Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-10
THE cLocKWoRK COUP =,
Diem's Fate Sealed on Golf Course

mand Of q Diem political ap-
potntee to that Of Brig. Gen.
Ton That Dinh, q key figure.
This secured the southern
flank below Saigon for the
rebel cause.
The 5th Division under Mr..
Dinh's trusted Col. Nguyen Van
Thieu protected the northern
flank; the latter, remembered
for his loyalty. now has taken
the rank Of brigadier general
and command of the Sd Corps.
Dubious divisions such as the
21st on the southernmost tip Of
the delta and the eth Just
above 1t we're assigned to
preoccupying engagements with
the Wet Cong.
BY midday Friday, November
1, everything was set. The sky
was blue, flecked with fluffy
clouds. The weather was hot
and drowsy.
Ambassador Henry Cabot
Lodge and Admiral Harry Felt,
visiting United States Pacific
commander, bade Mr.. Diem
farewell after q long formal
call.
At his headquarters near the
airport, Gen Ton Fretted. He
had been inform e d that the
admiral's departure. originally
scheduled for 1880 am, less
than two hours before the hour
set for the coup, was being de-
layed by the Diem visit.
Plot Endangered
An aide phoned to say the
departure would be postponed
to 1880 or possibly 1880. Just
past the zero hour. The plot was
suddenly in danger.
Gen. Don II q quiet, hand
some, usually relaxed man with
one nervous mannerism. He
twirls q big square old ring on
his finger when he Is lost for q
word or under other minor
stress.
II felt like pushing Admiral
Felt aboard that plane to get it
off the ground" he said later.
As 1t turned out, Admiral
Felt reached the airport not
too much after the appointed
time.
By / pm. in downtown Sal
gon and around Mr.. Diem's Gia
Long palace, the streets were
deserted and shop fronts shut
tered for the siesta. The city
appeared to slumber In the
tropic heat.
Fifteen minutes later the
rebels struck.
Three battalions OF red-ker-
chiefed marines swiftly sur
rounded and seized the national
and municipal police headquar-
tiers in the western suburbs, the
telegraph office, the radio sta
tons and the Ministry Of De-
Tense Accommodation
center. Only q few shots were
fired.
Then 7th Division units
steamed into the city.
A government special forces
unit near the airport was sub
dued after Q short fight. Six
fighter bombers peeled out of
the sky, firing rockets at navy
headquarters on the waterfront.
Troops closed In and the head
Quarters was taken.
Siesta Quiet Shattered
/ Anti-aircraft and small arms
fire shattered the siesta quiet.
People popped out Of doors and
windows for q look and quickly
scurried away.
All key suburban installa-
tons fell to the rebels in the
first two hours. Then the rebel
forces closed In on the center
OF town. They stopped and re-
grouped some 10 blocks away,
waiting for word to attack.
One group peeled off toward
the barracks Of the palace
guard ! mile from the palace.
Until dusk firing was intermit-
tent and confused. There was
no major cortact.
Two palace tanks, parked in
front Of the United States In
formation Service building two
blocks from the palace, opened
up blindly, firing down LIE Loi
street. They missed a lone pedi-
cab driver pedaling down the
broad boulevard. Parked cars
were raked from stem to stern.
There was no answering fire
and no enemy in sight at that
point.
In lulls. downtown Saigon
presented q strange spectacle.
People wandered outdoors. Two
GIs asked the way to the
nearest bar. Children dashed
aroun d collecting spent car