SOUTH VIETNAM PRESIDENT & BROTHER KILLED IN MILITARY COUP
Saigon, South Vietnam (JFK+50) On November 2, 1963, Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South Vietnam, was killed in a military coup along with his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu.
The pair were captured at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church after escaping the presidential palace through an underground tunnel. They then were both shot to death.
The United States State Department denied involvement in the overthrow the the Diems.
President John F. Kennedy was informed of the deaths at a cabinet meeting. JFK rushed out of the room with a look of shock and dismay on his face.
Assistant Secretary of State Averell Harriman said, "It was a great shock to everybody."
JFK+50 NOTE
According to a dictabelt recording made by JFK on Nov 4 1963, talk of a coup in SV had taken place over a 3 month period. Ultimately the topic divided the Kennedy administration with generally the Dept of State supporting the coup and the Dept of Defense opposing it.
The question was what was most beneficial for U.S. interests in the region, continuing to support a flawed SV government under Diem or supporting a coup which might or might not result in an improved situation. Although JFK felt the situation in SV had worsened recently, he admired Diem's leadership in preventing a communist takeover during his tenure.
JFK admits on the recording that his government bore "a good deal" of responsibility for the coup. He was especially disturbed by the manner in which the Diem brothers died. Ironically, this was just weeks before JFK himself would be the victim of assassination.
SOURCES
"JFK and the Diem Coup," by John Prados, The National Security Archive, 2003.
"The Diem Coup," UVA, Miller Center, www.millercenter.org/
