121. Letter From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams) to the Assistant Deputy Chief of Army Staff for Logistics (Myers)

Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Personal Correspondence 1960 (75).

122. Memorandum From the Chief of Staff, United States Army (Lemnitzer) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Source: National Archives and Records Service, JCS Records, CCS 99, 9155.3/4060 (15 Feb 60). Secret.

123. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams) to the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Special Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Papers: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Secret.

124. Despatch From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/3–2660. Secret. Drafted by Durbrow and Grant. Sent also to CINCPAC PolAd, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Vientiane, and Hue.

125. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.51K11/3–2960. Secret. Repeated for information to CINCPAC and CINCUSARPAC.

126. Briefing Paper Prepared in the Department of Defense

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Papers: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Secret. Additional information regarding the briefing anticipated in this paper has not been found.

127. Memorandum From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams) to All MAAG Advisers in Combat Units

Source: Department of State, Durbrow Files: Lot 68 D 404, Vietnam. Confidential.

128. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 4, 1960

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5–MSP/4–460. Secret. Drafted by Usher.

129. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 4, 1960, 3:25–4:55 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.51K11/4–460. Confidential. Drafted by Spurgin.

130. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President of the Republic of Vietnam (Diem) and the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams), Saigon, April 6, 1960, 9 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Conversations with Diem 30 Nov 59–22 Aug 60 (163). Secret. Neither an interpreter nor a drafting officer is indicated on the source text.

131. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/4–760. Secret; Limit Distribution. Sent also to CINCPAC for PolAd; repeated for information to Vientiane, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok.

132. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/4–860. Secret. Repeated for information to CINCPAC PolAd, Vientiane, Bangkok, and Phnom Penh.

133. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 8, 1960

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/4–860. Confidential. Drafted by Wood.

134. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 8, 1960

Source: Department of State, FE Files: Lot 62 D 26, MC—Vietnam. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Wood.

135. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/4–1160. Secret. Drafted by Parsons. Repeated for information to CINCPAC for PolAd.

136. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for National Security Council Affairs and Plans (Williams)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Papers: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Confidential. F. Haydn Williams served under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, John N. Irwin, II.

137. Telegram From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin) to the Commander in Chief/Pacific (Felt)

Source: Department of State, G/PM Files: Lot 64 D 359, Vietnam—General and Counter Insurgencies. Secret. Drafted by Flesch on April 14 and approved by O’Donnell. Sent for information to the Chief of MAAG, Saigon and the JCS.

138. Memorandum From the Officer in Charge of Vietnam Affairs (Wood) to the Acting Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Usher)

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 100. VN 1960—Internal Security. Secret.

139. Letter From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Acting Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Usher)

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 16. VN 1960—Emb. Saigon. Secret; Official–Informal.

140. Letter From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Parsons)

Source: Department of State, Durbrow Files: Lot 68 D 404, Vietnam. Secret; Official–Informal.

141. Memorandum From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams)

Source: Department of State, Durbrow Files: Lot 68 D 404, Vietnam. Secret; Eyes Only.

142. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K00/4–1960. Secret; Limited Distribution. Sent with instructions to pass to the Department of the Army for ACSI.

143. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/4–1960. Secret; Limited Distribution.

144. Memorandum Prepared for the President

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/4–2160. Confidential. Drafted by Laurin B. Askew, Officer in Charge of Cambodia Affairs. Cleared by Usher, Anderson of SEA, and Steeves and in substance by L/FE and Flesch. According to a covering memorandum from Calhoun to Goodpaster, Major John Eisenhower telephoned a request for this information to McElhiney of S/S on April 18. On the original memorandum in the Eisenhower Library, the President wrote that it was “prepared at my request” and initialed it. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series, Indochina)

145. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5811/4–2260. Secret; Limit Distribution.

146. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Secretary to the General Staff of the United States Army (Bonesteel)

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 64 A 2170, 092 Vietnam. Secret. Covering notes attached to the source text indicate that Lansdale sent a copy of this memorandum to Colonel Black who in turn passed it to Knight. Lansdale stated in his note of April 22 for Black: “Believe you will find the attached of interest—not only in light of proposals in Vietnam, but also the most recent ones in Laos. Time we gave further thought to this. Ed Lansdale.” A note on the source text, the copy Lansdale sent Black, indicates that Knight noted this memorandum.

147. Paper Prepared by the Operations Coordinating Board

Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Preliminary Notes IV. Secret. This plan was discussed at the OCB meeting of February 17, according to preliminary notes of the meeting by O’Connor, as follows:

“Messrs. Daniel Anderson, Richard Usher and Chalmers Wood of the Office of Southwest Asian Affairs were present for Board consideration of the Plan. Mr. Anderson spoke of the problems facing U.S. operations in Viet-Nam as a consequence of the provisions of the Geneva Agreements. The termination, by the end of 1960, of the U.S. Temporary Equipment Recovery Mission and our endeavors to obtain the tacit acquiescence of the International Control Mission (ICC) to an increase in MAAG strength in a current problem. The Board discussed the differing State-Defense views relating to U.S. cooperation with the ICC. Mr. Dulles (CIA) and Mr. Irwin (Defense) suggested compromise language. The Chairman, Mr. Gray, with the consent of the members, agreed to a revision which would indicate that should U.S. cooperation with the ICC result in significant and adverse effect on U.S. operations in Viet-Nam, the U.S. would immediately review the extent of its cooperation with the ICC. Revised language is to be approved by the Board Assistants. The Treasury representative raised suggestions which were also referred to the Board Assistants. A split with Treasury relating to the application of area policy guidance to specific countries is also to be resolved at a later time. Aside from these pending issues the Board concurred in the Plan for implementation by the responsible agencies.” (Ibid.)

According to a covering note by Smith attached to the Outline Plan, the Board concurred on February 17 with this paper subject to resolution of differences between the Departments of State and Defense on a draft version of paragraph 21 and between the Departments of State and the Treasury on a draft version of paragraph 16. Because both draft versions of this OCB Outline Plan, February 5 and April 14, were destroyed, it is impossible to ascertain the exact nature of these differences. These differences were resolved by the Board of Assistants representatives of the three Departments. This plan superseded the previous plan for Vietnam, January 7, 1959, of which extracts are printed in Document 47.

148. Letter From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams)

Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Lansdale 1960 (136). The source text is handwritten.

149. Letter From Professor Wesley R. Fishel of Michigan State University to the President of the Republic of Vietnam (Diem)

Source: Michigan State University Archives, Fishel Papers, 1960–1961—Letters to Diem. Personal and Confidential (not a U.S. Government classification).

150. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/5–360. Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution. Repeated for information to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and CINCPAC PolAd.