347. Editorial Note
Before dawn on September 13, military units led by former Minister of the Interior General Lam Van Phat and the Commander of the IV Corps, General Duong Van Duc, began to occupy strategic points in Saigon. At 10:35 a.m., U. Alexis Johnson reported that a “major military power play” was in progress. (MACJ–312 9613; Washington National Records Center, RG 319, HQDA Message Center, Reel 11925) At 10:49 a.m., Johnson reported that he had ordered all Americans off the streets, that he was at the MACV command center with Westmoreland, and that Phat was announcing that he had executed a bloodless coup. (MACJ–312 9615; ibid.)
At 12:45 a.m. (11:45 p.m. Washington time), September 12, Rusk, Ball, and William Bundy began a teletype conference with Johnson to assess the situation. Johnson reported that Khanh, who was at Dalat, had asked if MACV could help with a counter plan and whether the United States would send Marines ashore if requested. Everyone in Washington and Saigon agreed that negative answers should be given to these questions. By the end of the conference, over 2 hours later, Johnson agreed to send Sullivan and General Stilwell to Dalat to find out what Khanh was doing, while he saw General “Big” Minh to see where he stood on the coup. At no time during the conference was recognition of Phat and Duc considered. (Telecon 13/0445Z; Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XVII, Memos) For other accounts of these events, see Johnson, Right Hand of Power, pages 414–415; Sullivan, Obbligato, pages 199–202; and Ky, Twenty Years, pages 49–50.