Civil Affairs

Operation County Fair

1. Mission. The Civil Affairs mission was to provide technical and material assistance to local GVN authorities in order that those authorities could distribute the material for the betterment of the local inhabitants, thereby gaining the respect and confidence of the people.
2. Execution. Tô accomplishes the mission, material was gathered and made available to local GVN authorities. An entertaining atmosphere was crested and carried through in order to keep the peoples’ interest.  Games, Movies, Music, and a Raffle were set up by Marines and run by both Marines and local GVN authorities to entertain the people.
3. Material distributed.
4. Bulgur wheat                         30 bags                         3,000 lbs.
5. Clothes 50 lbs.
6. Carpenter kits                        3 bags                            25 lbs.
7. Textile kits                              2                                       75 lbs.
8. Sewing kits                             25                                      50 lbs.
9. Bubble kits                              10 cases                          300 lbs.
10. Candy                                        50 life save rolls
11. Gum                                           20 packages
12. Combs                                       2000
13. Listerine                                   75 bottles
14. Games
15. Throwing balls to knock down cans           2 booths
16. Throwing darts                                                    2 booths
17. Volleyball                                                                1 game
18. Horseshoes                                                            2 games
19. Badminton                                                             1 game
20. Movies.
21. Projection rooms                                                2
22. Films                                                                       10 (in Vietnamese)
23. Music.  One quartet of Marines with guitars.
24. Raffle.

Raffle tickets were distributed to the local inhabitants, as they passed through the interrogation point. Via loudspeakers, the inhabitants were explained the raffle.  100 ducklings were made available to the local GVN authorities to conduct the raffle.  Attached here is a sample raffle tickets.

Translation of the raffle ticket is as follows:

This is a raffle ticket.  Keep this ticket with you.  If you hear the number of your ticket out loud, raise your hand and your ticket and cry out.  Go to where directed.  A prize will be given to you.

8. Results.

The mission was accomplished.  With guidance given by Marines, the local GVN authorities —————- their role in County Fair.  The local GVN authorities were highly enthusiastic and motivated.  The local inhabitants in turn were very spirited.  Both old people and young people (children) showed very much interest and enthusiasm in participating in the games, in particular throwing balls at cans and throwing darts.  Prizes were given to winners in all the games, and this act generated much excitement.  People were eager to win something.  The movies and the music appealed to the people, in particular the movies because they were in Vietnamese.  The movies were general in nature, not Psy-war type.  A few of the movies shown were ‘4^th Annual Asian Sports Festival’, ‘City of Hue, Tour of Cities’, ‘Rice Growing’, ‘Baby Care’, and ‘Vietnamese Classical Music’.  The raffle was perhaps the biggest entertainment success.  The people quickly caught on to the idea, and some managed to get hold of more than one raffle ticket to better their chances of winning.  The most significant point of the material distributed was that the people looked forward to getting something that was given them by a local GVN official.  This factor important in accomplishing the overall mission of County Fair.  Every person got something, and quite a few got more than one item.  A very friendly receptive and lively atmosphere was evident throughout the day.

This page last updated 19 August 2011