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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011 36 021155 FRANCE TURNED OVER THE COMMAND OF SOUTH VIETNAM'S MILITARY FORCES TO THE DIEM GOVERNMENT, LEAVING GENERAL ELY AS THE COMMANDER OF THE REMAINING FRENCH FORCES. FRENCH SUBSIDIES TO VIETNAMESE ARMED FORCES CAME TO A END IN THE AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN FRENCH GENERAL AGOSTINI AND VIETNAMESE ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL LE VAN TY.

021255 U.S.–FRENCH AGREEMENT AT GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL WAS REACHED RE COLLINS–ELY TRAINING PLAN. /JCS HIST.

021255 THE VIETNAMESE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED THE SECTS TO BECOME PART OF THE NATIONAL ARMY.

021255 COLLINS–ELY AGREEMENT WENT INTO EFFECT. THE U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE ADVISORY GROUP (MAAS) TOOK OVER THE TRAINING OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY, FOLLOWING THE RELINQUISHING OF COMMAND AUTHORITY BY THE FRENCH.

021255 PRES. DIEM ANNOUNCED THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ORGANIZING AND TRAINING THE VIETNAMESE ARMY WOULD BE VESTED IN GEN. O'DANIEL, CHIEF OF THE U.S. UNDER THE OVERALL AUTHORITY OF GENERAL ELY. AMERICAN PERSONNEPERSONNEL [sic], SAID, WOULD BE USED CONCURRENTLY WITH FRENCH PERSONNEL AS ADVISORS AND INSTRUCTORS OF THE VIETNAMESE ARMED FORCES. DEFENSE MINISTER MINH STATED THAT THE AVERAGE STRENGTH OF THE VIETNAMESE ARMED FORCES DURING 1955 WOULD BE 140,000 IN ACTIVE AND READY RESERVE CATEGORIES.

021255 LT. GEN. O'DANIEL'S STAFF NUMBERED 300 AMERICAN OFFICERS, WITH 1,000 FRENCH OFFICERS AVAILABLE. $200-MILLION OF U.S. AID WAS TO BE SPENT ON NATIONAL FORCES.

021355 GENERAL TRINH MINH TAY AND 2,500 MEN SWORE FEALTY TO THE SOUTH VIETNAM GOVERNMENT.

021955 PRES.EISENHOWER DECLARED, IN A LETTER TO BAO DAI, CHIEF OF STATE OF VIETNAM, THAT PREMIER DIEM'S ANNOUNCED PROGRAMS OF LAND REFORM AND REORGANIZATION OF THE ARMED FORCES SHOULD, WHEN FULLY CARRIED OUT, FURTHER INCREASE THE STABILITY AND UNITY OF GOVERNMENT AND THAT HE HAD CONCURRED IN GENERAL COLLINS' RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND SUPPORT FOR FREE VIETNAM.

021955 S.E.ASIA COLLECTIVE DEFENSE TREATY (SEATO)—WITH ITS PROTOCOL COVERING VIETNAM, CAMBODIA, AND LAOS—WENT INTO FORCE.

022255 THE U.S., FRENCH AND VIETNAMESE MILITARY EXPERTS WEIGHED PLANS TO BUILD THE VIETNAMESE ARMY UNDER U.S. SUPERVISION.

022755 TRAINING RELATIONS AND INSTRUCTION MISSION (TRIM) ESTABLISHED. TRIM WAS A COMBINED U.S.–FRENCH STAFF AND FIELD ADVISORY EFFORT. IT WAS THE OUTGROWTH OF THE COLLINS–ELY AGREEMENTS. TRIM CALLED FOR 220 OF THE SPACES ALLOTTED IN MAAG. IT WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE VIETNAMESE NAVY AND AIR FORCES. /217155, JCS HIST.

0355 ONLY 81 PERSONS WERE AVAILABLE FOR ASSIGNMENT TO TRIM. /217155.

0355 NATIONAL ARMY VS. SECT CIVIL WAR. (MARCH–APRIL) Z