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Kit Carson Scouts

January 29, 2023

The Kit Carson Scouts (also known as Tiger Scouts or Lực Lượng 66) belonged to a special program initially created by the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War involving the use of former Viet Cong (VC) and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) personnel as intelligence scouts for American infantry units. VC and PAVN combatants who defected and became aligned with the South Vietnamese government were known as Chiêu Hồi or Hồi Chánh Viên, the latter being a term loosely translated as "members who have returned to the righteous side". Only a very small number of these Chiêu Hồi were selected, trained, and deployed with the U.S. Marines and later also other American and Allied (non-Vietnamese) infantry units between 1966 and 1972.

Kit Carson Scouts
Lực Lượng 66
A "Tiger Scout", as the Kit Carsons were called in the U.S. 9th Infantry Division, firing an M60 machine gun
Active1966–1972
CountrySouth Vietnam
AllegianceUnited States, Australia, South Korea, Thailand
TypeDefector
RoleScout
Size~2,300 (peak strength)
EngagementsVietnam War

Background

Most Hồi Chánh Viên recruited into the fledgling Kit Carson Scout program had defected to Saigon's side in the war because they suffered either from malaria or grave wounds beyond what could be medically treated with the rudimentary medical care available on the VC/PAVN side. Those who volunteered for selection and training as Kit Carson Scouts had, during their service with the enemy, little or no contact with anyone speaking English. Few had any knowledge at all of the English language, creating a communication challenge as they were deployed with American units. A further complication was that almost all Hồi Chánh Viên had a distrust of South Vietnamese soldiers and interpreters because of the degree to which friendly forces had been infiltrated by enemy agents. As the program evolved, recruitment of non-military VC cadre and defecting PAVN officers were added, and these Kit Carson Scouts also became valuable sources of intelligence in the conduct of the war.

History

 
U.S. Marines, led by a Vietnamese Kit Carson Scout during Operation Oklahoma Hills on March 31, 1969

The concept of using soldiers who had previously fought on the enemy side in this way originated in late 1966 with the 5th Counterintelligence Team, which had counterintelligence tasks within the Da Nang Chiêu Hồi Center as one responsibility. Major General Herman Nickerson Jr., commanding the 1st Marine Division at the time, named them Kit Carson Scouts after Kit Carson the American frontiersman.[1]: 246 [2]: 102 

The first six Kit Carson Scouts were placed in the field with the 1st and 9th Marine Regiments as part of a trial program in October 1966. All but one of the original group of six would later be killed in action.[2]: 102  The VC defectors initially recruited to work as intelligence scouts with U.S. Marine infantry units were paid by the U.S. military and were treated as staff non-commissioned officers with a nominal rank (not official) of staff sergeant.[citation needed]

From October to December 1966, III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF) credited Kit Carson Scouts with killing 47 VC, recovering 16 weapons and discovering 18 mines and tunnels.[1]: 247  By the end of 1966, 19 scouts were serving with the 1st Marine Division. By the end of 1967, the 132 Scouts serving with the Marines in I Corps were credited with killing 58 more VC, capturing 37 and recovering 82 weapons.[3] General Lewis William Walt ordered the program to be adopted throughout III MAF and a Kit Carson training center was established at Da Nang to standardize training.

On 29 April 1967, the Intelligence Section of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) published a procedural document detailing the expansion of the Kit Carson Scout Program for all active U.S. Army units in the country, including the scout's terms of service and wages.[4][2]: 102 [5] In September 1967, General William Westmoreland issued an order directing all infantry divisions in Vietnam, including U.S. Army units, to begin using Kit Carson Scouts in conjunction with friendly operations.[2]: 102  He directed that a minimum of 100 scouts per division was necessary to ensure effectiveness with a target of 1,500 scouts by the end of 1968.[2]: 102 

In 1968, the number of scouts increased from 132 to 476, with 102 serving with the 1st Marine Division, 106 with the 3rd Marine Division, 153 with the 101st Airborne Division, and 115 with the 23rd Infantry Division, with a further 22 undergoing training. Throughout the year, scouts were credited with killing 312 VC/PAVN, apprehending 851 suspects as well as locating 720 tunnels and supply caches and over 1,300 booby-traps.[6]

During 1969, the number of scouts working with III MAF grew from 476 to 597 despite the redeployment of the 3rd Marine Division during the year. The scouts were credited with killing 191 VC/PAVN, capturing 539 and recovering 195 weapons, and locating 143 tunnels and caches and 518 booby-traps.[7] In January 1969, scouts began being assigned to Allied forces, starting with the 1st Australian Task Force, followed by the Royal Thai Army Expeditionary Division in August 1969 and South Korean forces in December 1970.[2]: 103 

At the beginning of 1970, over 2,300 scouts served with U.S. forces, with 165 serving in the III MAF. III MAF recruited potential scouts from Chiêu Hồi centers in Da Nang and Hoi An. An experienced Marine NCO investigated the background of motivation of each potential recruit and those who passed would then go to a training center west of Danang for 28 days of training and evaluation. Class sizes were small, usually consisting of no more than eight men. Training including fieldcraft, field sketching, use of sensors and basic English. As the Marines redeployed from South Vietnam the number of scouts serving with III MAF dropped to 111 in July and 95 in December. During 1970, III MAF scouts were credited with killing 43 VC, capturing 313 and recovering 96 weapons.[8]

A report given to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February 1970 listed 230 Kit Carson Scouts killed in action and 716 wounded.In June 1970, as part of the Vietnamization program, the Kit Carson Program name was changed to Lực Lượng 66 (Vietnamese for Force 66), but scout numbers declined as U.S. forces withdrew from South Vietnam with only 400 scouts serving by the end of 1970.[2]: 105–6 

References

  1. ^ a b Shulimson, Jack (1982). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War 1966. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. ISBN 978-1494285159.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Jeannette Koch (January 1973). "The Chieu Hoi Program in South Vietnam, 1963-1971". RAND Corporation. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  3. ^ Telfer, Gary; Rogers, Lane; Fleming, Keith (1984). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967. U.S. Marine Corps. p. 192. ISBN 978-1494285449.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Tovy, Tal (2006). "From Foe to Friend: The Kit Carson Scout Program in the Vietnam War". Armed Forces & Society. 33 (1): 78–93. doi:10.1177/0095327X06289816.
  5. ^ "NAVFORV & NAVDGRP MACV Instruction 3410.7A Luc Luong 66 (Kit Carson Scout) Program" (PDF). U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam and Naval Advisory Group, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 16 March 1971. Retrieved 23 February 2020.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ Shulimson, Jack; Blasiol, Leonard; Smith, Charles; Dawson, David (1997). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: 1968, the Defining Year. History and Museums Division, USMC. p. 610. ISBN 0160491258.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ Smith, Charles (1988). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p. 287. ISBN 978-1494287627.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ Cosmas, Graham (1986). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Vietnamization and redeployment, 1970-1971. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p. 165. ISBN 978-1494287498.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

Further reading

  • Quiroga, Stefan Aguirre. "Phan Chot’s Choice: Agency and Motivation among the Kit Carson Scouts during the Vietnam War, 1966–1973," War and Society 39#2 (2020) pp. 126-143,
  • . TIME. 1968-08-23. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved 2007-09-30.

January 29, 2023
carson, scouts, also, known, tiger, scouts, lực, lượng, belonged, special, program, initially, created, marine, corps, during, vietnam, involving, former, viet, cong, people, army, vietnam, pavn, personnel, intelligence, scouts, american, infantry, units, pavn. The Kit Carson Scouts also known as Tiger Scouts or Lực Lượng 66 belonged to a special program initially created by the U S Marine Corps during the Vietnam War involving the use of former Viet Cong VC and People s Army of Vietnam PAVN personnel as intelligence scouts for American infantry units VC and PAVN combatants who defected and became aligned with the South Vietnamese government were known as Chieu Hồi or Hồi Chanh Vien the latter being a term loosely translated as members who have returned to the righteous side Only a very small number of these Chieu Hồi were selected trained and deployed with the U S Marines and later also other American and Allied non Vietnamese infantry units between 1966 and 1972 Kit Carson ScoutsLực Lượng 66A Tiger Scout as the Kit Carsons were called in the U S 9th Infantry Division firing an M60 machine gunActive1966 1972CountrySouth VietnamAllegianceUnited States Australia South Korea ThailandTypeDefectorRoleScoutSize 2 300 peak strength EngagementsVietnam War Contents 1 Background 2 History 3 References 4 Further readingBackground EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Most Hồi Chanh Vien recruited into the fledgling Kit Carson Scout program had defected to Saigon s side in the war because they suffered either from malaria or grave wounds beyond what could be medically treated with the rudimentary medical care available on the VC PAVN side Those who volunteered for selection and training as Kit Carson Scouts had during their service with the enemy little or no contact with anyone speaking English Few had any knowledge at all of the English language creating a communication challenge as they were deployed with American units A further complication was that almost all Hồi Chanh Vien had a distrust of South Vietnamese soldiers and interpreters because of the degree to which friendly forces had been infiltrated by enemy agents As the program evolved recruitment of non military VC cadre and defecting PAVN officers were added and these Kit Carson Scouts also became valuable sources of intelligence in the conduct of the war History Edit U S Marines led by a Vietnamese Kit Carson Scout during Operation Oklahoma Hills on March 31 1969 The concept of using soldiers who had previously fought on the enemy side in this way originated in late 1966 with the 5th Counterintelligence Team which had counterintelligence tasks within the Da Nang Chieu Hồi Center as one responsibility Major General Herman Nickerson Jr commanding the 1st Marine Division at the time named them Kit Carson Scouts after Kit Carson the American frontiersman 1 246 2 102 The first six Kit Carson Scouts were placed in the field with the 1st and 9th Marine Regiments as part of a trial program in October 1966 All but one of the original group of six would later be killed in action 2 102 The VC defectors initially recruited to work as intelligence scouts with U S Marine infantry units were paid by the U S military and were treated as staff non commissioned officers with a nominal rank not official of staff sergeant citation needed From October to December 1966 III Marine Amphibious Force III MAF credited Kit Carson Scouts with killing 47 VC recovering 16 weapons and discovering 18 mines and tunnels 1 247 By the end of 1966 19 scouts were serving with the 1st Marine Division By the end of 1967 the 132 Scouts serving with the Marines in I Corps were credited with killing 58 more VC capturing 37 and recovering 82 weapons 3 General Lewis William Walt ordered the program to be adopted throughout III MAF and a Kit Carson training center was established at Da Nang to standardize training On 29 April 1967 the Intelligence Section of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam MACV published a procedural document detailing the expansion of the Kit Carson Scout Program for all active U S Army units in the country including the scout s terms of service and wages 4 2 102 5 In September 1967 General William Westmoreland issued an order directing all infantry divisions in Vietnam including U S Army units to begin using Kit Carson Scouts in conjunction with friendly operations 2 102 He directed that a minimum of 100 scouts per division was necessary to ensure effectiveness with a target of 1 500 scouts by the end of 1968 2 102 In 1968 the number of scouts increased from 132 to 476 with 102 serving with the 1st Marine Division 106 with the 3rd Marine Division 153 with the 101st Airborne Division and 115 with the 23rd Infantry Division with a further 22 undergoing training Throughout the year scouts were credited with killing 312 VC PAVN apprehending 851 suspects as well as locating 720 tunnels and supply caches and over 1 300 booby traps 6 During 1969 the number of scouts working with III MAF grew from 476 to 597 despite the redeployment of the 3rd Marine Division during the year The scouts were credited with killing 191 VC PAVN capturing 539 and recovering 195 weapons and locating 143 tunnels and caches and 518 booby traps 7 In January 1969 scouts began being assigned to Allied forces starting with the 1st Australian Task Force followed by the Royal Thai Army Expeditionary Division in August 1969 and South Korean forces in December 1970 2 103 At the beginning of 1970 over 2 300 scouts served with U S forces with 165 serving in the III MAF III MAF recruited potential scouts from Chieu Hồi centers in Da Nang and Hoi An An experienced Marine NCO investigated the background of motivation of each potential recruit and those who passed would then go to a training center west of Danang for 28 days of training and evaluation Class sizes were small usually consisting of no more than eight men Training including fieldcraft field sketching use of sensors and basic English As the Marines redeployed from South Vietnam the number of scouts serving with III MAF dropped to 111 in July and 95 in December During 1970 III MAF scouts were credited with killing 43 VC capturing 313 and recovering 96 weapons 8 A report given to the U S Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February 1970 listed 230 Kit Carson Scouts killed in action and 716 wounded In June 1970 as part of the Vietnamization program the Kit Carson Program name was changed to Lực Lượng 66 Vietnamese for Force 66 but scout numbers declined as U S forces withdrew from South Vietnam with only 400 scouts serving by the end of 1970 2 105 6 References Edit a b Shulimson Jack 1982 U S Marines in Vietnam An Expanding War 1966 History and Museums Division Headquarters U S Marine Corps ISBN 978 1494285159 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain a b c d e f g Jeannette Koch January 1973 The Chieu Hoi Program in South Vietnam 1963 1971 RAND Corporation Retrieved 23 February 2020 Telfer Gary Rogers Lane Fleming Keith 1984 U S Marines in Vietnam Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967 U S Marine Corps p 192 ISBN 978 1494285449 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Tovy Tal 2006 From Foe to Friend The Kit Carson Scout Program in the Vietnam War Armed Forces amp Society 33 1 78 93 doi 10 1177 0095327X06289816 NAVFORV amp NAVDGRP MACV Instruction 3410 7A Luc Luong 66 Kit Carson Scout Program PDF U S Naval Forces Vietnam and Naval Advisory Group Military Assistance Command Vietnam 16 March 1971 Retrieved 23 February 2020 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Shulimson Jack Blasiol Leonard Smith Charles Dawson David 1997 U S Marines in Vietnam 1968 the Defining Year History and Museums Division USMC p 610 ISBN 0160491258 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Smith Charles 1988 U S Marines in Vietnam High Mobility and Standdown 1969 History and Museums Division Headquarters U S Marine Corps p 287 ISBN 978 1494287627 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Cosmas Graham 1986 U S Marines in Vietnam Vietnamization and redeployment 1970 1971 History and Museums Division Headquarters U S Marine Corps p 165 ISBN 978 1494287498 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Further reading EditQuiroga Stefan Aguirre Phan Chot s Choice Agency and Motivation among the Kit Carson Scouts during the Vietnam War 1966 1973 War and Society 39 2 2020 pp 126 143 After Crossing Over TIME 1968 08 23 Archived from the original on December 28 2008 Retrieved 2007 09 30 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kit Carson Scouts amp oldid 1115962804, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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