INVENTORY OF INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED
IN SOUTH VIETNAM -- 1968
These interviews are part of a large number conducted in South Viet Nam
in the course of researching a book on the development of the communist
revolutionary movement since 1954 in Long An province of the Mekong Delta.
The transcripts and other primary source documents were deposited with the
Center for Research Libraries, Chicago for general public availability.
The interviews were conducted with two purposes in mind: to reveal
certain historical points about the development of the movement and about
government responses; and to reveal the attitudes and judgments of certain
typical individuals involved on both sides. Interviews thus include all
the province chiefs of Long An from 1953 through 1968 (except for three
individuals who each held the position for less than three months);
communist defectors of various ranks; village- and hamlet-level officials;
and American advisors. Certain other individuals not in these categories
were also interviewed.
The interviews vary from fascinating to boring, as I have tried to indicate
in a short introduction to each one. Two interviews of major historical
interest are those with Vo van An, full member of the Tay Ninh province
committee until his defection in 1965, and Tran van Bo, deputy secretary
of the interprovince committee for western Nam Bo until his capture in 1962.
In retrospect I think that in a number of interviews some of the
questioning was misdirected, for example where I pressed for answers in
some of the early interviews to such questions as "What do you think is
the significance of elections?" Such questions were a residue from my
academic training in political science, which I found, not soon enough
unfortunately, to be mostly irrelevant and absurdly out of place in rural
Viet Nam. Nevertheless all the material is included.
The reader should refer to the accompanying map for assistance in
locating the various areas where the interviews were conducted. A
collection of captured communist documents accompanying this interview
series parallels many of the points touched on in the questioning. The
forthcoming book based on these materials should also serve to clarify some
of the points raised in the interviews and to state my own interpretation
of events as revealed both in the documents and in the interviews.
Finally I would like to add that I have a large pile of scribbled notes
and background materials relating to these interviews which I would be
pleased to draw upon for any interested person. Inquiries should be
addressed to
Jeffrey Race, 20 Chester Street, Somerville MA 02144
Bangkok February 1969
[Slightly edited for purposes of web publication in February 2004]
INVENTORY OF INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED IN SOUTH VIET NAM IN 1968
Province chiefs of Long An
--------------------------
Ho van Si 1953-1955 Currently retired
Phuong Tuat Tai 1955-1956 Currently retired
Bui van Ba 1956 Currently Secretary
General, Ministry of Welfare
Mai Ngoc Duoc 1957-1961 Currently retired
Nguyen Viet Thanh 1961-1963 Currently Commanding
General, IV Corps
Pham Anh 1964-1966 Currently Deputy Minister,
Chieu Hoi
Nguyen van Nguu 1966- Incumbent
Central government officials and candidates
-------------------------------------------
Nguyen Be Commandant, National Training Center for RD Cadre
Do Thien Mo District Chief, Ben Luc, 1966-1968
Nguyen van Suong Member of Long An provincial council; lower
house candidate
Tran van Suong Deputy District Chief for administration, Can Duoc
Truong van Trang Lower house candidate, 1967
Local government officials
--------------------------
Tran van Chac Formerly chief of Go Den village, Ben Luc district
Ha Chi Chief of Bo Kinh hamlet, Thu Thua district
Van Cong Chuoc Commander of popular force outpost, Long Huu, Can Duoc
Doan van Cung Formerly chief of interfamily group, Bo Kinh hamlet
Nguyen van Mau Chief of Luong Hoa village, Ben Luc district
Nguyen van No Chief of Binh Thanh village, Thu Thua district
Nguyen van Ben Chief of Ap Chua hamlet, Binh Thanh village
Tran van Thanh Chairman of Farmers' Association, Long Huu, Can Duoc
Communist defectors
-------------------
Vo van An Member of Tay Ninh province committee
Tran van Bo Deputy secretary, interprovince committee for
western Nam Bo
Nguyen van Cu Secretary of Ai Ngai village, Binh Phuoc district
Truong Minh Duc Youth cadre, Ben Thu district
Dang van Phep District committee member from Dinh Tuong province
Pham van Toai Province cadre from Camau
American advisors
-----------------
Walter Deyerle Thu Thua district
Gerald Winkler Can Duoc district
Robert Wyer Ben Luc district
James A. Herbert Long An province