V. Special Financial Group Mission to Viet-Nam June 17-July 15, 1961


73. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 71 A 6489, Viet-1. Secret. Copies also sent to McNamara, Heinz, and Levy. The source text bears the stamped notation: “(SecDef has seen)”.


74. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt), to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Source: Department of State, G/PM Files: Lot 64 D 354. Top Secret; Priority. Repeated to the Departments of State and Defense and three military installations. The copy printed here is the one sent to the Department of State.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/6-2861. Secret; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd. Received at 3:17 a.m., June 28.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 7slK 5-MSP/6-2861 Secret; Niact. Drafted by Wood and Furst (ICA) and cleared with Heinz, Cottrell, B/FAC, FE, and ICA. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.


78. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 71 A 6489, Viet 091. Secret. Signed “Ed”. Copies also sent to McNamara, Heinz, and Levy.


79. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/~3061. Secret. Drafted by Ainsworth and initialed by McConaughy.


80. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Viet-Nam Task Force (Wood) to the Director of the Task Force (Cottrell)

Source: Department of State, Viet-Nam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, VN 1961 TF/10 thru 21. Secret.


82. Letter From the Acting Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316,NSAMs. Top Secret.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.oo/7-361. Secret; Priority. In telegram 12 to Saigon, July 4, the Department asked the Embassy to insert in the text an additional sentence-the second sentence in the fifth paragraph of text as printed here. (Ibid., 751K.00/7-461) In telegram 18 from Saigon, July 5, the Embassy referred to both telegrams 8 and 12 from the Department and reported that the President’s letter was delivered to Thuan that day, but since Diem was unavailable there was no reaction to report. (Ibid., 751K.00/7-561) No copy of the letter delivered on July 5 has been found.


85. Memorandum From the Director of the Viet-Nam Task Force (Cottrell) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (McConaughy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series Secret. Drafted by Cottrell and Wood. The source text is attached to a typewritten note of July 11 from Robert H. Johnson to Rostow, in which he wrote the text was a “bootleg copy” for Rostow’s private information pending receipt of a copy through regular channels. Johnson gave the following appraisal of the memorandum:


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/7-1061. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Cottrell and Wood, cleared with McConaughy, initialed by Cottrell for the Secretary, and repeated to CINCPAC.


88. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/7-1361. Secret. Initialed by Rostow.


89. Paper Prepared by the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series. Secret. Attached to a memorandum of July 13 from McGarr to Nolting, in which McGarr said he was commenting on specific military questions raised in telegram 38 to Saigon, July 10. (Document 87) Both the source text and the covering memorandum are apparently copies furnished Rostow who then passed them on to Taylor. In the margin of the covering memorandum is written the following note: “General Taylor. You will wish to read this. Walt.”


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1551K/7-1461. Secret; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.


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

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia-General. Secret.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/7-1461. Secret, Priority Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Vientiane, Bangkok, London, Geneva for FECON, Phnom Penh, and Paris.


93. Letter From the Vietnam and United States Special Financial Groups to Presidents Diem and Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia-Rostow Report Second Try. Secret. The attached report, along with this covering letter, are printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, pp. 182-209.


94. Paper Prepared by the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series, Regional Security Southeast Asia-Rostow Report Second Try. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that Lemnitzer accepted Taylor’s suggestions.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.15s1K/7-1661. Secret; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.