VII. United States and Vietnamese Government Response to Increased Viet Cong Activity September-October 1961
127. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/9-561. Official Use Only; Priority. Repeated to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, CINCPAC for PolAd, London, Paris, and Geneva for FECON. The Department of State was also asked to pass a copy to ACSI.
128. Memorandum From Robert H. Johnson of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow)
Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 67 D 548, R. Johnson Chron. Secret.
129. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/9-661. Confidential.
130. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt)
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series, Secret; Priority. Repeated to JCS, JACE AJCC, CINCUSARPAC, and ASCI DA.
131. 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.
133. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/9-1861. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution-Noforn. Repeated to USUN for the Secretary, Rangoon, Paris, London, Bangkok, New Delhi, Vientiane, Geneva for FECON, Phnom Penh, Ottawa, and Moscow.
134. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to the President
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-625-71. Confidential. A handwritten notation in the margin reads: “Read by HA [Higher Authority?] 19 Sept 61. MDT.”
135. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K 00/9-2061. Confidential. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Vientiane, London, and Paris. The Department was asked to pass a copy to ACSI.
136. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/9-2261. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Wood, cleared with Haydn Williams, Cottrell, McConaughy, U. Alexis Johnson, and G/PM, initialed by Cottrell for the Acting Secretary, and repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.
138. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/9-2661. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Bangkok, Vientiane, and Phnom Penh. The Department of State was also asked to pass a copy to ACSI.
139. Memorandum From William J. Jorden of the Policy Planning Council to the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-016-69. Confidential. Also transmitted to the White House under cover of a memorandum from Battle to M. Bundy dated October 4, in which Battle wrote that copies of the memorandum were being sent to U. Alexis Johnson, McGhee, McConaughy, and the Operations Center for the Viet-Nam Task Force. Battle also stated that the “information and opinions in this memorandum have been cleared in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs but are personal observations and do not necessarily represent Departmental policy.”
140. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)
Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAMs. Secret. Initialed by Rostow.
142. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.51K7/10-161. Secret; Niact. Repeated to Bangkok, Vientiane, CINCPAC for PolAd, London, Paris, Geneva for FECON, Phnom Penh, Ottawa, and New Delhi. Also printed in Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, vol. II, pp. 649-650.
143. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/10-261. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.
144. Memorandum for the Record by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Department of State, Bundy Files, 1961 Chron. Secret. Copies were sent to Parker, Nitze, Rowen, Williams, and the Coordination Staff.
145. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Bowles) to the Secretary of State
Source: Kennedy Library, Schlesinger Papers, Chester Bowles. Secret. A copy of this memorandum was sent by Bowles to Schlesinger under cover of a memorandum of October 7, in which Bowles wrote that the memorandum had so far produced “a relatively negative reaction” at the Department of State and was only a summary of his private views. Bowles told Schlesinger that unless a political settlement was worked out early enough, he thought the United States might be forced to choose between “a major commitment of U.S. troops, with a rapid and disadvantageous escalation, or a precipitous retreat.” (Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/ 10-761) The same day Bowles also sent a copy of the memorandum and a similar covering memorandum to Adlai Stevenson, in which he wrote that the general response to his proposal, “as might be assumed, was a negative one, although George Ball and Averell were in agreement with me.” (Ibid.)
146. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Nitze) to the Secretary of the Navy (Connally)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5411/10-961. Secret.
147. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/10-661. Secret; Niact; Eyes Only Secretary.
148. Diary Entry by the Chief of Naval Operations (Anderson)
Source: Naval Historical Center, Anderson Papers, Diary. Top Secret.
149. Memorandum From the Chief of Naval Operations (Anderson) to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5411/10-961. Secret. A copy was also sent to the Secretary of the Navy. The source text was an attachment to a covering memorandum of the same date from Nitze to Rusk.
150. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 71 A 6489, Viet-1. Top Secret. Received in the Office of the Secretary of Defense on October 9. Also printed, with minor deletions, in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, pp. 297-299.
152. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/10-1061. Secret; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd. The Department was also asked to pass a copy to ACSI.
153. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 851K.49/10-1161. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok. Received at 10:03 a.m.
154. Memorandum From the President’s Military Adviser (Taylor) to the President
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-625-71. Top Secret. No drafting information is given on the source text.
155. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia General. Top Secret. The source text and three attached papers were sent to McGeorge Bundy under cover of a memorandum of October 11, signed by W.G. Brubeck of the Department of State’s Executive Secretariat on behalf of Executive Secretary Lucius D. Battle, explaining that the papers were to be discussed at the meeting on Southeast Asia at 10:45 a.m. that day. The paper entitled “Concept for Intervention in Laos” (SEATO Plan 5 Plus) (Tab A) is not printed. Tab C, Plan for Intervention in Vietnam, is printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, pp. 300-311.
156. Memorandum for the Record by the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ISA Files: FRC 64 A 2382, Vietnam-2 Jan.-Oct. 1961. Top Secret. Drafted by Gilpatric. A note on the source text indicates that a copy was sent to Lansdale. Also printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, pp. 322-323.