List of ambassadors of the United States to South Vietnam

Following the end of World War II in Asia, France attempted to regain control of Vietnam, as part of French Indochina, which it had lost to Japan in 1941. At the conclusion of the First Indochina War, the country was split into two parts, the North and the South. The southern part was named the State of Vietnam under the leadership of former Emperor Bảo Đại. In 1950, the United States recognized the Bảo Đại government, established diplomatic relations, and sent its first ambassador to Saigon in South Vietnam, officially known as the Republic of Vietnam following the rise of President Ngô Đình Diệm in 1955. The US was opposed to the communist government of the North, led by Chairman Hồ Chí Minh, and did not recognize the northern regime.

Ambassador of the United States to South Vietnam
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
None
NominatorThe President of the United States
Inaugural holderDonald R. Heath
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationJune 29, 1950
Final holderGraham A. Martin
AbolishedApril 29, 1975

At the end of the Vietnam War, the US Embassy in Saigon was shuttered and all embassy personnel evacuated on April 29, 1975, just prior to the capture of Saigon by North Vietnamese and Việt Cộng forces. Since the normalization of United States–Vietnam relations in 1995, the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City stands adjacent to the site of the former embassy which was demolished in 1998. The US Ambassador to Vietnam is now seated in the US Embassy in Hanoi, the former capital city of North Vietnam and the current capital of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
PortraitNameTypeTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated mission
Donald R. Heath[1]Career FSOEE/MPJune 29, 1950October 22, 1950June 25, 1952[2]
Donald R. HeathCareer FSOAE/PJune 25, 1952[3]July 11, 1952November 14, 1954
G. Frederick ReinhardtCareer FSOAE/PApril 20, 1955May 28, 1955[4]February 10, 1957
Elbridge DurbrowCareer FSOAE/PMarch 14, 1957April 16, 1957May 3, 1961
Frederick E. Nolting Jr.Career FSOAE/PMarch 15, 1961May 10, 1961August 15, 1963
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.Political appointeeAE/PAugust 1, 1963August 26, 1963June 28, 1964
Maxwell D. TaylorPolitical appointeeAE/PJuly 1, 1964July 14, 1964July 30, 1965
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.Political appointeeAE/PJuly 31, 1965August 25, 1965April 25, 1967
Ellsworth F. BunkerPolitical appointeeAE/PApril 5, 1967April 28, 1967May 11, 1973
Graham A. MartinCareer FSOAE/PJune 21, 1973July 20, 1973April 29, 1975

Deputy Ambassadors
PortraitNameStart dateEnd date
U. Alexis JohnsonJune 1964September 1965
William J. PorterSeptember 1965May 1967
Eugene M. LockeMay 1967January 1968
Samuel D. BergerMarch 1968March 1972
Charles S. WhitehouseMarch 1972August 1973

Notes
  1. Heath was also accredited to Cambodia and Laos but resident at Saigon.
  2. Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  3. Edmund A. Gullion was serving as Chargé d'affaires ad interim when the Legation in Saigon was raised to Embassy status on Jun 25, 1952.
  4. Reinhardt was reaccredited when South Vietnam became a republic; presented new credentials on February 24, 1956.

Sources
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