In this photo, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower greets South Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem upon his arrival in Washington D.C. in 1957. Diem ruled Vietnam after the French pulled out in 1954; his pro-capitalist stance made him an attractive ally to the United States, which was in the throes of the Red Scare.
Diem's regime became increasingly corrupt and authoritarian until Nov. 2, 1963, when he was assassinated in a coup. He was succeeded by General Duong Van Minh, who orchestrated the coup d'etat.
