Office of the Historian

List of Persons

  • Editor’s Note. This list is designed to provide ready reference for identification of those persons mentioned most frequently. The identification of the persons on this list is generally limited to positions and circumstances under reference in the volume and is confined to the years 1955–1957. All titles and positions are American unless otherwise indicated. Where no dates are given, the individual usually held the position throughout the period covered by the volume.
  • Abbott, George M., Special Assistant for South East Asian Treaty Organization Affairs, Department of State, from August 1956
  • Achilles, Theodore C., Minister at the Embassy in France to May 1956; thereafter Ambassador to Peru
  • Aldrich, Winthrop W., Ambassador to the United Kingdom to February 1957
  • Anderson, Daniel V., Counselor of the Embassy in Vietnam from August 1953
  • Anderson, Dillon, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, April 1955–September 1956; thereafter White House Consultant
  • Anderson, Robert B., Deputy Secretary of Defense to August 1955; appointed Secretary of the Treasury, July 1957
  • Armstrong, W. Park, Jr., Special Assistant for Intelligence, Department of State, to May 1957
  • Ba Cut (General Le Quang Vinh), Hoa Hao dissident leader, Vietnam; executed July 1956
  • Bao Dai, Vietnamese Chief of State to October 1955
  • Barrows, Leland, Director of the United States Operations Mission in Vietnam
  • Bay Vien, see Le Van Vien
  • Bell, James D., Deputy Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, July 1955–March 1956; thereafter Director of the Office of Southwest Pacific Affairs
  • Bowie, Robert R., Director of the Policy Planning Staff, Department of State, to August 1955; thereafter Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning
  • Bowie, Thomas D., Political Counselor of the Embassy in Vietnam from July 1957
  • Burke, Admiral Arleigh A., USN, Chief of Naval Operations from August 1955
  • Buu Loc, Prince, Adviser to Bao Dai
  • Cabell, Lieutenant General Charles P., USAF, Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
  • Caccia, Sir Harold A., Deputy Under Secretary of State in the British Foreign Office to 1956; British Ambassador in the United States from November 1956
  • Carlson, Brigadier General Gunnar C., USA, Deputy Chief for Logistics and Administration of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam from January 1957
  • Carney, Admiral Robert B., USN, Chief of Naval Operations to August 1955
  • Chapman, Christian George, Second Secretary of the Embassy in Vietnam, January 1957–December 1957
  • Chau, see Nguyen Huu Chau
  • Chiang Kai-shek, Generalissimo, President of the Republic of China
  • Chou En-lai, Premier of the State Council and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China
  • Chuong, see Tran Van Chuong
  • Collins, General J. Lawton, USA, Special Representative in Vietnam, with the personal rank of Ambassador, to May 1955
  • Corcoran, Thomas J., Consul in Hanoi to December 1955
  • Couve de Murville, Maurice J., French Ambassador to the United States to September 1956
  • Cumming, Hugh S., Jr., Ambassador to Indonesia to March 1957; Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Intelligence, May 1957–October 1957; thereafter Director of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
  • Cutler, Robert, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs to April 1955 and again from January 1957
  • Daridan, Jean H., Assistant Director General of Political Affairs of the French Foreign Ministry to February 1956; Assistant Director of the Cabinet of Ministers, February–July 1956; thereafter Director General of Political and Economic Affairs
  • Davis, Admiral Arthur C., USN, Director of the Office of Foreign Military Affairs and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs to October 1955
  • Desai, Manilal Jagdish, Chairman of the International Commission for Supervision and Control of Vietnam
  • Diem, see Ngo Dinh Diem
  • Dillon, C. Douglas, Ambassador to France to January 1957; Deputy Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs from March 1957
  • Dulles, Allen W., Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
  • Dulles, John Foster, Secretary of State
  • Dung, see Tran Trung Dung
  • Duong Van Minh, Colonel, Commander of the Saigon–Cholon garrison during the sect crisis; raised to General, May 1955, for his support of Diem in the crisis
  • Durbrow, Elbridge, Minister in Singapore, October 1955–March 1957 (from November 1955, also Consul General); thereafter Ambassador to Vietnam
  • Eden, Sir Anthony, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister to April 1955; Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, April 1955–January 1957
  • Eisenhower, Dwight D., President of the United States
  • Elbrick, C. Burke, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs to February 1957
  • Ely, General Paul H. R., French Commissioner-General and Commander of the French Forces in Indochina to May 1955; thereafter Chief of the Army General Staff
  • Erskine, General Graves B., USMC, Director of the Office of Special Operations of the Department of Defense
  • Faure, Edgar, French Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs to January 1955; Foreign Minister, January–February, 1955; thereafter Prime Minister and President of the Council of Ministers
  • Fishel, Wesley R., friend of Ngo Dinh Diem and Chief Adviser of the Michigan State University Advisory Group at the National Institute of Administration in Vietnam from the spring of 1956
  • Fisher, William D., International Relations Officer in the Office of Western European Affairs, Department of State, to September 1956
  • FitzGerald, Dr. D. A., Deputy Director for Operations, International Cooperation Administration
  • Fox, Lieutenant General Alonzo P., USA, Military Adviser to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • Gambiez, General Louis Charles Fernand, Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief of French Forces in Indochina to 1955
  • Gleason, S. Everett, Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Security Council
  • Goodpaster, Colonel Andrew J., USA, Staff Secretary to the President; promoted to Brigadier General January 1957
  • Gorce, Pierre, French High Commissioner in Cambodia to November 1956; thereafter French Ambassador in Cambodia
  • Graves, Sir Hubert Ashton, British Ambassador in Vietnam to March 1955; Minister in the United States, October 1955–July 1956
  • Gray, Gordon, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs July 1955–February 1957; Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization from March 1957
  • Gromyko, Andrei Andreevich, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union
  • Guillaume, General Augustin Léon, Chief of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces to March 1956
  • Hagerty, James C., Press Secretary to the President
  • Hammarskjöld, Dag, Secretary-General of the United Nations
  • Haraldson, Wesley Clifford, Counselor of Economic Affairs of the Embassy in Vietnam from August 1956
  • Hensel, H. Struve, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs to July 1955
  • Herter, Christian A., Consultant to the Secretary of State, January–February 1957; thereafter Under Secretary of State and Chairman of the Operations Coordinating Board
  • Hessel, Stephane Frederic, First Counselor to the French High Commissioner to Vietnam to February 1957
  • Hinh, see Nguyen Van Hinh
  • Ho Chi Minh, President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; Chairman and General Secretary of Lao Dong Dang (Workers’s Party)
  • Ho Thong Minh, Minister of Defense of the State of Vietnam to March 1955
  • Hoang Minh Giam, Minister of Information of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to September 1955; thereafter Minister of Culture
  • Hoey, Robert E., Officer in Charge of Vietnam–Laos–Cambodia Affairs, Department of State, to December 1955; Special Assistant to the Secretary of State, December 1955–July 1956
  • Hollister, John B., Consultant to the Secretary of State, May–July 1955; thereafter Director of the International Cooperation Administration
  • Hoover, Herbert J., Under Secretary of State to February 1957
  • Hoppenot, Henri, French High Commissioner to Vietnam 1955–1956
  • Houghton, Amory, Ambassador to France from April 1957
  • Humphrey, George M., Secretary of the Treasury
  • Huu, see Tran Van Huu
  • Jacquin de Margerie, Roland, Director-General of Political and Economic Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry, June 1955–July 1956; thereafter French Ambassador to the Holy See
  • Jacquot, General Pierre Elie, Commander in Chief of the French Forces in Indochina, May 1955–April 1956
  • Jarvis, Francis Girard, International Economist in the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, to July 1956; thereafter Officer in Charge of Economic Affairs in the Office of Southwest Pacific Affairs
  • Jones, Howard P., Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Economic Affairs from July 1955; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs from April 1957
  • Jozan, Vice Admiral Edouard Albert, Commmander of French Naval Forces in the Far East to 1956
  • Katay Don Sasorith, Prime Minister of Laos to February 1956; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State, March 1956–August 1957; thereafter Minister of Interior, Economy, and Social Welfare
  • Kattenburg, Paul M., Intelligence Research Specialist in the Division of Research for Far East of the Office of Intelligence Research, Department of State, to June 1955; detailed to Saigon, June–September 1955; Officer in Charge of Vietnam Affairs, November 1955–December 1956; thereafter Second Secretary of the Embassy in the Philippines
  • Kidder, Randolph A., Counselor of the Embassy in Vietnam to June 1955
  • Kocher, Eric, Deputy Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, from April 1956
  • La Chambre, Guy Charles, French Minister for the Associated States to February 1955
  • Ladejinsky, Wolf, Land Reform Adviser in the United States Operations Mission in Vietnam, 1955–1956; thereafter an adviser to President Diem
  • La Forest, Henri, French Secretary of State for the Associated States, March–October 1955
  • Lai Van Sang, Sûreté, Chief of Saigon to April 1955; member of the Binh Xuyen
  • Lam Thanh Nguyen, General, a Cao Daist commander who surrendered to government forces in June 1955
  • Lansdale, Colonel Edward G., USAF, Chief of the National Security Division of the Joint French-American Training Relations and Instruction Mission, Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam, to December 1956
  • Lay James S., Jr., Executive Secretary of the National Security Council
  • Le Van Ty, General, Chief of Staff of the National Army of Vietnam
  • Le Van Vien (Bay Vien”), Commander of Binh Xuyen, Vietnam; escaped to France, September 1955, and sentenced to death in absentia, January 1956
  • Lebel, Claude A., French Foreign Ministry official in charge of Cambodian, Lao, and Vietnamese Affairs, 1956
  • MacDonald, Malcolm, Commissioner General for the United Kingdom in Southeast Asia (Singapore) to September 1955; thereafter High Commissioner for India
  • Macmillan, Harold, British Minister of Defense to April 1955; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, April–December 1955; Chancellor of the Exchequer December 1955–January 1957; thereafter Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
  • Makins, Sir Roger M., British Ambassador to the United States to October 1956; thereafter Joint Permanent Secretary of the Treasury
  • Mansfield, Mike, Democratic Senator from Montana; Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  • Massigli, René Lucien, Secretary General of the French Foreign Ministry
  • Mau, see Vu Van Mau
  • McClintock, Robert, Ambassador to Cambodia to October 1956; member of the Policy Planning Staff, Department of State, January 1957–December 1957
  • McKesson, John A., Second Secretary of the Embassy in Vietnam to January 1957; First Secretary, January 1957–July 1957; thereafter First Secretary of the Embassy in France
  • McKillop, David H., Foreign Affairs Officer in the Office of the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Atomic Energy Matters, August 1955–November 1956
  • Meloy, Francis E., Jr., First Secretary of the Embassy in Vietnam to March 1956; thereafter First Secretary of the Embassy in France
  • Mendès-France, Pierre, French Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to February 1955
  • Menzies, Robert Gordon, Prime Minister of Australia
  • Millet, René, French Diplomatic Counselor to the International Supervision and Control Commission; Counselor to the High Commissioner of France in Vietnam to November 1956
  • Minh, see Duong Van Minh
  • Minh, see Ho Thong Minh
  • Molotov, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich, First Vice-Chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers and Member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party to July 1957; Soviet Minister for Foreign Affairs to June 1956; Minister of State Control, November 1956–July 1957; Ambassador to Mongolia from August 1957
  • Murphy, Robert D., Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal, Prime Minister of India and Minister for External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations
  • Ngo Dinh Can, Brother of Ngo Dinh Diem (unofficial boss” of Hue and central Vietnam)
  • Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of Ministers of the State of Vietnam to October 1955; thereafter President and Chief of State of the Republic of Vietnam
  • Ngo Dinh Luyen, Ambassador-at-large of Vietnam; Vietnamese Ambassador to the United Kingdom from March 1956; youngest brother of Ngo Dinh Diem
  • Ngo Dinh Nhu, Secretary-General of the Personalist Labor Revolutionary Party of Vietnam; brother and adviser to Ngo Dinh Diem
  • Nguyen Huu Chau, Vietnamese Secretary of State at the Presidency and Secretary of the Interior from May 1955
  • Nguyen Ngoc Tho, Minister of National Economy to December 1956; thereafter Vice President of the Republic of Vietnam
  • Nguyen Thanh Phuong, Vietnamese Minister of State until May 1955; Commander of Cao Dai forces
  • Nguyen Van Hinh, former Vietnamese Chief of Staff of the Army
  • Nguyen Van Tam, former Vietnamese Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior
  • Nguyen Van Thoai, Vietnamese Minister of Reconstruction to April 1955
  • Nguyen Van Vy, General, Inspector General of the Vietnamese National Army; named Chief of Staff by Bao Dai on April 28, 1955, but fled to Dalat on May 1, 1955, then to France; sentenced to death in absentia, January 1956
  • Nixon, Richard M., Vice President of the United States
  • Nolting, Frederick E., Jr., Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Mutual Security Affairs to September 1955; First Secretary of the Embassy in France, [Page XXIV] September–December 1955; Minister from December 1955; Political Adviser to the Chief of the Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Mission to the European Regional Organization in Paris from December 1955–October 1957; thereafter Deputy Representative on the North Atlantic Council and Deputy Chief of the Mission to the European Regional Organization in Paris
  • O’Connor, Roderic L., Special Assistant to the Secretary of State to December 1955; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations, December 1955–May 1957; thereafter Administrator of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs
  • O’Daniel, Lieutenant General John W., USA, Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Indochina to October 1955
  • Palmer, Gardner E., Counselor of the Embassy in Vietnam to October 1956; also Deputy Director of the United States Operations Mission in Vietnam from March 1955; detailed to the International Cooperation Administration, October 1956–July 1957; thereafter Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Economic Affairs
  • Parkes, Roderick Wallis, British Ambassador to Vietnam, 1957
  • Parthasarathi, Gopalaswami, Indian Chairman of the International Commission for Supervision and Control for Vietnam to 1957; thereafter Indian Ambassador to Indonesia
  • Pearson, Lester B., Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs; Canadian Representative to the United Nations General Assembly, November 1956–June 1957; Canadian Representative to the United Nations General Assembly, November 1956–March 1957
  • Pham Cong Tac, Cao Dai Pope”, Vietnam
  • Pham Van Dong, Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from September 1955
  • Pham Huy Quat, former Vietnamese Minister of Defense
  • Phleger, Herman, Legal Adviser of the Department of State to April 1957
  • Phuong, see Nguyen Thanh Phuong
  • Pinay, Antoine, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, February 1955–January 1956
  • Price, C. Hoyt, Officer in Charge of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia Affairs, Department of State, from April 1956
  • Quat, see Pham Huy Quat
  • Radford, Admiral Arthur W., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to August 1957
  • Reinhardt, G. Frederick, Ambassador to Vietnam, April 1955–February 1957; Counselor of the Department of State from March 1957
  • Rhee, Syngman, President of the Republic of Korea
  • Richards, Arthur L., Operations Coordinator in the Office of the Under Secretary of State from January 1956
  • Ridgway, General Matthew B., USA, Chief of Staff, United States Army, to June 1955
  • Robertson, Reuben B., Jr., Deputy Secretary of Defense, August 1955–April 1957
  • Robertson, Walter S., Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs
  • Roux, Jacques, Deputy Director General of Political Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry to July 1956; Director of the Cabinet of the Foreign Minister, August 1956–November 1957; thereafter again Deputy Director General of Political Affairs
  • Saint-Mleux, André, Chief of Cabinet of the French Minister of State for the Associated States to February 1955; Counselor to the Cabinet of the Delegate [Page XXV] Minister to the President of the Council March–October 1955; Director General of Political Affairs in the Foreign Ministry, October 1955–June 1957
  • Sainteny, Jean, Delegate General of France in North Vietnam
  • Sam Sary, Life Member of the King of Cambodia’s High Council; Vice Premier, Minister of Economic Affairs, Finance, Planning and National Education, October 1955–January 1956
  • Sang, see Lai Van Sang
  • Scott, Sir Robert Heatlie, Minister of the British Embassy in the United States to October 1955; thereafter Commissioner General for the United Kingdom in Southeast Asia (Singapore)
  • Scott, Walter K., Director of the Executive Secretariat, Department of State, to August 1955; thereafter Deputy Director for Management of the International Cooperation Administration
  • Sebald, William J., Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs to March 1957; thereafter Ambassador to Australia
  • Sihanouk, Norodom, King of Cambodia to March 1955, thereafter Prince of Cambodia; Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, October 1955–January 1956; Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Minister of the Interior, March–April 1956; Prime Minister, September–October 1956; Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Minister of Plans, and Minister of the Interior, April–July 1957
  • Smith, Walter Bedell, former Director of Central Intelligence and Under Secretary of State
  • Soai, see Tran Van Soai
  • Son Ngoc Thanh, Cambodian Democratic Party leader
  • Sprague, Mansfield D., General Counsel, Department of Defense to February 1957; thereafter Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • Stassen, Harold E., Director of the Foreign Operations Administration and Deputy Representative on the United Nations Disarmament Commission to March 1955; thereafter Special Assistant to the President
  • Stelle, Charles C., Member of the Policy Planning Staff, Department of State, to August 1956; Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning, August 1956–August 1957; thereafter Counselor of the Embassy in Iran
  • Stephenson, Sir Hugh Southern, British Ambassador to Vietnam to May 1957; thereafter Consul General in New York
  • Stump, Admiral Felix B., USN, Commander in Chief, Pacific Command and Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet
  • Sturm, Paul J., Foreign Service Officer attached to General Collins’ staff in Saigon to May 1955; formerly Consul in Hanoi, February 1952–October 1954
  • Tac, see Pham Cong Tac
  • Taylor, General Maxwell D., USA, Commanding General, United States Army Forces, Far East and Eighth United States Army and Commander in Chief, United Nations Command, to March 1955; Commander in Chief, Far East Command, April–June 1955; thereafter Chief of Staff, United States Army
  • The, see Trinh Minh The
  • Tho, see Nguyen Ngoc Tho
  • Thoai, see Nguyen van Thoai
  • Tomlinson, Frank Stanley, Head of the Southeast Asia Department of the British Foreign Office
  • Tran Trung Dung, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defense, May–October 1955; thereafter Assistant Secretary of State for Defense
  • Tran Van Chuong, Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States
  • Tran Van Do, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs to May 1955
  • Tran Van Don, Colonel, promoted to General in Vietnamese National Army for support of Diem during sect crisis, April–May 1955
  • Tran Van Huu, former Prime Minister of Vietnam
  • Tran Van Soai, Vietnamese Commander of Hoa Hao Forces and Minister of State to March 1955
  • Trinh Minh The, Cao Dai General in Vietnamese National Army from February 1955; killed in Saigon fighting, May 1955
  • Truong Chinh, General Secretary of the Lao Dong Dang (Worker’s Party) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
  • Twining, General Nathan F., USAF, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force to June 1957; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 1957
  • Ty, see Le Van Ty
  • Tyler, William R., Deputy Director of the Office of Western European Affairs, Department of State, to February 1957; thereafter Director of the Office
  • Van Laethem, Gabriel, Counselor on the staff of General Ely to May 1955
  • Vo Nguyen Giap, General, Commander in Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army, Democratic Republic of Vietnam; also Vice Premier from September 1955
  • Vu Van Mau, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs, May–October 1955; thereafter Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
  • Vy, see Nguyen Van Vy
  • Whittington, Floyd L., Officer in Charge of Economic Affairs in the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, from August 1956
  • Williams, Lieutenant General Samuel T., USA, Chief, Military Assistance Advisory Group, Indochina, October 1955; Chief, Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam from November 1955
  • Wilson, Charles E., Secretary of Defense to October 1957
  • Wintrebert, Michel, Second Counselor of the French Embassy in Vietnam
  • Wisner, Frank G., Deputy Director for Plans, Central Intelligence Agency
  • Young, Kenneth T., Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, January 1955–April 1956; thereafter Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs