Sovereign of Discord: A Fire in the Lake Expansion. Proyect Beef-up (English)

We continue searching for the history of the cards of this Fire in the Lake expansion, a time of the Vietnam War that went unnoticed, but laid the foundation for what would happen in the following years.

In the previous post, we could see how Diem's reforms increased the influence of the VC in South Vietnam and this would have consequences for the United States.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy ordered an increase in the number of American military advisors in South Vietnam.

The Beef-up project was carried out for several reasons:

The US government was concerned about the growing VC threat and the southern government was being overwhelmed.

He wanted to prevent the entirety of Vietnam from falling into communist hands, as it would be a precedent for other countries in the region.

The United States government wanted to demonstrate its commitment to its ally.

This project was entrusted to General Edward Lansdale, a counterinsurgency expert. The project began in 1961 and was completed in 1962. During that time the number of American military advisors increased from 3,205 to 16,000.

The advisors were deployed throughout the country, improving the combat capabilities of the Vietnamese army, both individually and as a team. They focused mainly on tactics to combat guerrilla warfare. Military equipment of all kinds was also provided to the South Vietnamese army.

Advisors were often involved in combat situations. In 1931, before the start of the project, there were 134 American casualties. American casualties increased rapidly after the start of the project. In 1962, there were 335 casualties and in 1963, 723.

The project cost around $1 billion. The increase in advisors was seen as a sign that the United States was increasing its involvement in the war, and many predicted it would eventually involve the country in the war. They tried to minimize the impact of the project, stating that it was a temporary measure. However, he helped lay the groundwork for the deployment of American troops to Vietnam. Thanks to this project, valuable time was bought for the southern government, as it helped them contain the VC for several years, but it was not enough.