0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
• ~~Program ... tle:. Hop Tac (Cooperation)
Objectives:
0 Pacify area
necessary
surrounding Saigon using whatever resources are
* Develop a giant security "oil spot" spreading out from Saigon
toward the Cambodian border and the South China Sea
9 I Tie together the pacification plans of a seven-province area into
an overall plan wherein each province subordinated its cwn priorities
to the concept of building a giant oil spot around
Sai gon,
Timefr'me: August 1964 - 1966
niti•'3,-,::
US Proponent.
Ambassador Maxwell Taylor and General Westmoreland
US Team Chief
GVN Proponentf ARVN Hop Tac Staff
Results:
0 In the first operation, a sweep in the VC-controllea pineapple
groves immediately to the west and soutnwest of Saigon, the lead
ARVN unit broke off contact and turned back towards Saigon.
* After the intitial operation, Hop Tac was a constant 3ource of
dispute within USOM, Deadlines slipped continually; phase lines
were readjusted; the official z3unt of hamlets consid.red to be
pacified climbed steadily.
Remarks, Hop Tac never achieved its goals., Ics failure was derived
from the following:
a Hop Tac received only token endorsement from the Vietnamese, to
whom it be-ned pointless and purely an Amrrican excrcise.
0 The ARVN Hop Tac Staff was a powerlcss office created merely to
satisfy the US,
0 The RVNAF units 'n Saigon had the priority mission of guarding
against a coup attempt and noLhing was accomplished to make Hop
Tac a viable progr&m,
* ** Figure 5-10.. The Hop Tac Program
15 -3)6