William Chickering, the author of “A War of Their Own.” (Photo Supplied)
In 1967, during the Vietnam War, William Chickering commanded a Mike Force battalion of Montagnards, highland tribesmen who were also members of a secret army, FULRO, the Front unifié de lutte des races opprimée.
Known in English as the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races, these hilltribe insurgents waged their own war of independence against North and South Vietnam, one that continued long after the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.
Montagnards, or Dega, a collective of term for the ethnic minorities of the Central Highlands, formed a fierce alliance with Chams to rid the highlands of Vietnamese of all political persuasions, who they viewed as colonialists. At one point it was believed that the Montagnards could determine the outcome of the war.
As the 50th anniversary of the fall of Indochina to communism approaches, Chickering spoke with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt, about his new book: “A War of Their Own: FULRO: The Other National Liberation Front, Vietnam 1955–75.”
He also speaks about his time in the military, his quest to understand FULRO in the decades since and the rise of ethno-nationalism among the culturally and linguistically distinct Dega, which include the Jarai, Rade, Bahnar, Koho, Mong, and Stieng, who wanted a country of their own.
In their struggle, an important role was played by the Civilian Irregular Defense Group, a program that began in late 1961 under the direction of the CIA and U.S. Special Forces.