REPORT ON VIETNAM AREA COURSE NO. 2

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03088A000100080034-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2001
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: May 13, 1968
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2001/08/30 : CIA-RDP78-03088A00010008061 8? 0852
13 May 1968
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Training
FROM: OTR/IS/OBF
SUBJECT: Report on Vietnam Area Course No. 2
1. Basic Data
The second running of the Vietnam Area Course took
place 11-15 March 1968 in Room 1 A 13. Enrollment con-
sisted of 35 persons; 25 were being processed for assign-
ment to Vietnam, and 10 were Headquarters personnel from
various Agency components. This enrollment is similar to
that of the first running, wherein there were 36 persons
enrolled, of whom 24 were going to Saigon and 12 were
headquarters personnel.
2. Changes in Schedule
The video machine in Room 1 E 74 broke down on
25X1A5a1 Monda and hence the first scheduled film was not shown.
was unable, because of an out-of-town trip,
to pre' his lecture on Wednesday, 13 March; in its .'
25X1A5a1 place I showed the very excellent filmed lecture by Dr.
on Communist Revolutionary Warfare. Happily this
25X1A5a1 su s 1 ute was wet received by the students. Also
happily, was able to appear the next day to
25X1A9a answer questions on his film b reason of the absence due
to illness of An additional comment
25X1A5a1 on this appearance y ~~~will be found in para-
graph 4 below.
3. Outside Speakers
Six outside speakers participated in this program.
From State came Messrs. Smyser and Marsh and from the
25X1A 25X1A5a1 . De artment of Defense. From
came ach w om was
paid ~5u.uu; generously
refused to act-EVE ie M.uu ionorarium o ere . He
L ~! apparently felt that his appearance in a question-and-
of the fee
' answer stance was not deservin
g
U u
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4. high Points
25X1A5a1 First, as in the initial running of this course, Dr.
proved a highly effective speaker. He is learned,
ur ane, witty, and quite articulate, and the long period
of time, some 40 years, with which he has been associated
with Southeast Asia, has given him a wealth of interesting
experiences from which to draw in addressing a group so
much younger and less familiar with the area than he him-
25X1A5a1 self. Second, the combination of the filmed lecture by
25X1A5a1 and his subsequent appearance occurred, of
course, when there was a great deal of interest in the
25X1A5a1 anal sis of the Tet offensive a month earlier.
appearance drew several nersons from FE an ,
S. Critiques
The critiques continue to be favorable; however, one
question on the critique solicits critical comments on the
speakers. Sixteen of the critiques included some mildly
25X1A5a1 adverse comment on seven different speakers. Once again
the language lectures and top the list with 4
25X1A5a1 black marks each. I have not yet i ured out what is wrong
with the language instruction; I know, is scholarly
in a pedantic way and he cannot resist the temptation to
explore hurriedly every historical by-way in the last
2500 years of Vietnam's history. This can be confusing,
but I do not yet have anybody available who can cover Viet-
nam before 1954. The other speakers who were criticized
were Colonel Dexter and Messrs. , an*X1A9a
25X1A9a but these comments reflecthigh y subjective re-25X1A5a1
25X1A5a1 actions and I do not take them seriously. At the same
time, I want to point out that the following were specific-
25X1A5a1 alb vorably mentioned: Messrs.
Att:
Roster
Schedule
Approved For Release 2001/08/30 : CIA-RDP78-03088A000100080034-8