Office of the Historian

70. Memorandum From the Acting Secretary of Defense (Shuff) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff1

I–13132/9
Washington, May 2, 1959

SUBJECT

  • Airfields for Viet-Nam (U)

Reference is made to memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the Secretary of Defense (JCSM–97–59) dated 19 March 1959,2 subject as above.

On December 30, 1958, the Department of Defense informed the Department of State3 of a United States military requirement for a second jet airfield in Viet-Nam and subsequently informed the Department of State of the desirability of utilizing Tourane for this facility. The Department of State was requested to initiate appropriate action with the International Cooperation Administration to secure the completion at the earliest practical date of the strip at Tan Son Nhut and the programming by the ICA of the second airstrip.

On April 24, 1959, the Department of State responded,4 stating that the completion of the new runway at Tan Sun Nhut could be expected in March 1961, but that ICA would not be justified in diverting available funds for the Tourane strip. The latter suggests that if the necessary funds can be provided from the Department of Defense, it would appear practical to have much funds transferred to the International Cooperation Administration for the actual construction project. A copy of this letter is attached.

In view of the fact that the provisions of the Geneva Accords preclude the utilization of funds of the military departments, it would appear that Military Assistance Program funds are the only ones available to the Defense Department for transfer to ICA for this project. The views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are requested as to whether this project is of high enough priority to warrant the diversion of funds from projects already approved for FY 1960 and, if so, which projects should be either abandoned or deferred.5 In the event [Page 193] that the Joint Chiefs of Staff hold the opinion that the second airstrip can be deferred to FY 1961 or a later year, this project if of sufficient priority should be included in the JCS recommended list of projects for military assistance funding in FY 1961 or a subsequent year.

Charles H. Shuff
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 1672, 686 Vietnam. Secret.↩
  2. For text, see United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, p. 1184. A copy is also in Washington National Records Center, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 1672, 686 Vietnam.↩
  3. See footnote 3, Document 43.↩
  4. Document 67.↩

  5. The Joint Chiefs of Staff responded in a memorandum for the Secretary of Defense, JCSM–220–59, June 11, as follows:

    • “1. Reference is made to a memorandum by the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense (ISA), dated 2 May 1959, requesting the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding the relative priority to warrant the diversion of funds to the improvement of the jet facility at Tourane, Vietnam.
    • “2. While the requirement still exists for a second jet facility in Vietnam, diversions of MAP funds for the development of Tourane at this time would be at the expense of higher priority projects already approved for FY 60.
    • “3. The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend that no FY 60 MAP funds be diverted for improvement of the jet facility at Tourane, Vietnam, and that it be considered for programming in FY 1961 or a later year,’(Washington National Records Center, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 1672, 686 Vietnam)

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