Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume I, Vietnam, 1961
XI. The Secretary of Defense's First Conference on Vietnam, Held at Honolulu, December 16, 1961, and Its Aftermath: Document List
Document 324: Editorial Note
Document 325: Memorandum From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Special Assistant (Parker) to the Chairman (Lemnitzer)
Washington, December 18, 1961.
Source: National Defense University, Lemnitzer Papers, L-1141-71. Secret. Attached to the source text are 10 pages of handwritten notes on the discussion at the Honolulu meeting. The drafter of the notes may have been Parker, but this is not indicated on the source text.
Document 326: Letter From the Political Adviser (Martin) of the Commander in Chief, Pacific, to the Director of the Viet-Nam Task Force (Cottrell)
Honolulu, December 18, 1961.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/12-1861. Top Secret; Official-Informal.
Document 327: Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to the Secretary of State
Washington, December 18, 1961.
Source: Department of State, Viet-Nam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 3-C Military Assistance General Oct.-Dec. 1961. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that a copy was sent to William Bundy. Printed also in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, p. 426. That version, the text of which is identical to the source text, indicates that copies were sent to Nitze and Gilpatric in addition to William Bundy.
Document 328: Letter From the Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)
Washington, December 18, 1961.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-1861. Secret. Drafted by Rusk and cleared with Harriman and U. Alexis Johnson.
Document 329: Editorial Note
Document 330: Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Saigon, December 19, 1961, 7 p.m.
Source Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-1961. Top Secret; Priority.
Document 331: Telegram From the Commander of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer)
Saigon, December 20, 1961.
Source: National Defense University, Lemnitzer Papers, 1961 Eyes Only Messages. Secret; Eyes Only. Repeated to General Decker. A handwritten notation on the source text indicates that it was seen also by General Wheeler. No time of transmission is indicated on the source text.
Document 332: Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Saigon, December 21, 1961, 7 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-2161. Secret, Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Bangkok, Phnom Penh. and Vientiane.
Document 333: Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr) to the Commander in Chief. Pacific (Felt)
Saigon, December 21, 1961, 5:57 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/12-2161. Secret; Priority. Also identified as MAGGHGACH 4587 and repeated to the Joint Chiefs, JACK, AJCC at Fort Ritchie, State, and the White House. Received in the Department at 12:51 a.m., December 22. The source text is the Department of State copy.
Document 334: Telegram From the President's Military Representative (Taylor) to the President, at Bermuda
Washington, December 21, 1961, 11:23 p.m.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series. Top Secret; Eyes Only. The President was in Bermuda where he was meeting with British Prime Minister Macmillan.
Document 335: Memorandum From the Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rostow) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)
Washington, December 22, 1961.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-2261. Secret. Drafted by Rice and initialed by Rostow. The source text bears two handwritten notations. One reads: “Shown to & discussed w/Nolting week Jan. 8-12. He says he thinks Diem may, in effect, have such an arrangement, de facto, now. E[dmund] R[ice]” The other reads: “Mr. Rice. Should we get back of this? Walt”.
Document 336: Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to the President
Washington, December 22, 1961.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, McNamara Files: FRC 71 A 3470, South Viet-Nam 1961-Taylor Recommendations, Command. Secret. At the bottom of the source text the President signed his name (under the place designated) “Approved.”
Document 337: Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt), to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr)
Honolulu, December 23, 1961, 11:35 a.m.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series, 12/ 19/61-12/23/61. Top Secret. Repeated to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, JACK AJCC, CINCUSARPAC, CINCPACFLT, and PACAF. A notation in the margin of the source text indicates that it was a copy furnished to Bromley Smith and McGeorge Bundy.
Document 338: Telegram From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer) to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr)
Washington, December 23, 1961.
Source: National Defense University, Lemnitzer Papers, L-21071. Top Secret; Priority. No transmission time is given on the source text.
Document 339: Memorandum From the Public Affairs Officer of the Embassy in Viet-Nam (Anspacher) to the Ambassador in Viet-Nam (Nolting)
Saigon. December 23, 1961.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 66 A 33s, Program Direction. Confidential.
Document 340: Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense's Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer)
Washington, December 27, 1961.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 64 A 2382, Viet-Nam 1961-2 Dec. Top Secret. A note on the source text indicates that copies were also sent to McNamara, Gilpatric, and Heinz. Printed also in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, p. 427.
Document 341: Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer)
Saigon, December 27, 1961.
Source: National Defense University, Lemnitzer Papers, 1961 Eyes Only Messages. Top Secret; Eyes Only. No transmission time is given on the source text.
Document 342: Memorandum From the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the President
[Palm Beach], December 27, 1961.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Bromley Smith Series, Memos to the President. Secret. The President was in Palm Beach, Florida, where his father was ill and in the hospital, since December 19.
Document 343: Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt), to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr)
Honolulu, December 28, 1961, 12:45 p.m.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 68 A 5159, GVN Jan.-June 1962. Top Secret. Repeated to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, JACK AJCC, PACAF, and Navy GRNC.