own. Had the United States been able to accept Diem's rule as a less than "perfect" government and had it committed itself to the long term support of his government and his policies, especially pacification, events may have proceeded differently. Certainly the "Americanization" of the war from 1964 proved a less than satisfactory alternate solution to the problems of South Vietnam.

While U.S. efforts in South Vietnam in support of the strategic hamlets were constructive and contributed to the implementation of the program, U.S. actions also played a role in the demise of the program. The question of the ability of the U.S. to operate in this environment is important for both the country requesting assistance and for the United States as it attempts to shape its security environment into the 21st century. While it is beyond the scope of this thesis to make judgments on this question, it is a subject worthy of further study.