I. Reorganization of the U.S. Military Command Structure in Vietnam, January 1-February 8, 1963
31. Memorandum of Conversation Between Dr. Wesley Fishel of Michigan State University and the Counselor of Embassy in Vietnam (Mendenhall), Saigon, January 23, 1962
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 14. GVN 1962, Political Situation, General. Confidential. Drafted by Mendenhall on January 24.
32. Letter From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/1-2462. Secret. Drafted by Johnson; a copy was sent to General Taylor.
33. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/1-2462. Secret Priority; Eyes Only.
35. Draft Memorandum by the Assistant to the Director for Regional Affairs (Far East), Office of International Security Affairs, Department of Defense (Kent)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Files: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam . Secret. No addressee indicated. Attached to the source text was a note from Kent to Lansdale stating that Haydn Williams, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Regional Affairs), had requested the paper and asking for Lansdaleʼs comments on the draft.
36. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/1-2762. Secret; Priority; Eyes Only.
37. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defenseʼs Assistant for Special Operations (Lansdale) to the Assistant to the Director for Regional Affairs (Far East), Office of International Security Affairs, Department of Defense (Kent)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Files: FRC 63 A 1803, Vietnam #5. Secret.
38. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/1-2962. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.
39. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 71 A 6489 Sensitive 7-61. Top Secret. Secretary McNamara also received a copy.
40. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/2-162. Top Secret, Niact, No Distribution; Eyes Only for the Ambassador. Drafted and approved by U. Alexis Johnson and cleared with Manfull.
41. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series. Secret. A memorandum of February 2 from Harriman through Johnson to Rusk recommended that Rusk concur in the Department of Defense plan. (Department of State, Central Files, 951K.8158/2-262) According to a note on the source text, it was approved by McNamara and Rusk on February 2 and sent to Taylor. A memorandum of February 5 from Bromley Smith to McNamara indicates that President Kennedy approved the recommendation. (Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542, Vietnam 1962, 370164) Listed as an attachment to the memorandum, but not found attached to the source text, was a map showing the areas contemplated for defoliation.
42. Paper Prepared by the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman)
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Reports and Memos, 1/62-2/62. Secret. Attached to the source text were a cover sheet, indicating that the original had gone to General Taylor; a transmittal memorandum from Hilsman to Taylor, in his capacity as chairman of the Special Group (CI), stating that the paper had been prepared as requested by Taylor and the President; and a table of contents. The table of contents indicates that maps, not found attached to the source text, were included with the original. At the Presidentʼs behest Hilsman attended the Secretary of Defenseʼs Conference at Honolulu on January 15, then went on to Saigon with Nolting to begin an inspection tour of South Vietnam. This report was based on that tour. Hilsman spent the latter half of January in Vietnam. Regarding the background of his visit, see Hilsman, To Move a Nation, p. 427.
43. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McGarr) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt)
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series. Top Secret. Repeated to the JCS, which was requested to pass it to the Vietnam Task Force This telegram was also passed to the White House. A handwritten note at the top of the source text reads: “Bundy—See last para.”
44. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/2-362. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated CINCPAC for Polad.
45. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/2-362. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. At the top, in Woodʼs handwriting, were the words: “Cot[trell]—good news.”
47. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group Vietnam (McGarr)
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Secret. Repeated to the JCS; Ft. Ritchie, Maryland; Hickam Air Force Base for PACAF; CINCPACFLT; and CINCUSARPAC.
48. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 951K.6211/2-662. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad and to the Department of Defense.
49. Memorandum From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric) to the Presidentʼs Military Representative (Taylor)
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-142-69. Top Secret. Transmitted under cover of a February 6 memorandum from Gilpatric to Taylor stating that the Department of Defense was submitting a draft of the events at Binh Hoa that differed from that submitted by Roger Hilsman in Document 42. On the transmittal memorandum was the penciled notation in Taylorʼs hand: “Report to HA 8 Feb ’62.” Another copy of the memorandum in Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 71 A 6489, Sensitive 7-61, includes a covering memorandum from Lansdale to Gilpatric recommending that Gilpatric forward the paper to Taylor.
51. Draft Paper by the Head of the British Advisory Mission in Vietnam (Thompson)
Source: Kennedy Library, Hilsman Papers, Vietnam, 1/62-2/62. Secret. Sent to Hilsman under an undated memorandum for J.B. Denson of the British Embassy in Washington. At the top of Densonʼs transmittal memorandum is written in pencil: “For 6 p.m. appt 2/7/62.” No record of a meeting between Hilsman and anybody at that time has been found.
52. Telegram From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt)
Source: National Defense University, Lemnitzer Papers, 1962, Folder 24. Secret; Priority.
53. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (McGarr)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 334, MAC/V Files: FRC 69 A 702, Organization and Planning Files (1963). Secret. Also sent to DEPCINCUSARPAC and repeated to all commands and representatives under CINCPAC. It repeats a message to all concerned parties sent by JCS to CINCPAC.