British started it in WWII

Had the British General in "command" of that area during WWII treated the Viet Minh as humans, they would have probably been our allies.  But since he turned the Japanese POW loose on them, he created a situation that rapidly went to hell in a hand basket.
  when were Merrill's Marauders in Vietnam (Indo-China) and what is the name of the Signal Officer, who later became a
famous author, writing several books about Merrill's men...