Office of the Historian

475. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam1

Washington, December 29, 1964—5:36 p.m.

1365. Highest levels today2 reached negative decision on proposal your 19753 for reprisal action for BOQ bombing. We will be [Page 1053] sending fuller statement of reasoning and considerations affecting future actions, after Secretary’s return from Texas tonight.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis; Ivory. Drafted by William Bundy, cleared with Bromley Smith, and initialed by Ball. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, CINCPAC, Bangkok, and Vientiane.↩
  2. Secretary Rusk left Washington at 9 a.m. for the Texas White House to discuss Vietnam and other topics with the President and McGeorge Bundy. (Johnson Library, Rusk Appointment Book) No record of the meeting has been found.↩
  3. Document 472.↩