“It's Time for Action and Not Excuses”: Advisors and Leaders in Phuoc Tuy, 1968–1973

Abstract

This article explores the challenges faced by American and Australian advisors working in Phuoc Tuy province, South Vietnam, from 1968 to 1973, with a focus on the persistent belief that ineffective Vietnamese leadership was the principal obstacle to a successful pacification process. It examines how advisors identified underperformance among officials and officers in Phuoc Tuy and pursued either coaching or removal as solutions—efforts that were repeatedly undermined by cultural barriers, systemic corruption, and structural weaknesses within the Republic of Vietnam. The study argues that the RVN’s failure to develop and retain capable leaders was symptomatic of broader institutional failings, and that the limitations of the advisory model—combined with a flawed understanding of Vietnamese society and the complex wartime environment—contributed to a cycle of superficial progress and recurring setbacks. Ultimately, the experience in Phuoc Tuy challenges optimistic assessments of pacification success and illustrates the broader difficulties of nation-building during wartime.