Office of the Historian

459. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of Defense McNamara and the Under Secretary of State (Ball)0

July 24, 1962, 4:20 p.m.

McNamara said he wanted to thank Ball for sending his boys out to Honolulu yesterday, that he had been very useful to him. He said that while he was there he had talked to the Commanders and others about our troops in Thailand and he thought—they came into two points of agreement—first, that the Marines should be moved out as rapidly as Ken could negotiate appropriate removal with Sarit. McNamara said he understood this morning the President would like them out by no later than July 30. He said he was not sure Ken had that as an instruction and this was primary reason for the call to Ball. He thought it would be very [Page 957] helpful if Ball could cable him today.1 He would be back there tonight or tomorrow morning.

Ball agreed—said he thought we told him—the President—that he wouldn’t be able to see Sarit before Thursday.2

McNamara said he had sent word to the Chiefs to be prepared to have them out by July 30, assuming that the appropriate negotiations took place.3 So our preparations are under way and if they met on Thursday4 he thought that was entirely satisfactory, but he also thought it was extremely important that Ken have a specific date that he was negotiating to.

Ball said he would get that right off.

McNamara said this was very good and secondly, for Ball’s own information, we would have to work further on this here and get some paper to Ball. He had talked to the Commanders about removing the battle group associated personnel from Thailand. He was most anxious to get the combat personnel out of Thailand for a variety of reasons and there had been quite a bit of resistance to it in Washington. Harkins and Felt both supported a move of the battle group out in the very near future, next week or two for example. So McNamara proposed to call the Chiefs together tomorrow or so and get them to try to endorse this. If they wouldn’t endorse it, he was still going to recommend it. He said they would process it through the State Department at the appropriate time.5

Ball said this would be fine.

  1. Source: Kennedy Library, Ball Papers, Thailand. No classification marking. McNamara was in Honolulu; Ball was in Washington.↩
  2. Telegram 127 to Bangkok, July 25. (Department of State, Central Files, 792.00/7–2562)↩
  3. July 26.↩
  4. The Joint Chiefs of Staff informed Admiral Felt that, after Young’s talks with Sarit; assuming they were successful, Felt should be prepared to withdraw the remaining Marine Expeditionary units from Thailand as soon after July 26 as possible. (JCS telegram 5432 to CINCPAC, July 25; Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Thailand, Vol. III, 7/16/62–7/31/62)↩
  5. According to telegram 163 from Bangkok, July 27, Young met with Sarit on July 27. Sarit acquiesced in the withdrawal but would not agree, implying that he could not stop the United States from doing what it had decided to do. Young sensed a “perceptible change” in mood on the part of top Thai officials, reflected by Sarit’s “sour attitude.” (Department of State, Central Files, 792.00/7–2762)↩
  6. At 6 p.m. Washington time, the United States announced the withdrawal of the remaining U.S. Marines stationed at Udorn and noted that the withdrawal was “discussed” with the Thai Government. (Telegram 143 to Bangkok, July 27; ibid., 792.5411/7–2762)↩