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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/6–2158. Secret. Drafted by Mendenhall. Cleared by Kocher and by OSD in substance, and approved by Palmer. Repeated for information to CINCPAC.

32. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 62 A 1698, 324.5 Vietnam. Secret.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/9–3058. Secret; Priority. Drafted by James T. Rousseau, Second Secretary and political officer at the Embassy. Copies pouched to Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Bangkok, Hue, CINCPAC, and CINCPAC PolAd.

34. Letter From the Acting Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Arneson) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow)

Source: Department of State, FE Files: Lot 60 D 90, Durbrow. Secret; Official–Informal. Drafted by Mendenhall on September 26. Cleared with SEA and Parsons.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 851G.00A/10–358. Secret. Repeated for information to CINCPAC PolAd, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.

36. Letter From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Kocher)

Source: Department of State, Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 65 F 98, 350.1 Vietnam 1956–58. Secret; Official–Informal.

37. Memorandum of a Conversation, the President’s Palace, Saigon, October 29, 1958

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, Jet Aircraft. Secret. Drafted by Elting.

38. Despatch From the Chargé in Vietnam (Elting) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/10–3158. Secret. Drafted by Durbrow.

39. Memorandum of a Conversation, Seattle, November 11, 1958, 3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 63 D 123, CF 123. Confidential. Drafted by Parsons on November 12.

Dulles headed the U.S. Delegation to the Colombo Plan Ministerial meeting in Seattle, Washington, November 10–13.

40. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 17–18, 1958

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/11–1758. Confidential. Drafted by Mendenhall.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5622/12–558. Repeated for information to CINCPAC for PolAd.

42. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Chargé in Vietnam (Elting) and President Diem’s Adviser (Ladejinsky), Saigon, December 12, 1958

Source: Department of State, Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 62 F 52, 361.3 1956–58. Secret. Elting sent a copy of this memorandum of conversation to Kocher under cover of an official-informal letter, December 12, which reads as follows: “I enclose a copy of my memorandum of conversation with Wolf Ladejinsky upon his return from the United States. You and Secretary Robertson and Jeff and everyone else certainly did a terrific job in getting over your ideas, and I can’t tell you how useful it is going to be to have Wolf so completely convinced of the correctness of the facts as we believe them to be. There’s no question about it, he has great influence with the President and he will now speak with the authority of a person who has been received with open arms and taken into the bosom of the family, so to speak. “I don’t know what you all did to him, but Wolf certainly has stars in his eyes now. We will keep you informed in detail as the story unfolds.”

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

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, Tan son Nhut Airport. Secret; Official–Informal; Limited Distribution. Drafted with the concurrence of Williams and Burrows.

44. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 62 A 1698, 451.2 Vietnam. Secret.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.07/12–2258. Confidential. Drafted by Calvin E. Mehlert, former Second Secretary of Embassy, and Thomas D. Bowie, Counselor for Political Affairs, with numerous contributions from officers in other U.S. agencies in Saigon.

46. Despatch From the Ambassador in France (Houghton) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/12–3158. Secret; Limit Distribution; Noforn. Drafted by Robert E. Barbour, Second Secretary and Political Officer. Copy pouched to Saigon.

47. Paper Prepared by the Operations Coordinating Board

Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Vietnam. Secret. The OCB Working Group on Southeast Asia prepared this plan, much of which was identical or substantively similar to the plan of June 4, 1958, Document 17, which it superseded. Therefore only those numbered sections which contain important differences are printed here.

The plan was discussed at OCB meetings of December 31, 1958, and January 7, 1959, and approved for implementation by responsible agencies at the latter meeting. Also discussed at these OCB meetings was an OCB Progress Report on NSC 5809, “U.S. Policy On Mainland Southeast Asia,” also approved January 7. (Ibid., S/P–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1, NSC 5809 Series) The OCB Progress Report of January 7 is printed in Department of Defense, United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1156–1189. These two papers served as a basis for a general discussion on Vietnam which, according to notes by O’Connor dated December 31, went as follows:

“The Board then turned to the problem of internal security in Viet-Nam and the Civil Guard program to meet it proposed by the Ambassador and the U.S. agencies in Saigon. Mr. Irwin (Defense) reviewed the background. He said Defense was in favor of utilizing funds presently available for strengthening the Civil Guard. Mr. Herter thought we should move ahead rapidly and get a decision. Mr. Saccio (ICA) said he was sure a decision would be taken soon on the Civil Guard program by Mr. Dillon and Mr. Smith. Defense would be represented and the current OCB examination of the Overseas Internal Security Program would be borne in mind. Mr. Gray said he hoped the ‘constant review’ of the force level in Viet-Nam would be a serious study of the total security requirements. A Defense specialist said the increase in the force level in North Viet-Nam would be the most important factor in the review of weaponry, force levels, training and U.S. capabilities. Mr. Saccio reminded the Board that there were strong views within the Government that the U.S. should emphasize economic and not military assistance to countries such as Viet-Nam.” (Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Preliminary Notes III) Leonard J. Saccio was Deputy Director of ICA.

The discussion was next continued at the OCB meeting of January 7:

“The draft Minute of the last meeting noted that the Department of Defense is studying the Vietnamese armed forces to evaluate their ability to resist external aggression and that the study will also consider other factors relative to the level of forces. Mr. Gray of the White House said his impression was that the study would specifically cover the use and need of the Civil Guard, particularly as to whether it could be used to effect a reduction of military forces.

“The Defense representative said that the study which has been under way for some time covers Southeast Asia generally and is targeted on abilities of the nations to counter overt external attacks. Mr. Saccio, ICA, said that Under Secretary Dillon and Mr. Smith (ICA) would discuss the Civil Guard on the coming Friday [January 9] and would also consider the CIA views on the significance of the Civil Guard in Viet-Nam. He also said that while ICA is agreeable to a program for the Civil Guard in 1959, a thorough examination should be given to the full program which will extend beyond 1959. Governor Herter reminded Mr. Saccio of the immediate availability of more than $3 million for the Civil Guard.” (Ibid., OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Preliminary Notes IV)

48. Memorandum From the Assistant to the Regional Director, Far East (Evans) to the Regional Director, Far East (O’Donnell) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 1672, 452.1 Vietnam. Secret.

49. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, January 8, 1959

Source: Department of State, FE Files: Lot 61 D 6, MC Miscellaneous. Confidential. Drafted on January 9 by Mendenhall.

50. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Dillon)

Source: Department of State, FE Files: Lot 61 D 6, Vietnam. Secret. Drafted by Mendenhall with clearances from SEA and FE.

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

Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Memoranda to and from Ambassador 1959. Secret.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 851G.501/1–1659. Secret. Drafted by Mendenhall, M.J. Fox, and Theo E. Hall, the latter two of ICA. Cleared by ICA, the Department of Defense, and W/MSC in draft; cleared by SEA and approved by Palmer. Repeated for information to CINCPAC.

53. Editorial Note

54. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Kocher) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, ICC Vietnam. Secret. Drafted by Mendenhall with clearances from SEA, FE, L/FE, BNA, WE, and SOA.

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

Source: Department of State, FE Files: Lot 61 D 6, Durbrow. Secret; Official–Informal; Limit Distribution.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/3–259. Secret; Limited Distribution. Drafted by Chalmers B. Wood, Second Secretary and political officer at the Embassy.

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

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 21–VN 1960—Embassy Saigon Personnel Matters. Limited Official Use; Official–Informal. This letter is an attachment to a memorandum from Kocher to Parsons, March 19, not printed.

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

Source: Department of State, FE Files: Lot 61 D 6, Durbrow. Secret; Official–Informal. Drafted by Mendenhall on March 2.

59. Letter From the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Kocher) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow)

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, Jet Aircraft. Secret; Official–Informal. Drafted by Mendenhall and cleared by Jenkins.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/3–2859. Secret; Limit Distribution.