By 1965 the American troop buildup, the disintegration of the South Vietnamese government, and the unconventional nature of the war in Vietnam had thrust the American military personnel deep into the local and national politics of a foreign country. In the years that followed, senior American officers, especially the chiefs of the American military mission in Saigon, found themselves serving as both military advisers and political counselors, while in the field a large network of lesser Army advisers acted as conduits for both American advice and the increasing amount of American combat support and materiel assistance given to the South Vietnamese armed forces. Although American political leaders in Washington began to reassert their control over the war in 1969, U.S. military advisers continued to play a vital role in the political as well as the military survival of Saigon up tot eh final American troop withdrawal in March 1973. This study explores the American advisory effort throughout this period, examining its accomplishments, its frustrations, and, ultimately, the failure of its mission during those troubled times.

Part 1. The historical perspective. The road to war -- The Army of the directory -- The advisers / Part 2. A new war (1965). Searching for stability -- Toward a new strategy -- Enter the Americans / Part 3. Turmoil and reform (1966-1967). Revolt in the I Corps -- The reform effort -- The Pacification Campaign -- Advising in the field -- Heyday of the special forces -- The reform effort stalls -- The security mission examined -- Generals and politics -- Image and reality / Part 4. Reevaluating the effort (1968). A year of planning -- Saigon takes action -- Progress or stagnation? / Part 5. A new direction (1969-1970). Vietnamization -- Spotlight on Saigon -- One war: the Highlands -- One war: Cambodia -- Vietnamizing military support / Part 6. Successes and failures (1971-1973). The last buildup -- A matter of leadership -- Trojan horses / Appendix A: U.S. Army advisory buildup -- Appendix B: South Vietnamese armed forces officer and NCO strength, December 1968 -- Appendix C: U.S. troop redeployments.