Archimedes L. A. Patti was a writer, historian and retired Army lieutenant colonel best known for his work with Ho Chi Minh 1945 and his subsequent 1980 book, Why Viet Nam? Prelude to America’s Albatross. After his service in the European Theater during World War II, Patti was transferred to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS – precursor to CIA) in Hanoi, Vietnam. While there, Patti was named head of a secret OSS mission under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt designed to support anti-colonialism in Asia. Part of Patti’s mission was to befriend Ho Chi Minh and train Ho’s men to fight the occupying French forces in Vietnam. Patti was later pulled out of Vietnam by the United States in 1945 but he continued his friendly relations with Ho and his representatives. After his retirement, Patti worked closely with federal agencies in creating plans for civil governance in the event of a catastrophic attack on the US. Patti also became a well-known writer, recounting his work with Ho in 1945 and the changing face of politics in the Indochina region. Held for publication in the 1950s due to its controversial subject matter on communism, Patti’s book, Why Viet Nam? Prelude to America’s Albatross was published in 1980 and became known as a critical work on the study of politics in Asia. Patti passed away in Winter Park in 1998 at age 84 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC.
From the guide to the Archimedes L. A. Patti, Research Papers, 1922-1993, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, )
