Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume II, Vietnam, 1962

17. Terms of Reference for the Senior United States Military Commander in Vietnam¹

Washington, January 12, 1962.

1. The preservation of the independence of South Viet-Nam in the face of Communist attempts to take control of South Viet-Nam requires that all arms and agencies of U.S. policy operate in relation to each other and to the Government of Viet-Nam in intimate and effective coordination. To assure such coordination, the representatives of the various U.S. agencies in Saigon will continue to operate as a unified Task Force under the chairmanship and overall direction of the Ambassador.

2. Within this concept, the Senior U.S. Military Commander in South Viet-Nam will have the responsibility for all U.S. military policy, operations and assistance in that country, and the authority to discuss both the U.S. and Vietnamese military operations directly with the President of Viet-Nam and the leaders of the GVN. The Senior U.S. Military Commander will also furnish advice to the GVN on matters relative to maintaining internal security in South Viet-Nam and to the organization and employment of the RVNAF or other paramilitary forces.

3. The Senior U.S. Military Commander will have the title “Commander, U.S. Military Assistance Command—Viet-Nam”.

4. The Senior U.S. Military Commander will have direct access to CINCPAC and, through him, to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense.

5. The U.S. Ambassador, who as representative of the President is the senior U.S. representative in Viet-Nam, will be kept apprised by the Senior U.S. military commander, in advance, of plans in the military field, in order to assure proper coordination of U.S. activities and advice vis-à-vis the GVN. In case of differences of view, any member of the Task Force would be free to communicate such differences to Washington for decision in accordance with already-existing procedures.

6. While the Ambassador and the senior military commander will keep each other, and where pertinent other members of the Task Force, fully informed on all high-level contacts with the GVN and on major political and military plans, the operational command of U.S. military personnel will be the direct responsibility of the senior U.S. military commander.

1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, McNamara Files: FRC 71 A 3470, South Vietnam 1961: Taylor Recommendations, Command. Secret. A covering note on White House letterhead, dated January 12, indicates that the revised terms of reference were transmitted to McNamara from General Taylor. The revision may have been the paper handed to Taylor by President Kennedy during the meeting with Nolting, Harriman, and Taylor by January 12. (See footnote 2, Document 14) Also on January 12, presumably in response to directions by Harriman acting on the Presidentʼs instructions for revision, draft terms of reference were prepared in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs for use in a meeting with Secretary Rusk on January 13. (Washington National Records Center, RG 330, McNamara Files: FRC 71 A 3470, South Vietnam 1961, Taylor Recommendations, Command) These were sent to Secretary McNamara in a letter of January 13 from Secretary Rusk. The changes made by the Department of State in the original terms of reference approved by President Kennedy on January 3 were less extensive than those in the version printed here, consisting only of the addition of the first paragraph, as printed here, and not including any of the changes made here in the fifth and sixth paragraphs (see Document 9).