village to the smaller and more cohesive unit, the hamlet. While the US and British advisers were discussing a strategic plan during 1961 and into early 1962, the Government of Vietnam was already implementing strategic hamlets. Part of this work involved the "Citizens Irregular Defense Groups", which was a program sponsored by William Colby, the CIA station chief in Saigon. The 400 man Special Forces group sent to Vietnam in May 1961 was assigned to the program, which was designed to help villagers defend themselves, and at the same time Improve their living conditions.2

William Nighswonger reported on "strategic hamlets" being developed as early as May and July 1961.3 All this occurred well before the arrival of Robert Thompson and the publishing of Roger Hillsman's "Strategic Concept for Vietnam." Robert Thompson confirmed these early beginnings when, shortly after his arrival In South Vietnam in October 1961, he observed defended hamlets already in operation. He found these hamlets primarily in the more adaptable villages of Annam along the coast north of Saigon.4 These early hamlets were most likely the efforts of Ngo Dinh Can, another of the Ngo brothers, who introduced the Force Populaire in Central Vietnam in mid-1961. The Force Populaire consisted of a company of up to 100 local men who would move into a village for a period of up to three months and in a manner similar to the Communists, would try to