JFK began 'Americanization' of Vietnam conflict
Posted: Friday, October 20, 2006
McCOOK LAKE, S.D. -- Recent Letters in The Journal about the Vietnam War and its origins indicate a need for a look at history, not folklore from partisan flame-keepers.
When the French were defeated and left Vietnam in 1954, the Geneva Convention was convened to set up the parameters of that country. Key provisions of it include:
Vietnam was divided into two separate countries, North and South, at a specific point.
Elections to unify the country were scheduled for 1956.
Military advisors were limited to a few hundred in number and were to be operated in the South by the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG).
Jet aircraft were prohibited in the region for military use.
The President of South Vietnam refused to hold the 1956 elections and was supported in that by the Eisenhower administration.
The President of South Vietnam asked for American assistance above MAAG levels in 1961. President Kennedy sent a temporary team of 150 Army radio and communications intercept technicians in the spring of 1961. This unit was replaced by 300 permanent Army technicians in January of 1962. I was in that second group. We were dressed in civilian clothing purchased by the government to disguise the fact that we were military and violating the Geneva by being there above MAAG levels.
The inescapable fact is that the escalation of the Vietnam war above Geneva Convention- approved MAAG levels was done by President John F. Kennedy. The keepers of the Kennedy flame will have to tell me, who was there at the time under his orders, how they can say that Kennedy did not start the Americanization of the Vietnam War. -- Thomas R. Burns
When the French were defeated and left Vietnam in 1954, the Geneva Convention was convened to set up the parameters of that country. Key provisions of it include:
Vietnam was divided into two separate countries, North and South, at a specific point.
Elections to unify the country were scheduled for 1956.
Military advisors were limited to a few hundred in number and were to be operated in the South by the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG).
Jet aircraft were prohibited in the region for military use.
The President of South Vietnam refused to hold the 1956 elections and was supported in that by the Eisenhower administration.
The President of South Vietnam asked for American assistance above MAAG levels in 1961. President Kennedy sent a temporary team of 150 Army radio and communications intercept technicians in the spring of 1961. This unit was replaced by 300 permanent Army technicians in January of 1962. I was in that second group. We were dressed in civilian clothing purchased by the government to disguise the fact that we were military and violating the Geneva by being there above MAAG levels.
The inescapable fact is that the escalation of the Vietnam war above Geneva Convention- approved MAAG levels was done by President John F. Kennedy. The keepers of the Kennedy flame will have to tell me, who was there at the time under his orders, how they can say that Kennedy did not start the Americanization of the Vietnam War. -- Thomas R. Burns
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Mark wrote on Oct 22, 2006 8:18 AM:
Rt Vt wrote on Oct 21, 2006 7:27 PM:
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