LAO NAVY

by David Nuttle

In my time in Laos, 1970-72, I worked there with U. S. Ambassador G. McMurtrie Godley,

He called me to his office one day to ask for my help with an unusual diplomatic and critical problem. The Royal Lao Government feared a public backlash because the current war did not have the support of 120 Royal Lao Princes. There was a high-level request for the U. S. to help get the Princes in military uniform with duty that would not put them at risk. The one

possible solution was to form the Lao Navy and have them sail the Mekong River on the Lao border with Thailand where there was no fighting.

Ambassador Godley had tried but could not get USG (US Govt.) funds or other support for a project having no national defense value. From our prior conversations, the Ambassador knew President Diem of S. Vietnam allowed his administrators and military officers to keep 10 percent of whatever they could get their hands on. I told him I had keep a detailed record of who had taken what during my 3-years of work in Vietnam. My work in Vietnam was under the direction of Diem and his VP brother Nhu. I had helped to resettle Catholic Viets evicted from N. Vietnam by the communist government. In addition, I helped start Diem's Ag efforts to include agriculture extension and Ag Experiment Stations. On my last assignment I had helped Diem create and demonstrate a Village Defense Project with help from CIA, U. S. Army Special Forces, and USAF Air Commandos.

Diem had given me extensive authority to obtain whatever I needed, from the GVN (Govt. of S. Vietnam). Thus, if I needed a truck, I would demand one from a Viet Dock Master who

had taken several in the process of unloading a shipment of military trucks the U. S. sent to support the war effort. Using my prior knowledge of this so-called Mandarin reward system of official theft, I obtained four armored Navy PT boats with crew served weapons, rifles, pistols, and Navy uniforms to create the new Lao Navy. The Lao government found funds to pay salaries for the princes and fuel for the boats. We found Lao military officers to train the princes and the make shift Lao Navy was soon sailing the peaceful Mekong River.

Diplomacy and relations between nations may take unusual acts from time to time. Do prepare for such shocks!