Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately 10 linear feet of books and documents detailing the Vietnam War. The collection includes fiction and non-fiction books on the war; government publications; reprints from Congressional hearings; U.S. Army publications related to the Ninth Infantry Division's service in Vietnam and the U.S. role in the pacification efforts in Vietnam; and Vietnamese currency. Also included is approximately 5 linear feet of materials accumulated by Colonel John Haseman. The materials consist primarily of captured enemy artifacts acquired by Colonel Haseman while serving as Commander (Forward) of the 9th Military Intelligence Detachment, 9th Infantry Division stationed at Bearcat, Dong Tam, and My Tho (1967-1968), and while serving with Advisory Team 88 (Kien Hoa Province in the Mekong Delta) as the Deputy District Senior Adviser in Ham Long District and later Mo Cay District (1971-1973).

Biographical / Historical

Colonel John B. Haseman served two assignments totaling 30 months in the Republic of Vietnam. Colonel Haseman was a Military Intelligence Branch officer. His first Vietnam assignment was in military intelligence billets. However, shortly after beginning his second assignment, his district senior advisors and the province senior advisor nominated him for the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) based on his duties in infantry branch billets during that 18-month assignment as a district-level advisor.

His first assignment, November 1967 to November 1968, was in the 9th Military Intelligence Detachment (MID), 9th Infantry Division. He was stationed consecutively at Bearcat base, Dong Tam base, and the city of My Tho. His positions included Chief of the Interrogation of Prisoners of War (IPW) Section (December 1967-August 1968) and concurrently Commander (Forward) 9th MID (February - June 1968); and 9th Infantry Division Liaison Officer to U.S. and ARVN officials and offices in My Tho City (August-November 1968). The position of IPW Section Chief included the official duty as War Trophy Approval Officer. All weapons and equipment found/captured by U.S. soldiers were screened for intelligence value and eligibility for export to the U.S. by individual soldiers. The MID also routinely received and screened other captured materiel of all types for intelligence value. This responsibility gave Colonel Haseman extensive experience with captured enemy materiel including domestically-produced items as well as those provided to the NVA and VC by China, the USSR, and other sources.

His second assignment, July 1971 to February 1973, was as a district-level advisor on MACV Advisory Team 88 (Kien Hoa Province). He served consecutively as Deputy District Senior Advisor for Ham Long District, Deputy District Senior Advisor for Mo Cay District, and then again as District Senior Advisor for Ham Long District. He was one of the last district-level advisors to leave the field of combat after the signing of the Paris Cease Fire Agreements. Intrusive land-grabbing operations (against provisions of the cease fire agreement) by VC/NVA forces in Mo Cay District forced him to remain in the field for approximately two weeks after the mandatory date of 28 January 1973 for U.S. advisors to leave the field. During this period of 18 months of advisory duty he supported three Vietnamese District Chiefs, the second of whom was Killed In Action in July 1972.

For his Vietnam service Colonel Haseman was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, three Bronze Stars for service, two Air Medals, the Vietnam Service Ribbon with nine campaign stars, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star for gallantry in action, two awards of the Vietnamese Armed Forces Honor Service Medal, and the Vietnamese National Police Field Force Honor Service Medal.

After his Vietnam service, he was sworn in as a Regular Army officer and was accessed into the new Army Foreign Area Officer (FAO) Program. The last 20 years of his 31 1/2 year career were spent in FAO billets in Thailand, Indonesia (3 assignments), Burma, and CONUS. He is a 1977 graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and 1985 Graduate of the Army War College. He is a linguist in the Indonesia, Thai, and Burmese languages. His final assignments included U.S. Defense and Army Attaché/Security Cooperation Officer (DATT/SCO) in Burma (1987-1990) and DATT/SCO in Indonesia (1990-1994). He retired on 31 January 1995.