Office of the Historian

263. National Security Action Memorandum No. 1781

Washington, August 9, 1962.

TO

  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of Defense

SUBJECT

  • Destruction of Mangrove Swamps in South Vietnam

The President approved today the recommendation for initiation of an operational herbicide program for nine selected portions of the delta area of South Vietnam contained in the memorandum from the [Page 587] Secretary of Defense dated August 1, 1962 (SecDef Control No. 4654).2

The Presidentʼs approval is limited to the herbicide operation described in the above-mentioned memorandum, and he has asked that every effort be made to avoid accidental destruction of the food crops in the areas to be sprayed.

The President also desires to have a report on the results of this operation as soon as they can be evaluated.

McGeorge Bundy
  1. Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAMs. Secret. A copy was sent to the Director of Central Intelligence.↩
  2. Document 254.↩