How many advisers did JFK station in South Vietnam?

• A. 5,000
• B. 2,000
• C. 11,000
• D. 20,000

Answer: (C)

Kennedy expanded the U.S. role in South Vietnam by increasing the number of American personnel who were there to advise, train, and support the South Vietnamese forces rather than deploy large combat units. By the end of 1963, about 11,000 American military advisers were stationed in South Vietnam. This reflects a deliberate escalation of the advisory effort to strengthen the ARVN and improve counterinsurgency efforts, while still avoiding a full-scale U.S. combat commitment. Fewer advisers would not capture the level of escalation Kennedy pursued, and many thousands more would imply a later stage of involvement than was typical for his presidency.