American Strategic Deception Bureau

　Two months later, when Firi saw the newly renovated legendary warship Yukikaze again, he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion.

　Compared to the "armed yacht" we rode last time, the Yukikaze now looks a bit like a warship.

　At least it had a decent main gun, instead of just a ceremonial salute gun installed on the bow in addition to machine guns.

　Although this newly added main gun is pointing towards the stern, it seems to be used specifically for escape...

　Last December, Chen Lichun visited San Diego and toured the 12-ton Japanese-made destroyer donated by Taiwan. She was immediately dissatisfied with the ship's extravagant decoration and weak firepower.

　According to her, this ship was to serve as the flagship of the South Vietnamese Navy. How could it not even have a working gun? And even have an outdoor swimming pool on board? How could this even be considered a warship?

　The naval attaché of the South Vietnamese Embassy in the United States, who followed her to inspect the situation, also felt that as a warship, it must have some decent firepower.

　After a series of telegram exchanges, the South Vietnamese Navy contacted the Pentagon and towed the Yukikaze to the San Diego Naval Shipyard. They removed the ship's swimming pool, along with the dance hall and casino, which Chen Lizhen denounced as "decadent," and converted them into meeting rooms and a prayer room with an shrine. Using the space freed up by the swimming pool, they installed a US Navy Mark 12 127mm/38-caliber dual-purpose naval gun at the rear of the ship.

　This thing is said to be the true glory of the 5-inch gun, the most famous 127mm naval gun, the best of its caliber in World War II, and the most produced dual-purpose naval gun to date. Its technology is very mature, and its accuracy, reliability, and barrel life are excellent.

　From the Essex-class heavy fleet aircraft carriers, new battleships such as North Carolina, South Carolina, and Iowa, to fleet destroyers such as Fletcher and Gearing, as well as second-line escort destroyers and landing ships, almost all major warships of the US Navy in World War II were equipped with this gun.

　Even in the 1960s, their "old but strong" figures could still be seen on the US Navy's nuclear-powered cruiser Long Beach.

　In other words, installing this 127mm naval gun would make it easier to replace the gun barrel and obtain ammunition in the future. Any US overseas military base, as well as any allied country receiving US military aid, would be able to easily come up with a large supply of suitable ammunition.

　For South Vietnam, which was unable to produce any ammunition on its own, this widely used five-inch (127mm) naval gun was obviously a good choice.

　The only problem was that, due to the limitations of the ship's dimensions, the temporary ammunition bay was pitifully small, with a total ammunition capacity of only forty rounds...

　However, North Vietnam didn't have any good warships anyway, and the South Vietnamese Navy didn't expect to use this old ship left over from the Japanese Empire to fight a naval battle. It should be enough to have a naval gun fire to give themselves courage, or to bombard the Viet Cong strongholds and armed fishing boats on the coast, right?

　In short, Chen Lichun expressed great satisfaction when she saw that the "Snow Wind" looked majestic after being freshly painted.

　Next, after taking a circle out to sea on the Yukikaze manned by American sailors and watching the live-fire artillery exercise of the 127mm naval gun, Chen Lichun felt even more satisfied, and while she was in high spirits, she issued a stunning top-level instruction.

　——There is no need to wait for the South Vietnamese Navy’s sailors to fly to the United States to receive the ship. Just drive the ship back to Da Nang, South Vietnam for the handover!

　The South Vietnamese Navy needs to get this warship as soon as possible to boost morale; the turbulent battlefield in the Mekong Delta is also waiting for the roar of its artillery!

　(Construction of the Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base, which would later be capable of berthing aircraft carriers, did not begin until 1965. At this point, only Da Nang was available.)

　Well, of course, Chen Lichun, the first lady of South Vietnam, certainly cannot command the group of American Navy sailors who are now operating the Yukikaze.

　But the problem was that there were still many generals in the Pentagon who supported the South Vietnamese regime or simply advocated the use of force to eliminate the Viet Cong. There were also people like Vice President Johnson in the White House who spoke well of Chen Lichun, and President Kennedy also did not want to make things difficult for a woman over such a "small matter."

　Moreover, in the eyes of President Kennedy and those around him who disliked the Ngo Dinh Diem regime, it would be better to send Chen Lichun, a "troublemaker", back to Vietnam to fend for herself rather than let her continue to speak out and cause trouble in the United States.

　, out of sight, out of mind...

　Therefore, adhering to the spirit of "throwing away garbage as far as possible", the Pentagon quickly approved this transoceanic dispatch plan, allowing the US Navy to drive the Yukikaze to Da Nang, hand it over to the Vietnamese, and take the first lady of South Vietnam back home with her.

　Of course, if Chen Lichun wanted to go home, then she could go home! Neither Firi nor Kissinger had any attachment to this difficult lady.

　But the problem was that the White House later sent another notice that they also had to board the Yukikaze and go to Vietnam with Chen Lichun, the "Evil Dragon Lady"!

　This is really shooting oneself in the foot!

　-

　"According to the White House, the Yukikaze will have to make brief stops and resupply in Hawaii and Guam during its voyage to Da Nang. These places are also considered US territories. If Chen Lichun is interviewed by American reporters there, the two of us advisors will have to keep an eye on her to prevent any mishaps."

　Dr. Kissinger once again made a bitter face, then smiled awkwardly and reassured Firi, "Don't worry, we won't be staying in Asia for six months this time. Once the Yukikaze reaches Da Nang in South Vietnam, we can disembark and return. Just think of it as a two-month mission!"

　As for Firi, he looked at Dr. Kissinger with suspicion, and after a long silence, he muttered.

　"While it sounds reasonable, it still feels a bit off! As American hosts, it doesn't make sense for us to accompany a foreign First Lady all the way home, does it? My guess is... you're being... ostracized, aren't you?

　That's not right. You've always been marginalized in the White House. Why would you need to be excluded? Or did the higher-ups give you some secret mission?"

　"Ahem, don't be so direct. I do have some acquaintances in the cabinet. But this time it's a personal matter."

　Dr. Kissinger smiled awkwardly, but under Firi's gaze, he still hesitantly told the truth. "Recently, fierce arguments have broken out in the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Pentagon over the Vietnam issue. General Harkins (Commander-in-Chief of US Forces in Vietnam), Ambassador Noulting, General LeMay, and the CIA have been reporting conflicting reports from the front lines. They've also accused each other of stealing their documents, falsifying content, violating confidentiality regulations, and leaking secrets to the media without authorization, leaving Washington bewildered.

　Secretary of Defense McNamara had his carefully crafted mathematical model, but didn't know what data to input into it.

　Especially after General LeMay recently revealed that the reports sent to the Pentagon by US troops in Vietnam were basically made up by General Huggins himself, and not even a single punctuation mark could be believed, the Pentagon was in chaos as if a volcano was about to erupt.

　The president was also very troubled by this, not knowing who to listen to. It felt as if he was back to the time when he was deciding whether to attack Cuba.

　To this end, President Kennedy dispatched Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., to Vietnam to replace the long-neglected Naughtin as ambassador to Vietnam. He was to conduct an on-the-ground investigation in Saigon to determine whether the Diem regime was still worth supporting. Meanwhile, many in the White House and on Capitol Hill were seeking reliable personal connections to travel to South Vietnam and gather firsthand information from the front lines.

　The Attorney General (Robert Kennedy) just called me and wanted to privately ask me to accompany Mrs. Wang to Vietnam to observe the local situation with my own eyes. I am also very interested in this matter. After all, I am the executive director of the International Relations Program at Harvard University..."

　Well, it turns out that you want to go to the hot spots of this era to take a look.

　Looking at Kissinger, who couldn't help rubbing his hands and whose eyes were full of longing and excitement, Firi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

　As one of the most prominent international geopolitical strategists of the second half of the 20th century, Kissinger is undoubtedly deeply interested in Vietnam, a region at the center of a fierce struggle between two major camps around the world. He may even have written numerous papers on the topic.

　The problem is that the current level of information exchange is certainly far from comparable to the internet age of the 21st century. If we simply stay in our offices in the US, thinking and discussing Vietnam, there will undoubtedly be some distortion, which will make us more vulnerable to criticism from our opponents: "You are an expert on international affairs, but you haven't even been to Vietnam. How can you possibly discuss Vietnam?"

　As a professor of international relations, you should be traveling all over the world! If you stay in school all day doing research, you are incompetent!

　It's as ridiculous as a war correspondent not wanting to go to the battlefield!

　Therefore, in order to accumulate more materials for academic research on international relations and geopolitics, or at least to be more assertive when debating with others, Dr. Kissinger probably wanted to visit Vietnam a long time ago to gain some experience.

　Moreover, considering his courage to hide it from the entire US government and, at the request of President Nixon, bear the stigma of "collaborating with the Communist Party" and secretly visit Beijing via Pakistan, this time he took a warship to Da Nang where US troops were stationed, which was not even a risk.

　But the question is, if you want to go to Vietnam, then go ahead, why do you have to drag me along?

　For a business trip like this that is not legitimate and has no authorization, I feel that there is no credit to be earned except for traveling at public expense.

　Just as Firi was muttering this in his heart, Kissinger continued speaking.

　"Also, Major King, the Attorney General also spoke of your courageous actions in the winter of 1960. It was then that you uncovered CIA Director Dulles's plot to deceive the President and helped the government make the right decision. He and the President both trusted your loyalty and vision..."

　—Hmm, the subtext is… the Vietnam War situation seems to be shrouded in fog right now, and you also want me to take a look and make an assessment?

　If the frontline officials really try to deceive the president collectively again, do they want me to come back and tell their brothers about it?

　Oh, should I be happy that "Jane is in the Emperor's favor"? Or should I lament the Kennedy brothers' tendency to use people to their utmost?

　In short, since the cabinet has spoken and the bureau has no objection, Firi can only "obey orders as a soldier's duty". He went back and quickly packed his luggage, said goodbye to the women at home, and prepared to board the Yukikaze again for a long business trip that would last at least one to two months.

　However, the last time I went to Asia, at least I had my real girlfriend Marita with me, which helped to alleviate some of the loneliness of the journey.

　But this time, he could only take a fat Texas guy to Vietnam... Daniel, a sniper suffering from diabetes, was not suitable for carrying out missions in remote and underdeveloped countries overseas. So he was left behind to help guard Chen Lichun's Malibu beach house to prevent any petty thieves from breaking in.

　In order to avoid sleeping alone, if conditions permit, why not find a beautiful Vietnamese girl there?

　Oh, what are you thinking about! This time, you're going to a war-torn country. You might find yourself in a hail of bullets, stabbed and stabbed. You won't even have time to save your life, so how can you think about such pleasures?

　However, while Firi was daydreaming about his upcoming trip to South Vietnam, an American who had already arrived in South Vietnam began to regret his decision.

　-

　U.S. Embassy in South Vietnam, 39 Ham Nghi Boulevard, Saigon

　Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. sat in his office, staring blankly at the marigolds on the table. These were bought by embassy employees, who said they were a festive custom in Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Well, I have to say, the flowers are really beautiful.

　However, despite the recent Lunar New Year holiday, the streets of Saigon are devoid of festive cheer. Instead, they are plagued by religious clashes and violent crime. Even on Ham Nghi Boulevard, where the US Embassy is located, riots occasionally occur.

　A burst of shouting and clamoring came from outside. Rocky walked to the window and looked down. He saw a group of thugs stumbling across the street. Some of them were singing songs he couldn't understand, some were holding bottles, some were carrying large and small bags, and some were laughing. In front of the thugs was a thin, dirty, ragged man running desperately. Perhaps he was a Buddhist who had been beaten and robbed?

　Ambassador Lodge returned to his seat, sighed, and began to think about his upcoming secret meeting with several South Vietnamese generals.

　——The topic to be discussed at the meeting was very simple, which was "replacement", that is, to get rid of Ngo Dinh Diem and replace him with an agent to rule South Vietnam.

　The huge, horrible truth.

　——There is already more than one small group planning a coup within the South Vietnamese government, and they are all trying to seek support from the United States!

　Since 1963, South Vietnam has been plunged into a bloody civil war.

　In the countryside of South Vietnam, Catholic militias armed with American-supplied weapons called themselves "Crusaders" and were cracking down on pagan landlords who did not obey Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​orders, looting villages, plundering land and wealth, and forcing farmers to convert.

　In just one month during this stiflingly hot dry season, the death toll in rural South Vietnam had climbed to over 200,000.

　In South Vietnamese cities, agents loyal to Diem were constantly assassinating officials who opposed Diem, sometimes even going so far as to kill them openly. Officials who opposed Diem were also constantly gathering their own forces to assassinate Diem's ​​lackeys, even colluding with the Vietcong to do so.

　The judicial system has been shut down, and gun battles often break out between police and secret agents because the Chief of Police, Nguyen Van Nghi, is a key figure in the opposition to Ngo Dinh Diem.

　Of course, a few policemen alone could not overthrow Diem. To kill the president, they had to rely on the military.

　But it just so happened that the vast majority of the South Vietnamese troops left behind by the French colonists were very interested and enthusiastic about killing the president.

　So much so that President Ngo Dinh Diem, in his speech, openly called the South Vietnamese Army General Staff Headquarters next to Tan Son Nhat Airport the "rebel base camp."

　——The relationship between the government and the military is so bad. Can we still expect them to work together sincerely to fight the Viet Cong?

　The reason why the South Vietnamese army did not rebel every day, but only rebelled every one or two years, was entirely due to the United States' strenuous suppression and financial support.

　But as time went on, the cost of supporting the Ngo Dinh Diem regime became increasingly high, while the effectiveness of suppressing the Vietcong became increasingly poor, making the Americans increasingly impatient. This resentment was especially strong after the self-immolation of the old monk Thich Quang Duc, which triggered a nationwide Buddhist riot in South Vietnam.

　In January 1963, David Halberstam, a war correspondent who rose to prominence for filming Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation, wrote a series of sharp commentary articles titled "President Ngo Dinh Diem Should Step Down," which made the front page of the New York Times.

　In his article, David Halberstam points out that South Vietnam was now in utter chaos, with bloody fighting in the countryside, rioters swarming the cities, and the Vietcong rapidly expanding. The primary culprit for all this was President Ngo Dinh Diem. It was precisely because of Diem's ​​"untimely" religious fanaticism, the wanton slaughter of non-believers in the countryside, and the illegal assassination of opponents in the cities, that South Vietnam was riven with internal division and chaos.

　In order to prevent South Vietnam from being stained red, this fanatical president must step down and be replaced by a respected politician or general.

　Journalists from various countries gathered on Catinat Street in Saigon also generally held the same view, believing that Ngo Dinh Diem must step down.

　Indeed, to these foreigners, the Diem government in Saigon seemed increasingly lost in reality. President Diem's ​​constant stream of incomprehensible rhetoric was as if he were suffering from hysteria. After suppressing the Buddhist revolt, his loyal secret police turned on the schools. In a series of inexplicable raids, they first imprisoned university students, then middle school students, and finally elementary school students.

　Now, with the exception of the military academy, the entire South Vietnamese education system had collapsed, with all schools closed. Rumors circulated that President Ngo Dinh Diem was planning a "book burning and burying of scholars" campaign to purge all non-Catholic intellectuals and establish a Catholic monopoly on education.

　It is said that the presidential advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu, who was so addicted to opium that he went crazy, even threatened to form an alliance with Hanoi to drive the Americans out of Vietnam.

　Although I understand that this drunkard is just talking nonsense, trying to create bargaining chips out of thin air to improve his bargaining power with the United States.

　But the United States was still very unhappy - how could a mere dog dare to bid so much to its owner?

　Now you even dare to say that you have joined the Communist Party. If the Viet Cong is really wiped out and the whole country is pacified in the future, I really can’t imagine what you, Wu, will do!

　Therefore, there has been a heated debate in the US diplomatic system over whether to replace Ngo Dinh Diem.

　From a moral perspective, Diem's ​​continued horrific massacres, coupled with the authorities' inability to prevent leaks, would ultimately embarrass the United States. From a practical perspective, some diplomats, led by Deputy Secretary of State William Averell Harriman, and military officials, led by General LeMay, believed that Diem's ​​tactics of indiscriminate violence and religious persecution would never lead to successful national integration.

　On the contrary, this will lead to serious divisions in the upper ruling group of South Vietnam. In the worst case scenario, a considerable number of people may "defect to the North."

　North Vietnam would then be able to find sufficient excuses to openly send troops to intervene in the South Vietnamese situation under the guidance of the South Vietnamese opposition.

　At that time, if the United States did not want to lose Vietnam, it would have to send its own troops to fight another Korean War with North Vietnam, which was supported by China and the Soviet Union. This would result in the deaths of more Americans and lead to a long-term stalemate, triggering increasingly intense domestic dissatisfaction.

　On the other hand, there were also many people who supported Wu Dinh Diem, both in the diplomatic and military departments. The reason was simple: they were worried that the risky activities would fail. For example, the former ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam, Nauerting, pointed out the problem.

　He pointed out: "If you kick Ngo Dinh Diem out of office, who will be the president?"

　——So far, the anti-Wu faction in Washington has not been able to form a unified answer to this question.

　Ambassador Lodge strongly supported the replacement of Ngo Dinh Diem. However, he had to follow the White House's directives and could not act on his own. He also did not know who should be replaced as president to ensure stability in South Vietnam and curb the infiltration of the Vietcong.

　This made Rocky feel very troubled. He felt that he had to promote some kind of change, but he didn't know how to change it. In the end, he could only continue to watch.

　But now, the development of the situation has made it impossible for him to stand aside and watch.

　——On February 11, 1963, the South Vietnamese Army's officer corps sent a message requesting secret contact with the new US ambassador.

　The next day, relying on the cover of CIA agents, the three most prestigious generals in the South Vietnamese army, Dang Ming-Ling, Nguyen Khanh and Tran Van Don, changed into casual clothes and quietly came to a cafe near the embassy. In a private small box, they met with Ambassador Lodge, who was also disguised.

　Duong Van Minh denounced Diem's ​​perverse actions, saying bitterly, "Look at the refugees in the streets and the plight of the countryside! Everyone is very dissatisfied with the president's policies. If this continues, our army will not know to whom to owe its loyalty."

　Although Rocky agreed with his point of view, he could only perfunctorily say: "I understand how you feel, I will take care of it."

　Then, the other two generals suddenly stood at attention and saluted: "We will always be loyal to the United States of America!"

　After this secret meeting, Ambassador Lodge sent a secret diplomatic telegram to Washington, declaring that the South Vietnamese army was on the verge of breaking with President Ngo Dinh Diem and now just needed someone to give them courage. The United States must not ignore the voices of these generals.

　Otherwise, if the Americans remained silent and the Soviets or Chinese quietly came up to embolden them, the consequences would be disastrous.

　The next day, President Kennedy held an emergency meeting on the Vietnam issue at the White House, where the views of the various parties were sharply conflicting.

　Vice President Johnson, as always, supported Diem. Secretary Rusk wavered, and Deputy Secretary of State Harriman angrily declared, "Has Diem's ​​accomplishment been to allow more than half of South Vietnam to fall under Vietcong control?" "It's time to support the generals in overthrowing Diem and restoring normalcy to South Vietnam!" The meeting ended inconclusively after two hours of discussion, leaving President Kennedy with a profound headache.

　Over the next week, the White House held several more meetings on Vietnam, but could not reach a decision.

　-

　On February 28, 1963, the White House convened the Fifth Special Session on Vietnam. At the meeting, Secretary of State Rusk presented Ambassador Lodge with a new report from Saigon: On February 26, Ngo Dinh Diem dispatched a team of elite agents to raid and arrest South Vietnamese Police Chief Nguyen Van Nghi on charges of collaborating with the Communists. They then took him away in a prison van. A fierce gunfight ensued, killing over twenty police officers.

　Upon hearing the news, Chief of General Staff Chen Wendun immediately sent troops to rescue the people and wiped out the group of agents, but Nguyen Van Nghi had already been beaten to death in the prison van.

　Afterwards, officers from the General Staff angrily called President Ngo Dinh Diem to demand an explanation, but President Ngo Dinh Diem simply downplayed the situation, saying, "I promise not to hold any unit responsible for this conflict."

　Afterwards, presidential adviser Ngo Dinh Nhu issued the latest instructions: there are a large number of Viet Cong spies in the police force, and more policemen must be arrested and executed!

　At this point, the Saigon police system was completely paralyzed, police stations were captured and destroyed by Catholic militias and presidential agents, and public security was in a state of total collapse.

　As a result, the South Vietnamese military officers, who felt their lives were hanging by a thread, became extremely anxious and once again strongly urged Ambassador Lodge to support the coup, hinting that if the US still did not support it, the officers, who were forced into a desperate situation, might take drastic measures, such as defecting to the North.