inc., 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814-3389, USA

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room, Robert E Lester (ed.), Vietnam Documents and Research Notes Series: Translation and Analysis of Significant Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Documents (University Publications of America, Inc, Bethesda, MD, 1991).

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

University Publications of America, Inc., Bethesda, MD, with fully indexed guide edited and compiled by Robert E Lester.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Date(s) of descriptions: Date of compilation: Jun 1999


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Armed forces | State security
Military intelligence | Warfare | Military engineering
Nationalism | Political doctrines
Psychological operations | Military operations | Military engineering
Radio programmes | Radio | Broadcasting
Vietnam War (1945-1975) | Wars (events)
War | International conflicts
War propaganda | Propaganda | Persuasion | Communication process
Psychological warfare x Propaganda
International relations
Military organizations
Military science

Personal names
Do | Tran | fl 1971 | North Vietnamese Major General
Giap | Vo Nguyen | b 1912 | North Vietnamese General
Minh | Ho Chi | 1892-1969 | President of North Vietnam

Corporate names
North Vietnamese Army
South Vietnamese Army
US Army
Vietnamese National Liberation Army x Viet Cong

Places
Danang | Quang Nam-Dà Nang, Tinh | Viet Nam | South East Asia