John Paul Vann was a legendary figure in the long history of the U.S. presence in Indochina. A romantic and a perfectionist, he retired from the army in 1963 after a dispute with senior U.S. officials over American policy in South Viet Nam. After returning two years later as a civilian adviser, he conducted the notably successful pacification program in the Mekong Delta with his usual impatience and abrasiveness. Thirteen months ago he became the senior American adviser in the Central Highlands. By the time he died last week in a helicopter crash, while flying by night...
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