X. Implementation of the Taylor Mission Report November 15-December 15, 1961


287. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.56311/11-2561. Top Secret; Priority. Drafted by Wood; cleared with William Bundy, U. Alexis Johnson, McConaughy, and Cottrell; and initialed by McConaughy for the Secretary. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.


288. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11-2861. Confidential; Niact. Drafted by Tubby; cleared by Tubby with Sylvester (Defense), Wilson (USIA), Salinger (White House), and Heavner; and signed by Tubby for the Secretary.


289. Telegram From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt), and the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, McNamara Files: FRC 71 A 3470, South Viet-Nam 1961-Taylor Recommendations. Top Secret; Priority. Time of transmission is not indicated on the source text. William Bundy’s draft of this telegram, which differs only slightly from the final version as sent, is in Department of State, Bundy Files, 1961 Chron.


290. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11 2861. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Wood, Heavner, and Horgan; cleared with Anderson (SEA) and Weil (SOA); and initialed by Weil for the Secretary. Repeated to Saigon, Geneva for FECON, and USUN.


291. Memorandum From the Director of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) to the Secretary of State

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series, Reports & Memos. Secret. Attached to a brief transmittal memorandum of November 29, from Battle to McGeorge Bundy. A handwritten note on the transmittal memorandum from Bromley Smith to Robert Johnson indicates that Taylor also had a copy of Hilsman’s memorandum.


292. Paper Prepared by Robert H. Johnson of the National Security Council Staff

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11-2561. Top Secret; Limited Distribution. A copy of this paper was attached to a memorandum of November 30 from Bagley to Taylor, which reads:


293. Letter From the Secretary of Defense’s Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to General Samuel T. Williams

Source: Hoover Institution Archives, Williams Papers, 1961 Letters. Handwritten by Lansdale.


294. Central Intelligence Agency Information Report

Source: USAMHI, Kraemer Papers, VN 61-63. Confidential; Noforn/Continued Control.


295. Central Intelligence Agency Information Report

Source: USAMHI, Kraemer Papers, VN 61 63. Confidential, Noforn/Continued Control.


296. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11-2961. Secret; Niact; Eyes Only. Repeated to Bangkok and CINCPAC for PolAd.


297. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Burma

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11-1461. Confidential. Repeated to Saigon. Previous drafts of the enclosed letter, one of which bears the handwritten notation “changed by White House 11/27/61,” are ibid., 751K.00/11-2261.


298. Letter From the Ambassador in Viet-Nam (Nolting) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)

Source: Department of State, Johnson Files, Official and Classified Letters. Confidential; Official-Informal.


299. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11-3061. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London and CINCPAC for PolAd.


301. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files:FRC 64 A 2382, Viet-Nam 1961-2 Dec. Top Secret. Copies sent to Gilpatric, Lemnitzer, and Wheeler.


302. Memorandum for the Record by the Public Affairs Officer in the Embassy in Viet-Nam (Anspacher)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 66 A 335, Press July-December 1961. Confidential. Attached to a memorandum of December 1 to Nolting, in which Anspacher wrote that the recent press campaign was the first one in his experience that had taken on such proportions.


303. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-161. Top Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Bangkok and CINCPAC for PolAd. Another copy of this telegram, which had been sent to the White House, was marked with the handwritten notation, “P[resident] has seen. Dec. 2.” (Kennedy Library, National Security File, Viet-Nam Country Series) Printed also in Declassified Documents, 1976, p. 211A.


304. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-261. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Vientiane, Paris, and London.


305. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 66 A 878, Box 309. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Bangkok and CINCPAC for PolAd.


306. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-461. Secret; Niact. Drafted by U. Alexis Johnson; cleared with Harriman, Rusk, and the President; and initialed by Johnson for Rusk. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd and Bangkok. The time of transmission is illegible on the source text.


307. Letter From the Ambassador in Viet-Nam (Nolting) to President Diem

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files FRC 66 A 878, POL US Foreign Policy. Secret. Drafted by Toussaint.


308. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-561. Secret; Niact, For Ambassador Nolting. Drafted by Cottrell, cleared with the President, and initialed by Cottrell for Rusk. The time of transmission is illegible on the source text.


309. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K 00/12-561. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Cottrell, cleared with Harriman and with McGeorge Bundy (in substance), and signed by Cottrell for the Secretary. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd and Bangkok.


310. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11-1261. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Chapman (TF/VN) on November 28; redrafted by U. Alexis Johnson on December 4; cleared with Cottrell, Salans, Cleveland, Anderson, and Cross (all SEA), McConaughy, Cleveland (IO), and the Secretary. Repeated to ten posts.


311. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to the President

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series. Secret.


312. Letter From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5811/12-761. Top Secret.


313. Telegram From the Embassy in India to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-761. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Saigon. Received in the Department at 3:32 a.m.


314. Telegram From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to the President, at Palm Beach

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-29-71. Top Secret; Priority. The President was staying at his father’s residence after addressing the delegates to the National Convention of the AFL-CIO in Miami earlier in the day.


316. Memorandum of a Conversation

Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 366, CF 2000. Secret. Drafted by Brown. There is no indication on the source text that it was approved by the Secretary. Rusk was in Paris to attend the NATO Ministerial meetings.