THE ROLE OF THE TEMPORARY EQUIPMENT RECOVERY MISSION; THE QUESTION OF THE MILITARY ASSISTANCE ADVISORY GROUP CEILING; THE CIVIL GUARD AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARAMILITARY FORCES; UPGRADING THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM’S AIR FORCE; THE CAN LAO PARTY, CORRUPTION, AND THE USE OF U.S. AID; DETERIORATION OF INTERNAL SECURITY AND THE DEBATE OVER COUNTERINSURGENCY POLICY; INCREASE IN THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM’S ARMED FORCES; POLITICAL OPPOSITION TO DIEM AND THE ABORTIVE COUP OF NOVEMBER 19601
1. For previous documentation on Vietnam, see Foreign Relations, 1955–1957, volume I.
211. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McGarr)
Source: Stanford University, Hoover Institution, Lansdale Papers, Vietnam, Lansdale Trip January 1961. Secret. Repeated for information to JCS and OSD/ISA.
212. Letter From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 64 A 2170, 092 Vietnam. Secret; Official–Informal.
213. Airgram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.11/11—360. Secret. Repeated for information to CINCPAC PolAd, Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, London, Paris, Canberra, and Singapore.
214. Letter From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Parsons)
Source: Department of State, FE Files: Lot 62 D 26, Durbrow. Secret; Official–Informal.
216. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Limited Official Use Only. Received November 10, 9:25 p.m. This telegram was apparently not sent through Department of State channels.
217. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Secret. Drafted by Parsons and Cleveland; cleared with Wood. Repeated for information priority to Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Vietiane, Paris, London, CINCPAC PolAd, and Taipei.
218. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Secret. Repeated for information to Manila for Felt and CINCPAC PolAd. Passed to OSD, the Department of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Received at 9:05 a.m.
219. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Secret; Niact. Received at 7:22 a.m. Also sent niact to Manila for Felt and CINCPAC niact for PolAd. Passed to OSD and the Departments of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force.
220. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Priority. Received at 9:32 a.m. Marked “Department pass USIA.”
221. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Secret; Niact. Received at 10:42 a.m. Sent also niact to CINCPAC PolAd; repeated for information niact to Manila for Felt, priority to Bangkok, and to Vientiane and Phnom Penh.
222. Telegram From the Air AttachÉ in Vietnam (Toland) to the Chief of Staff, United States Air Force (White)
Source: Department of State, Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 65 F 115, Internal Political Affairs, Vietnam-GVN-Nov. Coup. Secret; Noforn; Operational Immediate. Repeated for information to CMDR MATS, CMDR SAC, CMDR PACAF, CMDR 13 AF Clark, CMDR 5 AF, Air AttachÉ Bangkok, Army AttachÉ Phnom Penh and Vientiane, CMDR WESTAF, CMDR 1503 ATW, CMDT 315 AD Tachikawa AB Japan.
223. Notes of a Telephone Conversation Between the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin) and the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Merchant), Washington, November 11, 1960, 2:15 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Transcribed by Sue S. Pakis, Merchant’s secretary.
224. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1260. Secret; Niact; Noforn. Received November 11 at 3:45 p.m. Repeated for information priority to Bangkok, Seoul, and CINCPAC PolAd; repeated also to Phnom Penh, Vietiane, London, Paris, Manila also to pass to Felt, New Delhi, Taipei, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Ottawa. Marked also for passage to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Department of the Army, the Director of Naval Intelligence, and the Air Force Chief of Intelligence.
225. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1260. Confidential; Niact. Received at 8:57 p.m. Repeated for information niact to Manila for passage to Felt and to CINCPAC PolAd; sent priority to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.
226. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McGarr) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt), at Manila
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Secret; Niact; Noforn. The Department of State information copy was received November 11, 9:42 p.m. Dispatached with date-time group 112021Z November. Sent also to CINCPAC, Honolulu; repeated for information to the Departments of State and Defense, JCS, CINCUSARPAC, CINCPACAF, the MAAG Chiefs in Cambodia, Taiwan, and Thailand, and the PEO Chief in Laos.
227. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McGarr) to the Commander, Pacific (Felt), at Manila
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1260. Confidential; Niact; Noforn. The Department of State’s information copy was received at 1:11 a.m. Sent also to CINCPAC Honolulu; repeated for information to the Departments of Defense and State, JCS, CINCUSARPAC, CINCPACFLT, CINCPACAF, the MAAG Chiefs in Cambodia, Thailand, and Taiwan, and the PEO Chief in Laos.
228. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1260. Secret; Niact. Received at 4:25 a.m. Repeated for information niact to Manila, priority to Bangkok for Felt, priority to Phnom Penh and Vientiane, and to CINCPAC PolAd. Passed to OSD and the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
229. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McCarr) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt), in Thailand
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 83. VN 1960—Attempted Coup d’fetat. Secret; Operational Immediate. Sent also to the Office of the Commander in Chief, Pacific, at Honolulu. Repeated for information to the Department of Defense, JCS, CINCPACREPHIL Manila, CINCUSARPAC, CINCPACAF, CHMAAG Cambodia, and CHPEO Laos.
230. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Secretary of Defense (Gates)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Papers: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Secret. Also printed in Department of Defense, United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1328–1329. Printed with that text is a covering note dated November 12 from Lansdale to Colonel Edwin F. Black, a Military Assistant to Douglas. The note reads: “Please pass to Secretary Douglas. Thought you would like to add your own comments.” A note by Black, dated November 16, reads: “Mr. Douglas, Concur. The sooner we get Brown and Durbrow out of S.E. Asia the better.” Copies of the memorandum went also to Lemnitzer and Irwin.
231. Telegram From the Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1260. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Wood, cleared by Cleveland, approved by Parsons. Repeated for information to CINCPAC for PolAd.
232. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1260. Secret. Received November 13, 3:14 p.m. Repeated for information to Manila, Bangkok (for Felt), Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and CINCPAC for PolAd. Sent with instructions to pass to the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
233. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McGarr) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt), in Thailand
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 83. VN 1960–Attempted Coup d’état. Secret; Priority; Noforn: Sent also to the Office of the Commander in Chief, Pacific, Honolulu, repeated for information to the Department of Defense, JCS, CINCPACREPHIL, CINCUSARPAC, CINCPACFLT, CINCPACAF, CHMAAG Cambodia, CHPEO Laos.
234. Telegram from the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McGarr) to the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Operations (Lansdale)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Papers: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Secret.
236. Memorandum Prepared by John S.D. Eisenhower, Assistant White House Staff Secretary
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Extract. Top Secret. Omitted are brief unrelated items reporting on developments in Laos, Iraq, France/Algeria, Turkey, and Guatemala.
237. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.OO/11–1560. Secret. Repeated for information to Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, and CINCPAC PolAd. Sent with instructions to pass to the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
238. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Douglas)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Papers: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Secret. Printed also in Department of Defense, United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1330–1331. A note on the source text, dated November 16, indicates that Douglas read the memorandum and planned to discuss it with Secretary Gates.
239. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1660. Official Use Only. Repeated for information to Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Tokyo, Hong Kong and CINCPAC PolAd.
240. Telegram From Jerome T. French of the Office of Special Operations, Department of Defense, to the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Papers: FRC 63 A 1803; Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Secret.