VII. U.S. Consideration of a Crop Destruction Program for South Vietnam, July-September


250. Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series. Secret; Noforn; Limit Distribution. Signed by Hilsman.


251. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542, Vietnam 1962, 380-385. Secret. Copies were also sent to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for ISA, and the Director, Defense Research and Engineering.


252. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staffs’ Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities (Krulak) to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 65 A 3501, Vietnam 092, July-Dec 1962. Secret. On the source text McNamara wrote: “8/4 To Bill Bundy-Bill, please talk to Gen. Krulak and see what what [sic] can be done to make better use of the Montagnards.”


253. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman) to the Secretary of State

Source: Columbia University, Harriman Papers, Bowles, Chester. Confidential; Personal—No Distribution. Drafted by Harriman.


254. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to the President

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM 178. Secret.


255. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defenseʼs Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD(C)(A) Files: FRC 77-131, Republic of Vietnam, 1961-1962. Secret. Signed “Ed”. Also addressed to Gilpatric and copies were sent to Adam Yarmolinsky, Nitze, and Bundy. On the source text was written “8/4 To Gen. Lansdale, A good idea—try to work it out with Gen. Krulak. R McN”.


256. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Rice) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 951K.8128/8-262. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Rice on August 1.


257. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Heavner) to the Director (Wood)

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 1A-2 Briefing Papers,GVN 1962. Secret.


258. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/8-362. Confidential, Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC.


259. Letter From the Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Wood) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Nolting)

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 1-C-1, Off-Inf Lets,GVN 1961. Secret; Official-Informal. Sent as an enclosure to this paper but not found, was a draft memorandum for McGeorge Bundy, entitled “Viet-Nam: Project for Crop Destruction”.


260. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/8-762. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Paris. and London.


261. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Staff Memoranda, Michael V. Forrestal.


262. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to the President

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series. Secret.


263. National Security Action Memorandum No. 178

Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAMs. Secret. A copy was sent to the Director of Central Intelligence.


265. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/8-1662. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Hong Kong, New Delhi, London, and Paris.


266. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Murrow) to the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 306, USIA/I/S Files: FRC 68 A 4933, Field—Far East (IAF). Secret. Drafted by Thomas C. Sorensen, Deputy Director of USIA.


267. Memorandum From the Ambassador at Large (Bowles) to the Secretary of State

Source: Kennedy Library, Presidentʼs Office Files, Special Correspondence, Bowles. Secret; Eyes Only.


268. Memorandum From the Former Political Counselor of Embassy in Vietnam (Mendenhall) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Rice)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/8-1662. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Mendenhall.


269. Memorandum From the Vice Presidentʼs Military Aide (Burris) to the Vice President

Source: Johnson Library, Vice Presidential Security File, Colonel Burris Reports. Secret.


270. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series. Secret. According to another copy, this memorandum was drafted by Rice and Wood on August 21. (Department of State, Central Files, 851K.23/8-2362)


271. Memorandum of the Substance of Discussion at a Department of State-Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting, Pentagon, Washington, August 24, 1962, 11:30 a.m.

Source: Department of State, State-JCS Meetings: Lot 65 D 172. Top Secret. The source text bears a notation that it was a Department of State draft that was not cleared with the Department of Defense. The meeting was held at the Pentagon.


272. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/8-2462. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Wood and cleared by SOV. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.


273. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/8-2562. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.


274. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/8-362. Secret. Drafted by Barnard and cleared with SOA.


275. Letter From the Counselor of the Department of State (Rostow) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Nolting)

Source: Department of state, S/P Files: Lot 69 D 121, Vietnam 1962. Secret; Official-Informal. Drafted by Robert Johnson. copies were also sent to Rice, Harriman, Cottrell, and Wood.


276. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric)

Source: Washington National Records center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542 Vietnam 1962, 370.64. Secret.


277. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 68 A 5159, Sgn(62)42 Taylor Visit. Top Secret. A note on the source text indicates that it was prepared from the interpreterʼs notes and should not be considered a stenographic record of the meeting.


278. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations (Dutton) to Congressman Odin Langen

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/8-2862. Drafted by D.A. Diefenbach of the Vietnam Working Group.


279. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: 68 A 5159, Sgn(62)42 Taylor Visit. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that it was prepared from the interpreterʼs notes and should not be considered a stenographic record of the meeting. Taylor was in Vietnam September 10-13 as part of a tour of the Far East, August 31-September 21.