The "Mayor"

For two years, Captain Archie Kuntze of the U.S. Navy was one of the best-known Americans in Viet Nam. As logistics boss during the frenzied buildup of U.S. forces, he controlled the operation of hospitals and ports throughout the land, operated the PXs, handled the feeding and housing of incoming troops--and spent more than $100 million in U.S. Government funds. But he was no ordinary military bureaucrat. A hearty and high-living bachelor, Kuntze (Annapolis '42) was a wheeler-dealer with a hand in so many U.S. activities that he proudly called himself "the American mayor of Saigon."

He lived--with his lovely young Chinese girl friend--in an elegant downtown villa. He showed up to slap backs and shake hands at every important social occasion, and his own glittering cocktail parties were the talk of Saigon--as was his official car, the only Government vehicle in Viet Nam with white sidewall tires. Always ready to help out with a favor, he made lots of friends--and some jealous enemies as well--for rare was the day that his picture or his name did not appear in the city's newspapers. And whenever Viet Cong terrorists bombed one of the hotels he had turned into military billets, he always rushed to the scene to direct rescue operations and give briefings to newsmen.

No one could call him ineffective. For all the supply chaos, the thousands of arriving troops were all fed and housed, shipments were somehow delivered, and the PXs were always well stocked. But in May, Kuntze's empire collapsed. His headquarters unit was dissolved, and all logistics operations were transferred to other commands. Kuntze himself was shipped out to the 12th Naval District headquarters in San Francisco. Last week the Navy revealed the reason. A three-man board of inquiry, after a quiet two-month investigation of Kuntze's activities, had recommended that he be court-martialed. There were rumors of currency violations, misappropriation of Government funds and personal indiscretions, but all the Navy would say was that Captain Kuntze, unofficial mayor of Saigon, stood accused of "personal misconduct." The court-martial would reveal the rest.

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