Frederick Reinhardt arrived in Vietnam as the second United States Ambassador during a critical time in the relationship between the two countries. Vietnam had been without an American ambassador since the departure of Donald Heath in November 1954, while American interests were being handled by General J. Lawton Collins who accepted the position of Special Representative at President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s request. Collins had a difficult relationship with Ngo Dinh Diem, one that was marred by his intrigue with the French and his tendency to place the Vietnamese in a secondary position, even when he had their best interests in mind. Reinhardt repaired the fragile relationship and oversaw American’s interests in Vietnam during a period of several significant events, including the removal of the French Expeditionary Corps, a referendum to depose Bao Dai, the creation of a Vietnamese Constitution, and Vietnam’s first national election. It was Reinhardt’s temperament and professionalism that allowed Ngo Dinh Diem to regain trust in the United States as the two countries continued to work towards the common goal of Vietnamese independence in a Communist-Free Republic.
