Page 468 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

hatred of the Cornrnunist regirne' This tradition never faltered under
any circurnstances. Even tn late 1964 when the ARVN was under heavy
pres6ure by overwhelmi.ng enerny forces corning frorn the North, our
soldiers accepted rnany sacrifices in resisting the enerny advance'
There was not a single de{ectlon or spontaneous abandon of position
by any ARVN unit.
AIso in 1964 when the country was deep in a political
upheaval, no foreign influence was able to alter the nationalist' anti-
C ornrnuniet attitude of the ARVN'
In addition to this anti-C ornrnunist tradition, other
ARVN characteristics are to be rnentioned as deterrnining factors in
building up the ARVN corobat capacity and wiLlingness :
- The ARVN salary scale shows no big dlfferences
between lower and higher grades, thus causing no detrirnent to the
confidence between officers and enlisted rnen. Such a salary scale
could be described as a socj.al revolution which leveled injusticee in
th€ arrned forces so that all soldiers can feel equal in the treatrnent
received and thereby rnore enthusiastic in carrying out their duty of
national salvation,
- The ARVN soldierrs rnorale is subjected to continued
boosting. He is p"osd of bei'ng part of the nationts defense force and
regards the act of surrender as an act of betrayal to his dead corn-
rades-in-arrns. Close and sincere confidence arnong soldiers is
another ARVN characteristics, although too rnuch confidence often
Leads to loose discipline (1).
- The ARVNts rnoral strength was not conspicuous
because of the rnany ilts that beset the national 1i{e prior to and under
the Second Republic. This caused the Viet Cong to believe at first
glance that the ARVN was a weakened, ready-to-collapse force.

The sarne one way judgernent on the Part of the Viet
Cong prevailed in their assessrnent of the civilian side of the rnatter.
They believed that the populations in cities and townships had been
rrripel for a general uprising Itto save the nation frorn the US irnpe-
rialist aggre s sionrr .

(1) People in nearly aI1 cities and townships attacked by the enerny
cornplained they had things stolen frorn their houses.

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