192. Editorial Note
A memorandum of April 5 from the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Ridgway, to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Radford, on the subject “Deployment of Honest John Units to the Island of Formosa”, responded to a request from Radford’s office for information concerning the possible deployment of “Honest John” rocket batteries to Formosa. The memorandum concludes as follows:
- “a. One Honest John battery available for deployment to Japan in June 1955 can be diverted to Formosa.
- “b. Up to a total of six Honest John batteries now in Europe could be deployed to the island of Formosa.
- “c. Honest John batteries deployed to the island of Formosa will require adequate security and support forces.
- “d. Honest John batteries would provide a significant contribution to the defense of the island of Formosa. Their most effective use would be with atomic warheads.”
A note in Goodpaster’s handwriting attached to a copy of the memorandum noted a conversation on April 4 between himself and [Page 453] Brigadier General Barksdale Hamlett, Assistant for Planning Coordination in the Office of the Army Chief of Staff. It indicated that on April 5 Goodpaster “Advised Pres Army not look with favor on turning over to ChiNats—but could be effective on Formosa in U.S. units.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Miscellaneous Series, Formosa Area)