Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-08
WET NAM
Misuse of Troops Worries Officers,
1O-Yeor Attrition War Seen for U.S..


Namara takes a less pessimistic
view Of the operation. without
going into Specifics, he told q
news conference in Washing
ton yesterday that effectiveness
Of United States aid to the
South Wet Namese government
forces has greatly increased
over the past several months"
Among other factors he men,
toned were q much more IA
vorable ratio" Of Communists
killed or captured and q lesser
number Of guerrilla attacks.
I'VE cannot expect termina-
ton Of q war-and 1t is a war
in o matter Of months" Mr..
McNamara said. cit will be years
before it Is concluded, and I
believe 1t will be concluded
successfully"
The story Of the officers re-
actions was pieced together in
q series Of interviews which
began In Washington and car
ried through Fort Benning. Ga,
and here.
Some Of the officers inter-
viewed say the Wet Namese OPP
Grafton at different levels and
hence the experiences Of one
might vary considerably from
another. All asked to remain
anonymous for career reasons.
ROsson Called Appalled,
A man who talked to Gen.
Rosson Immediately after the
generals return from an in
spection trip to Wet Nam said
the chief Of the special forces
was appalled, to find his men,
probably the most mature and
best-trained in the Army, en-
ployed in providing basic train
ing to Wet Namese recruits.
The command Of these highly
skilled specialists in guerrilla
warfare in South Wet Nam is
now In the hands Of the Mill
tary Advisory Group, and out
Of Gen. Rosson's.
Gen. Rosson was quoted as
saying: !!
This is a waste Of man
power. We should shift these 7
people to working with in
digenous personnel NATIVE
forces) in company and battal-
ion-sized groups. They should
give them the same training
they have and then they should
go into the % Wet Cong areas
nobody has been into for is
years."
The special forces chief was
also quoted as saying, ''if nee
essary, our men should remain
with these people In the field.
We must adopt a philosophy
that now is the time to gain
ground"
Doesn't Talk In Public
Gen Rosson has declined to Il
discuss the Wet Namese situa-
ton in public, though he appar- 9
emily makes no bones about his !
feelings In private. $
He repeatedly feels strongly
that the fight should be carried /,
to the North Wet Namese Com
munists to destroy the Wet
Cong training and re-supply I
bases and to relieve pressures
on South Wet Nam.
Most Of the ranking Wet
Namese officers and non COM
missioned officers were trained
by the French in the type of i
defensive warfare which result
ed in the bloody, 55-day battle
at Diem Bien Phu in 1854 and
the subsequent French defeat.
Gen. RoSSon was repeatedly
angered by the Wet Namese re-
fusal to take the offensive
against the Wet Cong in any
meaningful way and has COM
planned nobody has been able
to get these people out of static
defense positions.
The one bright spot in Gen.
RosSon's trip was said to be
the work of the medical men
attached to his 10-man guer-
rilla teams.
These men can't be praised
too highly" he was quoted.
Wherever they have operated
they have won literally hun
dreds Of friends for U.s."
Would Shift Training Load
The general was said to be
of the opinion that the train
ing of the Wet Namese could
and should - be left to the
qualified and under-employed
officers Of the Military Advi-
sorry Group. Gen. RoSson re-
portedly has put this opinion
in writing to the top Army
command.
Gen. Rosson was repeatedly
angered when he found that
the few Wet Namese who had
been trained in special forces
guerrilla tactics had been uti-
liked for guarding bridges, vii
lagos and supply dumps instead
of being sent into the jungle
to hunt Wet Cong.
One of the returned officers
interviewed said that the Wet
namese colonel of his regiment
had been presumed into joining
the Catholic church and that
other officers had undergone
Summer HIn