Office of the Historian

256. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1

Saigon, August 2, 1964—9 p.m.

281. CINCPAC for POLAD. Ref Maddox incident, most important that we be authorized to give facts to GVN before Hanoi breaks story and falsified version is disseminated. Request official version to be used and, when determined, what action USG expects to take. Please indicate how much of this latter information can be passed to GVN.

As you are aware, operational radio traffic relating to this incident was in clear.

Taylor
  1. Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 72 D 219, DeSoto Patrols, August. Confidential; Flash. Repeated to CINCPAC. Received at 8:46 a.m.↩