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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The U.S. war strategy under the leadership of General William Westmoreland is described as a war of _______________.
(a) Depletion.
(b) Reduction.
(c) Attrition.
(d) Containment.

2. The ARVN commanders feel ____________ to the forces of the Vietcong.
(a) Superior
(b) Allegiance with
(c) Inferior
(d) Equal to

3. What age is John Paul Vann when he was first deployed to South Vietnam in 1962?
(a) Twenty-nine.
(b) Thirty-two.
(c) Thirty-seven.
(d) Twenty-seven.

4. Who is President of the United States in 1962?
(a) John F. Kennedy.
(b) Richard M. Nixon.
(c) Lyndon B. Johnson.
(d) Dwight D. Eisenhower.

5. What is the name of John Paul Vann's widow?
(a) Sarah Alexandra.
(b) Jane Marie.
(c) Mary Jane.
(d) Mary Elisabeth.

Short Answer Questions

1. Ho Chi Minh lived in which country (other than Vietnam) prior to the Vietnam War?

2. In order to build broad-based support for his cause, Ho Chi Minh needs to do what?

3. How far off (in miles) from their intended landing zones are the ARVN paratroopers eventually dropped?

4. How many Viet Cong guerrillas are entrenched in defensive positions at Ap Bac?

5. How are the Viet Minh perceived by many of the Vietnamese people, especially in light of their victory over the French in the First Indochina War?

Short Essay Questions

1. Briefly describe who the National Liberation Front (NLF) are.

2. From this brief vignette of the funeral of John Paul Vann, what facts can we glean about his life and personality?

3. What do the many guerrilla-style hit-and-run missions of the Viet Cong teach them about the nature of their enemies, the South Vietnamese and the Americans?

4. Why are the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) referred to as "Viet Cong"?

5. What are some of the many diverse features of the populace in South Vietnam that prevented a strong, unified front against the Viet Cong?

6. Discuss the significance of John Paul Vann's promotion to senior adviser for a corps region. How is this significant?

7. What other significant figures are introduced during this introductory section of the book? List two or three of them.

8. Why is the Battle of Ap Bac considered perhaps the most important confrontation of the entire Vietnam War?

9. Why is the use of terminology in reference to Ho Chi Minh's forces important for the Americans and South Vietnamese to establish?

10. Why do you believe General Harkins and others in the United States' military and intelligence communities put so much stock into the opinions of Vietnamese military leaders like General Huynh Van Cao, often at the expense of more sound advice from their own people, like John Paul Vann?

(see the answer keys)

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