Office of the Historian

15. Memorandum From the Regional Director, Far East, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Robbins) to the Chief, Cambodia–Laos–Vietnam Division, International Cooperation Administration (Bunting)1

I–13775/8
Washington, April 28, 1958.

SUBJECT

  • Garde Civile, Viet-Nam

This memorandum is designed to state our understanding in Defense on the present status of the Garde Civile problem.

In view of the urgency of the internal security problem in Viet-Nam, considerable pressure was brought from various Defense Department agencies and from the MAAG Viet-Nam to assist or expedite the equipping and training of the Garde Civile. This was considered not only necessary in order to improve the internal security situation, but also to relieve the Vietnamese Army of its pacification activities so that it can fully implement troop training cycles, and also to eliminate the requirement for the Village Defense Corps which is costing the U.S. Government some $3.5 million a year.

It will be remembered that at a conference at ICA on 7 April 19582 Colonel Evans proposed that Defense take over not only the [Page 38] equipping and training of the Garde Civile, but also the funding of the equipping out of 1958 funds. We earmarked some $14 million for this purpose while the proposal was being considered.

The initial reaction to the Defense proposal was favorable on the part of ICA, but State withheld comment until Embassy Saigon was heard from. A Country Team message3 came in indicating that the previous difficulties in handling the Garde Civile as a civilian controlled agency were on the verge of being solved. It was then informally agreed that ICA would continue its responsibility for the Garde Civile and press forward in getting it equipped and trained at the earliest practicable date. We understand that the equipment lists provided in telegram MAGCH–CT 494, DTG 110329Z Apr 58,4 with an estimated cost of some $14 million, were accepted at staff levels in the three departments as a close approximation of the final requirement.

The funds which the Defense Department had tentatively earmarked for the Garde Civile, were it to be taken over by Defense, have now been allocated to other projects. It is our understanding that ICA is now locating adequate funds to cover the equipping of the Garde Civile at the earliest practicable date.

May I emphasize again that we in Defense consider the Garde Civile problem a most urgent one and will be happy to cooperate in any way practicable with ICA on this matter.

It might be noted that though the initial cost of equipping appears large, the sooner the Garde Civile is equipped and trained the sooner we can discontinue the Village Defense Corps with its annual cost of $3.5 million.

B.A. Robbins, Jr.
Capt. USN
  1. Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, Civil Guard. Secret. Another copy of this memorandum is in Washington National Records Center, RG 330, FRC 62 A 1698: OSD/ISA Files, 092 Vietnam.↩
  2. No record of this conference has been found.↩
  3. Apparent reference to telegram 2075 from Saigon, April 10, not printed. (Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/4–1058)↩
  4. Not found.↩