Office of the Historian

460. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to Acting Secretary of State Ball0

Washington, July 25, 1962.

SUBJECT

  • Withdrawal of Battle Group from Thailand

The Army battle group presently in Thailand at Korat is scheduled for rotation by August 18. With the withdrawal of the remaining Marines the additional withdrawal of the battle group would result in no combat ground forces being left in Thailand. The question that we will therefore have to face prior to August 18 is whether this battle group should be replaced (a replacement group is available and earmarked). In discussing this subject at Honolulu,1 I took the following position:

  • (1) We should seek the removal from Thailand at the earliest possible date of all our combat ground forces, thus reducing the problem of “American presence” there and giving us full flexibility of action;
  • (2) However, the presence of our ground forces in Thailand is importantly related also to the situation in Laos. The first and most immediately critical period for the Geneva Agreements with respect to Laos2 is the 75-day period following July 23. Therefore I felt that our actions with respect to our ground forces in Thailand should be closely related to the development of the situation in Laos during this critical period.

We will shortly be receiving a proposal from DOD with regard to this battle group. I think it likely that the DOD will propose that it not be replaced.3 At Honolulu it was agreed that the CINCPAC and the Army will urgently look into the possibility of storing in Thailand the heavy equipment of this battle group at such time as a decision is made not to replace the personnel. If this is possible, it would very materially reduce the reaction time if we again introduced ground forces into Thailand and should constitute an important psychological reassurance to the Thais. It was generally agreed in Honolulu that whatever was done with respect to the battle group we would, for the time being, retain our air unit in Thailand and urge that the New Zealand, Australian and UK air units similarly be retained.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 792.56311/7–2562. Top Secret. Copies were sent to Harriman, G/PM, and Rusk, who was that day returning from the Geneva Conference on Laos.↩
  2. See Document 458.↩
  3. For text of the Declaration and Protocol on the Neutrality of Laos, July 23, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, pp. 1075–1083.↩
  4. See Document 461.↩