American Strategic Deception Bureau

　Because - "Even if they didn't contact the Viet Cong, they would be accused of being communist spies by Ngo Dinh Diem, so it would be better for them to actually be communist spies."

　In view of the above latest developments, despite the support of Vice President Johnson, the direction of the meeting gradually turned in a direction unfavorable to Ngo Dinh Diem.

　After another fierce argument, President Kennedy decided to let Ambassador Lodge meet with Ngo Dinh Diem again to explain the US position to him, asking him to calm the situation as soon as possible and make the final decision based on Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​response.

　So, on March 2, Ambassador Lodge once again came to the Presidential Palace in Gia Long Palace and met with Ngo Dinh Diem.

　Unlike their last awkward conversation, which had been characterized by empty debates about metaphysical matters, this time, President Ngo Dinh Diem led Ambassador Lodge to a sand table, confidently gesturing around as he expounded on his "bandit suppression" plan. However, his poor English left Lodge feeling dizzy. The battle plan Ngo Dinh Diem outlined was so absurd it didn't seem real.

　So, he interrupted Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​casually made-up battle plan and got straight to the point: All recent signs indicate that South Vietnam's political situation is unstable, internal rifts have appeared, public security has deteriorated, and society is in chaos, which has seriously damaged Washington's confidence in you.

　President Kennedy doubted whether you could continue to unite South Vietnam and win the battle against bandits. The American public also generally doubted the United States.

　Washington is facing tremendous pressure to justify its support for an unpopular and murderous government.

　Diem responded that these were all rumors fabricated by unscrupulous journalists from various media outlets seeking attention and undermining relations between the two governments. He was simply following emergency wartime procedures to punish criminals, and that all responsibility lay with foreign forces. Diem then added that without him, the political chaos in Saigon would force the United States to directly intervene in Vietnamese affairs, which would undoubtedly lead to even greater public pressure on the US government.

　Okay, so this means that they are unwilling to change at all, continue to make big news, and force the United States to take the blame?

　Who do you think you are, a short Vietnamese monkey? How dare you have such a big face? Rocky thought indignantly.

　Shortly after leaving Gia Long Palace, Dung Van Minh, the head of the South Vietnamese military corps, met secretly with Lodge again. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Vu Van Mu and Vice President Nguyen Ngoc Thô. In front of Lodge, Dung Van Minh tearfully declared, "The Ngo brothers are trying to get us all killed! If the US doesn't support the officers in replacing Ngo Dinh Diem, I can't guarantee what the South Vietnamese army will do."

　Foreign Minister Vu Van Mu also followed up, saying: "I am here on behalf of the civil servants of the Republic. We have decided to support the generals' revolution. If the generals revolt, we will provide all conveniences." He also added that Nguyen Ngoc Thô would succeed Ngo Dinh Diem as interim president after the coup.

　Well, it seems that the coup was no longer just an idea of ​​the South Vietnamese army, but a unanimous consensus of the entire officer corps and civilian groups?

　Lodge, who already disliked Diem, immediately patted his chest and said, "I will do my best to persuade the White House to support your actions."

　When this news reached Washington, the White House erupted in another heated debate. On the one hand, the South Vietnamese leadership had indeed fallen out with Diem, with bureaucrats and the military unanimously demanding Diem's ​​overthrow. The US feared it would be difficult to stop their self-rescue efforts. On the other hand, with the situation in South Vietnam rapidly deteriorating, it remained uncertain whether this military coup would stabilize the situation or lead to the complete collapse of the country.

　Finally, even if the United States still does not support the coup, Ngo Dinh Diem will probably take the initiative to purge the coup group and force them to collectively surrender to the Communist Party.

　It is obvious that this internal conflict in South Vietnam is inevitable no matter what!

　-

　A few days later, the White House held the seventh Vietnam conference, and the anti-Wu and pro-Wu factions continued to engage in fierce confrontation at the conference table.

　The anti-Ngo faction claimed that Ngo Dinh Diem was hated by both God and man and must be replaced; the pro-Ngo faction believed that the coup leader, Dang Minh, was suspected of being "pro-communist", and that Chief of General Staff Tran Van Don and Army Lieutenant General Le Van Kim still retained their French citizenship, making them clearly untrustworthy to the United States.

　The anti-Ngo faction laughed at this, saying that Ngo Dinh Diem himself had boasted that he had joined the Communist Party, so how could they still blindly trust such a bastard?

　Finally, the irascible Air Force Chief of Staff, General Le May, made the final decision: Since the Saigon bureaucrats and military personnel were clamoring to overthrow Diem, they should be given a chance to prove themselves. If they were capable of replacing him, the coup was justified! And vice versa!

　This world has always been a world where the strong prey on the weak! Only the victors can escape blame!

　The White House just needs to stay on the other side of the ocean and watch the two vicious dogs with red eyes fight each other!

　After hearing General LeMay's words, even Vice President Johnson, who had always supported Diem, saw that he was alone in the fight. After a long silence, he gave up his support for Diem and sighed, saying, "I guess it's too late to turn back."

　In this way, the two sides reached a compromise, and the White House immediately sent an ambiguous telegram to Ambassador Lodge in Saigon, stating that the US government did not oppose the South Vietnamese coup, but would not provide clear military support to the coup, and that the US military stationed in Vietnam would stay out of the incident and would not be deployed.

　However, if the coup succeeded, the United States would recognize the new government and continue to allocate aid previously allocated to Ngo Dinh Diem. If the coup failed, the United States would provide shelter for the coup organizers and authorize Lodge to act at his discretion, mobilizing the CIA station in Saigon to provide intelligence support to the coup plotters.

　However, CIA agents cannot be directly involved in violent activities. Otherwise, the CIA has the right to reject any "unreasonable mission" sent by Ambassador Lodge.

　After receiving the telegram, Lodge immediately conveyed Washington's intentions to the coup leaders, Dang Minh, Nguyen Khanh, and Vu Van Mu, and assured them that although Washington would not provide them with direct assistance, he would mobilize the resources of the Saigon Station and the embassy to try to facilitate the success of this coup.

　With the US ambassador's assurance, the coup group gained confidence and quickly convened another operational meeting. Dang Minh stated that any coup attempt (with the exception of Colonel Gaddafi) should not be prolonged. Therefore, action should be taken sooner rather than later, ideally before the end of March. There was no need for an overly detailed plan to avoid unexpected setbacks. All that was needed was a concerted effort to storm the Gia Long Palace and decapitate President Ngo Dinh Diem.

　As for the distribution of benefits after the coup, it would be better to wait until Diem is overthrown before considering it, when everyone will be judged by their abilities and merits. Otherwise, if the coup hasn't even started and a fight breaks out over the division of spoils, and Diem ends up wielding all of them, wouldn't that be ridiculous?

　After listening to this, everyone discussed it and felt that what Boss Yang Wenming said made sense, so they began to prepare.

　President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu also heard

　The news reached the enemy, and they quickly took advantage of the situation and made corresponding arrangements. Richardson, the CIA station in Saigon, had long been accepting bribes from Ngo Dinh Nhu. As soon as Ambassador Lodge's order came down, he passed it on to Ngo Dinh Nhu...

　The result was a major split among CIA spies in South Vietnam, with half assisting the coup and half supporting Ngo Dinh Diem.

　Even worse, General Harkins, the commander of the US forces in Vietnam, was not only a staunch supporter of Diem but also very dissatisfied with Ambassador Lodge's circumvention of his will. He was determined to make things difficult for Lodge and refused to cooperate with Ambassador Lodge's instructions to facilitate the coup.

　Well, in addition to the South Vietnamese government fighting among itself, the US military and intelligence agencies in South Vietnam are also starting to fight each other!

　But as if the show was not lively enough, Yang Ming-Ning, who led the coup, felt that his power was a little weak. Just in case, he secretly contacted the Viet Cong - his younger brother was an official in North Vietnam, and his highest official position was equivalent to that of a division commander. His family was as powerful as the Zhuge family of the Three Kingdoms period.

　This is also the reason why the United States has always been worried about Yang Ming-ming's "collaboration with the Communists": because there really are many Vietcong in his family!

　As a result, the South Liberation Front of Vietnam, which led the Viet Cong guerrillas, also received an incomplete coup plan, and in response to the impending all-out conflict with the South Vietnamese authorities, it quietly deployed troops in an attempt to fish in troubled waters and grab its own piece of the pie.

　Meanwhile, Dr. Kissinger and Major Ferry King, who knew nothing about these undercurrents, were still aboard the destroyer Yukikaze, drifting across the Pacific, full of anticipation for their upcoming trip to Vietnam, completely unaware that they were stepping into a fire pit...

　Author's Note: PS: A joke: The recording of the German army plotting to attack the Crimean Bridge was leaked because a Russian openly attended a German meeting. The Germans didn't even notice there was an extra person in the meeting from beginning to end.

　This is not a low-level meeting, but the Air Force Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Chief of Staff are present.

　The world is really a huge makeshift team. It’s normal for me to arrange some leaks in the book that make people unable to complain, right?

　Furthermore, could it be that the German army blew up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline itself? After all, it seems doubtful whether Berlin can still command the German army.

　Chapter 207: Peaceful Da Nang

　March 28, 1963, Da Nang, Central Vietnam

　The destroyer Yukikaze, which once again crossed the Pacific Ocean, temporarily still flying the American flag, slowly sailed into Da Nang Bay.

　Da Nang is a port city located in central Vietnam, which is the northern part of South Vietnam. There is a vast bay to the northeast of the city, and it is surrounded by mountains, forming a very good shelter. In addition, the surrounding sea water is deep, so it has been a famous deep-water port in Indochina since ancient times.

　Long before Vietnam separated from China, Da Nang was already an important port for the Champa Kingdom. Nearby, the Champa people built the "My Son Sanctuary", a Hindu temple complex consisting of more than 70 exquisite and magnificent temples, and is known as Vietnam's "Little Angkor Wat".

　Later, the Vietnamese defeated the Champa Kingdom and captured Da Nang, which temporarily caused it to become desolate. However, during the Age of Exploration, Da Nang became a prosperous maritime trade port again due to its deep waters and wide bays, and also brought the port into the sight of European colonists.

　In the late eighteenth century, when King Louis XVI of France supported the Vietnamese prince Nguyen Phuc Anh in restoring his country, he asked him to cede Da Nang to France in return.

　Of course, due to the subsequent French Revolution, the French Bourbon dynasty's dream of colonizing the Far East soon came to nothing.

　However, by the mid-nineteenth century, France had finally taken control of the entire Vietnam through a series of long colonial wars, which naturally included Da Nang. The French colonists also copied the name of the home port of the Mediterranean Fleet in their own country and renamed it "Toulon".

　More than half a century later, the French tricolor flag was lowered here, and the port of Toulon in the French Indochina colony was transformed back into Da Nang in Vietnam.

　But this does not mean that Da Nang has escaped the shadow of Western forces, because... the American flag will soon be raised here!

　At this moment, Firi, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, stood at the bow of the Yukikaze, squinting his eyes and looking at the scenery of Da Nang in front of him.

　There was a clear, cloudless sky, and the scorching sun shone from the sky, causing ripples on the sea surface and shining bursts of golden light.

　Behind the beach stands a lush coconut grove, with thousands of green leaves swaying in the wind.

　From time to time, a few seabirds fly by in groups, through the mottled shade of the trees, and fly to the distant horizon.

　Many simple huts or wooden sheds are scattered among the lush tropical vegetation, interspersed with several two- or three-story wooden buildings and concrete villas, as well as tall flagpoles and iron towers, extending from the beach to the foot of the mountain. The scenery is so beautiful that it is like Hawaii.

　Ugh, it's so peaceful! It doesn't look like a war-torn country at all!

　When talking about the Vietnam War, the scene that comes to Fili's mind is that the ground was bombed with countless huge craters, towns were razed to the ground, and the forests were burned to only charred wooden stakes... However, it now seems that at least the area around Da Nang has not been devastated by the war.

　Not only is Da Nang's cityscape still prosperous and intact, with bustling vendors everywhere, the streets are also busy with traffic and the market is thriving.

　When we got off the boat and walked around,

　Looking towards the inland plains, I found that the local scenery looked really peaceful and beautiful:

　Clusters of emerald green bamboo and coconut trees rise from the vast rice fields, like small islands protruding from the turquoise ocean; the peasant women wear conical hats and the shoulder poles sway on their shoulders; the young girls walk lightly, wearing silk trousers and tight short jackets, which have a unique exotic style.

　Phiri stood under the palm tree, enjoying the cool breeze, looking very happy, but Dr. Kissinger was a little disappointed.

　——Before, when the Yukikaze made a brief stop in Hong Kong for replenishment, Dr. Kissinger went ashore and bought some newspapers, hoping to learn about the latest news in Vietnam. He found that the news was full of horrific news about "mutiny", "rebellion", "rampant mobs" and "massacre".

　And horrific photos of corpses, heads rolling on the ground, and streets in shambles.

　So much so that when the Yukikaze docked in Da Nang, Dr. Kissinger nervously put on his helmet, fearing that he would be hit by stray bullets and shrapnel.

　As a result, what they encountered at the Da Nang dock was not bullets and artillery shells, but the mayor of Da Nang and a group of female students wearing white silk "Ao Dai".

　The mayor gave a flattering welcome speech to Mrs. Chen Lichun who had just disembarked, and the girls placed garlands on the American sailors who followed them ashore.

　Next, the mayor of Da Nang respectfully invited Chen Lichun to stay at his official residence. Kissinger and Ferry, who had completed their consulting mission, and the American sailors on the ship were taken to the "Toulon Palace Hotel" in Da Nang a few hours later and had a delicious meal.

　The white walls of this hotel are a bit dilapidated, probably a relic of the French colonial period, but it looks pleasing to the eye.

　Although it was a bit disappointing that there was no steak on the menu, only ham and eggs, there was a wide variety of grilled fish and fish soups.

　While enjoying a seafood feast and ice-cold beer, watching the fan slowly rotating above your head and the boat slowly passing by on the river, and listening to a fashionable Vietnamese female singer singing a French pop song in the hotel lobby, it really gives you the illusion of being on vacation.

　Looking at the sunset that dyed the sky red and the lights of thousands of homes in Da Nang gradually lighting up in the twilight, Kissinger cut the cheese fish fillet on the plate with a knife and fork, muttering in confusion, "I can't believe this is Vietnam? How come it's completely different from what I imagined?"

　I didn’t hear any gunshots, nor did I see any houses burned down, nor did I see anyone throwing monks into the fire…”

　"Yeah, it feels even quieter than Miami's red light district or Los Angeles' Chinatown. Is there really a war going on here?"

　Wolf Lee, the fat Texas radioman, muttered along as he stuffed his mouth with ham and eggs.

　As for Dr. Kissinger's black intern, Placide, she was sitting alone at another table, happily drinking beer.

　"No, there is indeed a war in Vietnam, but this city has not yet been at war because this is Da Nang."

　While savoring the delicious grilled shrimp, Fili replied, "As for religious conflict? Dr. Kissinger, this city is full of churches and monasteries, bathed in God's glory. Where are the Buddhist temples? Even if the fanatics wanted to burn monks, there wouldn't be any to burn!"

　——Da Nang is a missionary center that has been focused on by France for a long time. Most of the residents here have gradually changed their beliefs and are mainly Catholics.

　When Ngo Dinh Diem organized a large number of North Vietnamese Catholics to cross the sea and migrate to the south eight years ago, a considerable number of northern Catholics were settled nearby in Da Nang, which further greatly increased the Christian component in Da Nang and made this small city of 50,000 people almost a "City of God."

　Although in South Vietnam as a whole, because Ngo Dinh Diem favored the minority Catholics and persecuted the Buddhists who made up the majority of the population, the people were outraged.

　But the Vietnamese in Da Nang, well, at least the Vietnamese Catholics currently living in Da Nang, happen to be basically the "small group of people" who supported Ngo Dinh Diem, that is, the vested interests who enjoyed a lot of special privileges and were exempted from various taxes and levies under the rule of Ngo Dinh Diem.

　As vested interests, the people of Da Nang naturally would not stand up against Ngo Dinh Diem, and there were not many Buddhists around them to persecute.

　So why did they make such a fuss against President Ngo Dinh Diem? Did they think they paid too little in taxes? Did they think they were too comfortable without labor service?

　On the other hand, for the Vietcong, Da Nang was neither the capital nor on the border. Besides a few warships anchored there, there was no industry. Attacking the port was meaningless, simply to instill terror... Therefore, they had no need to cause trouble in Da Nang.

　Of course, there were certainly Vietcong infiltrators within the South Vietnamese Navy. But in Da Nang, their mission should have been to "show mercy" during maritime patrols, allowing North Vietnam to smuggle arms southward using fishing boats, rather than being so blind as to fire a few shots at the harbor for no reason, sounding the alarm for the Diem regime.

　As for the main battlefield where the Viet Cong and the South Vietnamese government forces each drove armed boats and fired at each other, it was in the Mekong Delta thousands of miles to the south, among the reed-covered river branches and ponds, not in Da Nang, a seaport dotted with churches.

　Due to the above factors, Da Nang enjoyed a long period of rare peace in the early days of the Vietnam War.

　Of course, this calm is only temporary. With the formal entry of the US military into the war and its large-scale influx into Vietnam, Da Nang, as an excellent deep-water port and naval base, will inevitably be highly valued by the US military crossing the ocean, and just like in the past

　Like Okinawa, large-scale construction is underway in Da Nang.

　On the one hand, this will drag Da Nang into continuous war, and the Viet Cong guerrillas will follow the US military and continue to attack US military bases.

　On the other hand, the huge consumption power brought by the long-term presence of tens of thousands of US troops will bring unimaginable wealth, prosperity and modernization to Da Nang.

　For example, as the main air base of the US military in South Vietnam, Da Nang Airport in the late 1960s was considered the busiest airport in the world, with an average of more than 2,500 take-offs and landings per day, more than any other airport in the world at that time.

　Even if the US military withdraws in the future, the huge and advanced Da Nang Airport will be left as the foundation for future economic take-off.

　In addition, with the continuous construction and completion of US military bases, prosperous commercial streets have also sprung up around the military bases. Magnificent houses that provide entertainment services for American soldiers have quickly appeared, turning Da Nang into a "barracks with residents."

　The protracted war throughout South Vietnam brought a steady stream of refugees into Da Nang. "Children washed clothes for Americans, men sold cold drinks to Americans, and women slept with Americans," causing the city's population to expand rapidly and various industries and businesses to develop accordingly.

　In ten years, Da Nang will grow from a small port with a population of 50,000 to the third largest city in Vietnam with a population of 600,000!

　Second only to Hanoi and Saigon!

　All these changes, like magic, happened in just seven or eight years of war...

　However, all these dramatic changes began after the US military officially joined the Vietnam War and stationed a large number of troops in Da Nang.

　But in the spring of 1963, the US military had only sent a small number of special forces to Vietnam to support the situation, and there were few Americans in Da Nang.

　To be precise, apart from the sailors who had just disembarked from the Yukikaze, there were only a few American advisers in the local South Vietnamese army, a group of pilots and ground crew at Da Nang Airport, a small team of special forces stationed at the airport - Da Nang Airport had not yet been expanded and was very small - plus a very small number of American businessmen who took the risk to do business. All together, there were only a few hundred people.

　However, among the few Americans in the area, Fili actually recognized an acquaintance.

　"Hey! Major Lyle, long time no see! I didn't expect to see you here!"

　Seeing his CIA colleague, Major Bill Lyle, in full military uniform, sitting down at the next table with a young Vietnamese woman in his arms, Fieri was taken aback at first, then he greeted him warmly, "Aren't you running your Hmong kingdom in Laos? Why are you in Da Nang?"

　"Ah, I'm here to gather supplies for General Wang Bao. I've also brought a group of soldiers to Da Nang for training, and I want to relax and have some fun."

　Major Bill Lyle was also very happy to see Major King and Dr. Kissinger. He immediately went over to share the table with them and started chatting.

　Despite the confidentiality regulations, he had been begging for supplies and ammunition for the unloved Hmong militia, so while it wasn't public knowledge, it was at least known to anyone who wanted to know. The munitions he had finally secured were temporarily transferred from the warehouses of South Vietnam's First Military Region, or First Tactical Zone. Given the South Vietnamese Army's impeccable secrecy, it would be surprising if the Vietcong didn't know about this!

　(Vietnam's "military region" is the abbreviation of "military-level tactical zone", so it is also called a tactical zone. I wonder what the full name of our "military region" is?)

　After listening to Lyle's explanation, Ferry understood it immediately - American soldiers have always been of this kind of dandy style: they may be able to endure hardships during wars, but after persisting for a period of time, they must be allowed to relax and have fun, go to the rear to pick up girls and rest, otherwise they will go crazy due to too much pressure.

　In the deep mountains and forests where the Miao people of Laos live, even if there is air transport to maintain logistics, the conditions will definitely be difficult, or even there will be nothing.

　It is normal that Lyle cannot stand the loneliness in the mountains and wants to go to the city when he gets the chance.

　Next, Major Lyle also asked why Fieri and Kissinger came to Da Nang, and whether they were transferred to work in Vietnam?