751G.5 MAP/7–550: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Legation at Saigon 1
14. ToMAP. Department of Defense today made following press release:
A joint MDAP survey mission, representing Departments of State and Defense, and ECA, under Mutual Defense Assistance Program will proceed Friday by air to Southeast Asia to consult with U.S. and foreign officials regarding implementation of current military assistance programs for Indochina and other countries in area.
Representative of Secretary of State on Survey Mission will be John F. Melby, Special Assistant to Dean Rusk, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs.
Chief of military group and representing Secretary of Defense will be Major General Graves B. Erskine, Commanding General of First Marine Division, now stationed Camp Pendleton, California. General Erskine has had an outstanding career with U.S. Marine [Page 115] Corps, and in 1945 commanded Third Marine Division during preparation for and seizure of Iwo Jima.
Representative of Economic Cooperation Administration will be Glenn H. Craig, Deputy Director, ECA Industry Division.
Survey Mission will visit Indochina, Indonesia, Malaya, Burma, Thailand and Philippines. Mission will survey nature and extent of U.S. military assistance required in Southeast Asia area, priorities for military assistance programs, and character of U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Groups needed in area.
Members of military group include: For Office of the Secretary of Defense—Lt. Col. H. J. Lowe, USA; for Department of the Army—Lt. Col. Henry Neil son and Major Hamilton Roger; for Department of the Navy—Capt. M. H. Hal stead and Commander R. J. Michels; for Department of Air Force—Lt. Col. J. E. Blair and Lt. Col. Richard H. Henderson; for U.S. Coast Guard—Capt, Beckwith Jordan and Capt. N. G. Thorne, USMC, Aide to General Erskine.
Members of Survey Mission from Department of State are: Willard Galbraith (S/MDA—Program Officer); John T. Forbes (S/MDA—Executive Officer); Roland C. Fields (FE—Administrative Assistant); and George T. Emery, (S/MDA).
- Repeated to Djakarta as 16, Manila as 24, Bangkok as 8, Rangoon as 6, and Kuala Lumpur as 2.↩