strength hed· dropped by 1000 frOI:l peak strengtbJ that U.S. military strength figures in Vietnam be made public" and that the actual strength as well as the authorized ceilings at any given time be caref~·moni tared to insure that the desired reductions were indeed achieved.
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A fel: days later the Secretary of Defense approved the lOOO-man withdra\'lal plan fonlarded in JC&~-629-63 as recommended. He agreed, however, with lSA and advised the JCS against creati.llg special units if' their only purpose was to be a holding un,it as e vehicle for \Olithdra\·:al of individuals. He also requested that he be provided "ith a projection of' U.S. military strength in South VietnSDJ by month, for the period Septet'loer through
-
Decenber 1963. 30/
.
'.
The follot'ling weel.. the Chairman" JCS" responded to the Secretary of Defense t s request and. furnished the fcllorling projection of end.-o:r-month U.S. militer,)" st!engths in South Vietr~aJ:l: .
It lias noted that the planned. 1000-I:!~n \lithdraual would represent a reauction based on the october peak strenf)i.h. The first ancreccnt of 216 personae), \:ould be \iitMra",n1 during r~ove=,ber and. the r.E'l:.sil-:ing ir1crements in Deceacer, 31/ !Chis, as it turned out, vas destirled to be changed SOl'te~lhat before the withdra~ral vas executed; TEE BUDDHIST CRISIS
'fnile the CPSVU-l·1AP and \lithdra\:al planning vere goir.g on, significant developments altering the character of the entire situatic~ to 'Which the planning effort vas addressed--in tact threa'~ening to invalidate the very premises from lihich the planning sprung-s-vere occurring liithin South Vietnam. The Buddhist crisis was rocy~g the ro~dations of what precarious political stability the Diem goveraaerrt enjoyed and there jras grOtli.l1g concern about its effect on the prosecution of the \lar against the VC and on improvements of RVlW. A series of incidents beginning early in May revealed betveen militant Buddhist fa~tions" l-Tho purported to speak the South Vietnamese population, and the Goverment. lack tor the Diem regime had now turned to open opposition. As .
16
the deep divisions for the bulk of of popular support passions flared .