A Bright Shining Lie; John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam

New York: Random House, 1988. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. John Sposato (Jacket Art). [18], 861, [1] pages. Maps. Interviews. Documents. Source Notes. Bibliography. Index. Some edge soiling. Slight DJ wear. Cornelius Mahoney "Neil" Sheehan (born October 27, 1936) is an American journalist. As a reporter for The New York Times in 1971, Sheehan obtained the classified Pentagon Papers from Daniel Ellsberg. His series of articles revealed a secret Department of Defense history of the Vietnam War and led to a US Supreme Court case, New York Times Co. v. United States, when the United States government failed to halt publication. He received a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award for A Bright Shining Lie, about the life of John Paul Vann and the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. LTC John Paul Vann (1924 - 1972) became well known for his role in the Vietnam War. By the waning days of the war was the first American civilian to command troops in regular combat there. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was the only civilian in Vietnam to receive the Distinguished Service Cross. John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 - June 9, 1972) was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well known for his role in the Vietnam War. Vann was voluntarily assigned to South Vietnam in 1962 as an adviser to Colonel Hu nh V n Cao, commander of the ARVN IV Corps. In the thick of the anti-guerrilla war against the Viet Cong, Vann became concerned with the way in which the war was being prosecuted, in particular the disastrous Battle of Ap Bac. Directing the battle from a spotter plane overhead, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery in taking enemy fire. He attempted to draw public attention to the problems through press contacts such as New York Times reporter David Halberstam, directing much of his ire towards MACV commander General Paul D. Harkins. Vann completed his Vietnam assignment in March 1963 and left the Army within a few months, having completed 20 years of service. Vann returned to Vietnam in March 1965 as an official of the Agency for International Development (AID). Although separated from the military before the Vietnam War reached its peak, he returned to service as a civilian and by the waning days of the war was the first American civilian to command troops in regular combat there.

After an assignment as province senior adviser, Vann was made Deputy for Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) in the Third Corps Tactical Zone of Vietnam, which consisted of the twelve provinces north and west of Saigon-the part of South Vietnam most important to the US. CORDS was an integrated group that consisted of USAID, U.S. Information Service, Central Intelligence Agency and State Department along with U.S. Army personnel to provide needed manpower. Among other undertakings, CORDS was responsible for the Phoenix Program, which involved neutralization of the Viet Cong infrastructure. Vann served as Deputy for Civil Operations and Rural Development Support CORDS III (i.e., commander of all civilian and military advisers in the Third Corps Tactical Zone) until November 1968 when he was assigned to the same position in IV Corps, which consisted of the provinces south of Saigon in the Mekong Delta. Vann was highly respected by a large segment of officers and civilians who were involved in the broader political aspects of the war because he favored small units, aggressive patrolling over grandiose, large unit engagements. Unlike many US soldiers, he was respectful toward the ARVN soldiers notwithstanding their low morale and was committed to training and strengthening their morale and commitment. He encouraged his personnel to engage themselves in Vietnamese society as much as possible and he constantly briefed that the Vietnam War must be envisaged as a long war at a lower level of engagement rather than a short war at a big-unit, high level of engagement. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was the only civilian in Vietnam to receive the Distinguished Service Cross. He died in a helicopter crash in 1972 at 47 years old.

Derived from a Kirkus review: John Paul Vann was a visionary as well as a gung-ho army officer. Arriving in Saigon in 1962, Vann perceived something amiss in the US approach to the war. The ruling family, the Ngo Dinhs, were considered foreigners by most of the population; the ARVN existed primarily to protect them; and American-supplied weapons were going to the Viet Cong. Vann was quick to realize that until the US took the population into account, it would be pouring lives and money into the quagmire. Vann returned to Vietnam as a Foreign Service Officer before he was listened to. He came to be regarded as one of the best minds in the field, and his ideas were adopted too late. Sheehan conducted close to 400 interviews and did exhaustive research to put together this brutal and honest book. His canvas is broad, filled with integrated historical information, portraits, tactical and logistic detail, and political analysis, along with the biography of a fascinating and uniquely American character.