226. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 19 US–VIET S. Secret. Drafted by Leonard C. Meeker and Carl F. Salans of L, cleared by Norb Schlie of the Department of Justice and by William Bundy. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1983, 002145.

227. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. Secret. Drafted by Imhof and approved by Rusk. Copies were sent to William and McGeorge Bundy.

228. Letter From the President to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T–161–69. Confidential. Taylor was appointed Ambassador to Vietnam on July 1, arrived in Saigon on July 7, and presented his credentials on July 14. The White House copy of this letter is published in Declassified Documents, 1976, 219C.

229. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State. Central Files. POL 1 US–VIET S. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC.

230. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Mendenhall, cleared by William Bundy, and initialed and approved by Ball. Repeated to Ottawa.

231. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Rowan) to the President

Source: Johnson Library, White House Central Files, Confidential File, CO 312 Viet Nam. No classification marking.

232. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET S. Top Secret; Exdis.

233. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 19 US–VIET S. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to JCS and CINCPAC. McGeorge Bundy sent a copy of this cable to the President on July 16, under cover of a memorandum that reads as follows:

“This is a cable which I think Bob McNamara mentioned to you yesterday. The critical paragraph is the last one. I see some advantage in a careful build-up, carefully explained from every point of view, but we obviously cannot make decisions until we get more detailed accounts. Bob and I would expect this matter to be ready for discussion and decision sometime next week, but not before.” Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XIV, Memos)

234. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC, the Department of Defense, and CIA.

235. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the President

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XIII, Memos. No classification marking.

236. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 19 US–VIET S. Secret; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC, the White House, Department of Defense, and JCS.

237. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary of State Rusk’s Office, Department of State

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversations: Lot 65 D 330. Secret. Drafted by Imhof and approved by Rusk on August 10. Copies were sent to FE, EUR, WE, the White House, and the Embassy in Paris.

238. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Forrestal, cleared by William Bundy, and initialed and approved by Rusk. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1979, 91A.

239. Memorandum From the Secretary of State 1s Special Assistant for Vietnam (Forrestal) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XIV, Memos. Secret

240. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rostow) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199, Vietnam. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that Rusk saw the memorandum. Copies were also sent to Harriman, William Bundy, Hughes, and Llewellyn Thompson.

241. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 VIET N–VIET S. Secret; Flash; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC. Passed to the White House on receipt in the Department of State. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1979, 91B.

242. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 9–3 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Forrestal and cleared with William Bundy and McNaughton. Published in part in Declassified Documents, 1979, 91D.

243. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 VIET N–VIET S. Top Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated to CINCPAC. Received at 8:10 a.m. and passed to the White House. Also printed in Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, vol. 111, pp. 512–513.

244. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority, Exdis. Drafted by William Bundy and cleared by Forrestal and Harriman.

245. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Drafted by William Bundy and cleared by Forrestal, Manning, McGeorge Bundy, and Ball. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1979, 91C.

246. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) VIET S. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Forrestal, Poats, and Montgomery and cleared by William Bundy. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1978, 297A.

247. Research Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hughes) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, INR Files: Lot 81 D 343, Vietnam, INR Studies, 1964–1965. Secret.

248. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by McNaughton, cleared in draft with Wheeler and William Bundy, and initialed and approved by Forrestal. Repeated to Saigon. Also printed in Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, vol. 111, p. 514.

249. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Flash. Repeated to CINCPAC, the White House, and McNamara. McGeorge Bundy sent a copy of this cable to the President under cover of a memorandum, July 27, which reads as follows:

“We have just received this report of Max Taylor’s interview today with Khanh. Underneath is the outgoing which went to him after our Saturday meeting. The tickers are beginning to carry Khanh’s announcement of U.S. reinforcement, and for the moment Khanh’s positron seems somewhat strengthened. Nevertheless, the first paragraph of Taylor’s message shows that the underlying problem of Khanh’s mood persists.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File. Vol. XIV; regarding the Saturday meeting, see Document 246)

250. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated to Saigon. Passed to the White House, Department of Defense, and CIA on receipt in the Department of State. Also printed in Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, vol. 111, pp. 515–517.

251. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to Vientiane.

252. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 69 A 7425, Vietnam 381. Top Secret. Notes on the source text indicate that Vance and McNamara saw this memorandum. A copy in the Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Meetings, Vol. 11, Tab 9, indicates that McGeorge Bundy saw it.

253. Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (McCone) to the President

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XIV, CIA. Top Secret; Sensitive.

254. Memorandum From the Secretary of State 1s Special Assistant for Vietnam (Forrestal) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Exdis. The source text bears Rusk’s initials. A copy was sent to William Bundy.