Office of the Historian

58. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)1

Washington, March 13, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Defoliation and Crop Destruction in South Vietnam

The President would like an up-to-date report on the results of defoliation and crop destruction carried out by the ARVN.

The report might contain brief statements on the following:

1.
Defoliation Activities. Number of miles of lines of communication cleared. Estimate of military effectiveness of the operations. Proposed plans for future operations.
2.
Crop Destruction. Location and number of acres of crops destroyed. Estimate of amount of food denied to Viet Cong. Evidence of significant military results. Future plans.
3.
Political Effects inside and outside South Vietnam. Reaction of local populace to defoliation and crop destruction operations. Estimate of success of psywar measures by ARVN. Description of international Communist propaganda and estimate of its effect on the United States posture before international opinion. Effectiveness of measures taken by the United States to counter adverse propaganda.
4.
Recommendations. Should the defoliation operations or crop destruction operations or both be suspended? Should any changes in the operations be made in the field either to improve their effectiveness or to minimize adverse political reaction? If it is desirable to continue or expand these operations, are there any additional propaganda measures which the United States should take to minimize adverse international reaction?

I would suggest, if you agree, that Ben Wood should try to coordinate the views of the JCS and Ed Murrow’s shop into a single paper for the President.2

Mike
  1. Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, POL 27-10 Chemical Warfare. 1963. Secret.↩
  2. Telegram 872 to Saigon, March 15, requested the Embassy to contribute a full report on defoliation and crop destruction programs to date for the draft response being prepared for the President. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 2/63-3/63)↩