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South Vietnam - Veteran Affairs

Poor treatment of veterans had only exacerbated the problem of desertion. Traditionally, the Vietnamese armed forces carried physically impaired servicemen on the active rolls because of inadequate facilities for their physical and vocational rehabilitation; this practice caused a drawdown on unit present-for-operations strength. The Cat Lai Project, established May 1967, under the joint sponsorship of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Veteran Affairs, conducted vocational school training for physically impaired personnel before discharge from the service, thus preparing them more adequately for civilian life.

The goal was to train annually some 1,200 soldiers who, upon successful completion of their course, would be eligible for gainful employment. In July 1967 the school officially opened with 138 students enrolled in eight courses (tailoring, supply, mechanics, carpentry, plumbing, masonry, typing, and electronics), and in December it graduated ninety-five of the original students. Placement of these graduates by the Veterans Affairs Placement Office at first proved unsatisfactory; through the efforts of Education Consultants, Ltd., however, many of the students were later placed in civilian jobs.

In a letter to the Ministry of Defense on 4 January 1968, General Westmoreland reaffirmed his interest in the placement of physically impaired South Vietnam armed forces soldiers upon discharge from the service. A viable veterans program was an essential element of an effective armed force. On 16 January 1968, at a conference held to discuss the revitalization of the South Vietnam government Veterans Program, Westmoreland announced that Military Assistance Command would assume responsibility for advising and assisting the Ministry of Veteran Affairs in its Veterans Program and outlined four areas of concentration: hospitalization, classification, training, and job placement. He assigned the mission of implementing MACV's advisory effort to MACV J-1; this staff agency, in turn, formed a separate division whose mission was to advise the Ministry of Veteran Affairs in carrying out the objectives outlined by Westmoreland. In July this division was replaced by the Mobilization and War Veterans Advisory Branch in the Advisory Division of Military Assistance Command.

At first the advisory effort centered around the identification of resources, the determination of requirements, and the unification of all agencies affiliated with armed forces veterans affairs. Plans and material for the conduct of the command survey of physically impaired soldiers were prepared and made available to the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Veteran Affairs. Finally, a combined committee comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Veteran Affairs, and Military Assistance Command was organized to formulate plans and administer the over-all program for armed forces physically impaired soldiers. In the area of hospitalization, aid was expected in getting additional hospital beds.

Tied closely with hospitalization was a re-emphasis on the methods and execution of medical classification to ensure precise and prompt categorizing of the individual. When vocational training was prescribed, the accurate and rapid filing of occupational questionnaires and the issuance of a security clearance were imperative. In the case of individuals who desired civil employment, assurance of an early release became essential. Military authorities felt that by joining the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Veteran Affairs, and Military Assistance Command, cooperation in these areas, policies beneficial to the individual, the armed forces, and the nation would be assured.