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.
91. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, October 2, 1959
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/10–259. Confidential. Drafted by Wood.
92. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.171/10–1059. Secret. Repeated for information to CINCPAC PolAd.
93. Letter From the Consul in Hue (Heavner) to the Deputy Chief of Mission in Vietnam (Elting)
Source: Department of State, Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 65 F 115, Political Subdivisions, Hue, 1959. Secret; Official–Informal.
94. Despatch From the Consul in Hue (Heavner) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.11/11–959. Secret; Limited Distribution.
96. Memorandum of a Conversation, Saigon, November 21, 1959, 9–11 a-m.
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, 119. Drafted November 23. The source text bears no indication of authorship, but the format indicates preparation by a member of the MAAG, who may also have served as interpreter.
97. Despatch From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.90/12–759. Secret. Drafted by Mendenhall, Paul E. Carr, and William E. Colby. For Colby’s account of his duty in Vietnam, see William Colby, Honorable Men, My Life in the CIA (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978), pp. 141–179.
98. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Anderson) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Parsons)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, MAAG–TERM 1959. Secret. Drafted by Wood.
99. Memorandum of a Conversation Between Senator Mike Mansfield and the Under Secretary of State (Dillon), Department of State, Washington, December 18, 1959
Source: Department of State, Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 65 F 115, 362 Legislative Branch. Confidential. Drafted by Dillon. Attached to a letter from Parsons to Durbrow, January 27, 1960, not printed.
100. Letter From the Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Anderson) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, MAAG—TERM. Secret; Official–Informal. Drafted by Wood and cleared by Usher.
101. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/12–2459. Secret. Paragraph 1 of this telegram and its subsections follow closely in substance Mendenhall’s memorandum of a presentation made by the Ambassador on the Vietnamese military budget at a Country Team meeting held on November 14. (Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Memoranda to and from Ambassador 1959)
102. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Douglas)
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Lansdale 1960 (136). Top Secret. Attached to the letter cited in footnote 3, Document 113.
103. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Office of the Secretary of Defense
Source: National Archives and Records Services, JCS Records, CCS 99, 9155.3/4060 (15 Feb 60). Secret. Repeated for information to JCS, DA, CINCUSARPAC, CHMAAG Vietnam, and the Embassy in Vietnam.
104. Despatch From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/2–1660. Secret. Copies of this despatch were sent to CINCPAC PolAd, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Bangkok, and Hue.
105. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/2–1860. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Repeated for information to CINCPAC PolAd.
106. 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, FRC 63 A 1803: Lansdale Papers, Vietnam Correspondence 1960. Confidential. Sensitive.
108. Despatch From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/2–2760. Secret. Drafted by Durbrow and William B. Grant, Second Secretary and political officer at the Embassy. Sent also to CINCPAC PolAd, Hue, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Vietiane.
109. Letter From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams) to the Assistant Secretary of State for National Defense of the Republic of Vietnam (Dung)
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Memoranda to Ambassador 1960 (77). This letter is enclosure 4 to Document 167.
111. Despatch From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/3–260. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Grant and Durbrow. Sent also to Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Bangkok, and CINCPAC PolAd. A note in an unknown hand on the source text reads: “Read by FE—Mr. Steeves.”
112. Despatch From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/3–760. Secret; Noforn. Drafted by Mendenhall; James T. Rousseau, Second Secretary of Embassy; and Andrew J. Fink III, Second Secretary of Embassy. Sent also to CINCPAC PolAd, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Bangkok, and Hue. This despatch and its enclosure are also printed in United Slates-Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1254–1276.
113. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams) to the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale)
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Lansdale. Secret; Operational Immediate; Noforn. This telegram is not numbered.
114. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/3–1060. Secret. Repeated for information to Manila for Durbrow at the U.S. Far Eastern Chiefs of Mission Conference at Baguio, to Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Bangkok, and CINCPAC PolAd.
115. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin)
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, TWXs 1960 (71). Confidential; Priority. Repeated for information to Chief MAAG in Vietnam and to JCS.
116. Telegram From the Chargé in Vietnam (Cunningham) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/3–1660. Secret. Repeated for information to Manila for Durbrow. Sent with instructions to pass to the Department of the Army for the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence.
117. Letter From the Acting Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs (Usher) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 100. VN 1960, Internal Security. Secret; Official–Informal. Drafted by Wood and cleared by Cleveland.
118. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5–MSP/3–1660. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Wood, cleared with DOD/ISA, SOA, BNA, and SEA; approved by Steeves. Sent also priority to New Delhi and to Ottawa and London; repeated for information to CINCPAC for PolAd and to Manila priority for Durbrow and Parsons.
119. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Deputy Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Douglas)
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Lansdale i960 (136). Secret. This document is an attachment to the letter cited in footnote 3, Document 113.
120. Memorandum of a Conversation, The Pentagon, Washington, March 18, 1960
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 101. VN 1960—Internal Security. Secret. Drafted by Flesch on March 25. A copy of this memorandum is also in Washington National Records Center, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 64 A 2170, 092 Vietnam.