Office of the Historian

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

Saigon, August 7, 1964—noon.

332. For Rusk from Taylor. DOD for McNamara, White House for Bundy. As you are aware, we have suspended actions under Operations Plan 34–A in order to avoid confusing signals associated with recent events in the Gulf of Tonkin. The JCS has now asked CINCPAC to recommend a date for the resumption of these actions. From a military point of view, maritime operations could be resumed about Aug 10. Air operations, which depend upon the moon phase, could be scheduled to begin Aug 17.

From this perspective, I cannot judge the total political consequences which might result from resumption of these actions at an early date. In general, I would expect that, unless the DRV obtains jet fighters in the near future, air operations, which are principally resupply drops and propaganda leaflets drops could be resumed with the moon phase on Aug 17. However the maritime operations, which include two or three bombardments from ship to shore, as well as junk captures, could adversely interfere with action underway in the Security Council and elsewhere. I therefore hesitate to concur in any recommendation by MACV to CINCPAC that these maritime operations recommence as early as Aug 10 without knowing Washington’s planning in the larger political arena.

On the other hand, it is my conviction that we must resume these operations and continue their pressure on North Vietnam as soon as possible, leaving no impression that we or the South Vietnamese have been deterred from our operations because of the Tonkin Gulf incidents. I would therefore appreciate your collective guidance in the light of the circumstances which you can perceive from the Washington perspective. Since the boats employed in the maritime operations [Page 647] have been dispersed and should be reassembled at their main base as soon as possible, I would appreciate an early response.2

Taylor
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Exdis. Also sent to the Department of Defense and the White House. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Sullivan and signed for Taylor by Johnson. (Ibid., Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 68 F 8)↩
  2. The Embassy in Saigon was informed later on August 7 that further OPLAN 34A operations should be held off pending review of the situation in Washington. (Telegram 379; ibid., Central Files. POL 27 VIET S)↩