Charles J. Timmes

Charles John Timmes (July 18, 1907 – October 20, 1990) was a United States Army Major General and chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in the early 1960s.

Early life and education Timmes was born in Innsbruck, Austro-Hungarian Empire where his father, an American medical doctor was pursuing advanced studies. His family returned to the United States, living in New York City. Timmes attended Fordham University, graduating with a law degree in 1932 and practiced as a lawyer in New York for the next seven years.

Career Timmes was called to active duty in 1939.

World War II

Lt. Col. Timmes was commander of the 2nd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment which was dropped on Mission Boston, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy on the morning of 6 June 1944.

The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 17th Airborne Division on its return to England in July 1944. Timmes again led the 2/507th in Operation Varsity in March 1945.

Vietnam War In July 1961, Timmes was sent to South Vietnam, where he served as deputy to Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) chief Lt. Gen. Lionel C. McGarr. When McGarr left this post in March 1962, Timmes succeeded him and remained in this post until 15 May 1964 when MAAG was subsumed into Military Assistance Command, Vietnam.

After retiring from the Army Timmes joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and returned to South Vietnam in 1967 where his role was liaison with the South Vietnamese leadership and ARVN commanders, many of whom he knew when they were junior officers during his earlier tour in Vietnam.

Timmes acted as a go-between for the US Embassy and the South Vietnamese Government during the Fall of Saigon and was instrumental in facilitating the resignation of President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu on 21 April and the ascent of Dương Văn Minh to the presidency on 27 April in the hope that he would be able to negotiate a ceasefire with the North Vietnamese. On 29 April, Timmes was evacuated from the U.S. Embassy during Operation Frequent Wind on the same helicopter as Frank Snepp.

Later life After retiring from the CIA in 1975, Timmes worked for the Washington law firm Altmann & Vitt.

Timmes died on 20 October 1990 in Falls Church, Virginia and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.