▁At ▁C IA ▁Hel ms ▁was ▁its ▁first ▁Director ▁to ▁' r ise ▁through ▁the ▁ranks '. ▁ ▁Vietnam ▁became ▁the ▁key ▁issue ▁during ▁the ▁Johnson ▁years . ▁Hel ms ▁reviews ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s . ▁The ▁C IA ▁was ▁fully ▁engaged ▁in ▁political - mil it ary ▁affairs ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁both ▁getting ▁intelligence ▁information ▁and ▁for ▁over t ▁and ▁cover t ▁field ▁operations . ▁C IA , ▁for ▁example , ▁organized ▁an ▁armed ▁force ▁of ▁minor ity ▁H m ong ▁in ▁La os , ▁and ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁of ▁rural ▁counter ins ur gency ▁forces , ▁and ▁of ▁minor ity ▁Mont agn ards ▁in ▁the ▁high lands . ▁Further , ▁C IA ▁became ▁act ively ▁involved ▁in ▁South ▁Vietnam ese ▁politics , ▁especially ▁after ▁D iem . ▁" One ▁of ▁the ▁C IA ' s ▁jobs ▁was ▁to ▁co ax ▁a ▁genu ine ▁South ▁Vietnam ese ▁government ▁into ▁being ." ▁Hel ms ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Vietnam ▁twice , ▁and ▁with ▁President ▁Johnson ▁to ▁Gu am . ▁ ▁Vietnam : ▁Est im ates ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁Hel ms ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁D CI ▁inherited ▁a ▁C IA ▁" fully ▁engaged ▁in ▁the ▁policy ▁deb ates ▁surrounding ▁Vietnam ." ▁The ▁C IA ▁had ▁formed ▁" a ▁view ▁on ▁policy ▁but ▁[ was ] ▁expected ▁to ▁contribute ▁im partial ly ▁to ▁the ▁debate ▁all ▁the ▁same ." ▁American ▁intelligence ▁agents ▁had ▁a ▁relatively ▁long ▁history ▁in ▁Vietnam , ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁O SS