nt, a Communist-led organization, began to challenge the government in South Vietnam, Eisenhower sent U.S. military equipment and advisers. It was the job of the U.S. advisers to train the South Vietnamese how to use U.S.-supplied weapons. Their job proved to be very dangerous and included a lot of political pressure. Besides instruction, their responsibilities included combat planning, setting up communications, and arranging medical and logistical support. Although the advisers had no command authority, they often had to provide leadership on the battlefield, while remaining calm and steady.
             Eisenhower helped empower Ngo Dinh Diem as South Vietnam's first leader after the 1954 Geneva agreement, which ended France's command in Vietnam. After Diem won the election, South Vietnam's new government caused more hostility within its boundaries. The United States backed the South Vietnamese government with more advisers and financial help. About 700 military advisers were there by the time Eisenhower left office in 1961.
             In 1962, during John F. Kennedy's presidency, American military presence in Vietnam increased from 700 advisers to over 4,000 U.S. advisers. President Kennedy was reluctant to send a fighting force, but he did send 300 helicopters for
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