Office of the Historian

List of Sources

Unpublished Sources

  • Department of State
    1.

    Subject-Numeric Indexed Central Files. In February 1963, the Department changed its decimal central files to a subject-numeric central file system. The subject-numeric system was divided into broad categories: Administration, Consular, Culture and Information, Economic, Political and Defense, Science, and Social. Within each of these divisions were subcategories. For example, Political and Defense contained four subtopics: POL (politics), DEF (defense), CSM (communism), and INT (intelligence). Numerical subdivisions further defined them.

    The following were the most important files used in this volume:

    • POL 1 FR–VIET S, general policy, France-South Vietnam
    • POL 1 US–VIET, general policy, U.S.-Vietnam
    • POL 1 US–VIET S, general policy, U.S.-South Vietnam
    • POL 1 VIET N–VIET S, general policy, North Vietnam-South Vietnam
    • POL 1–1 VIET S, development and coordination of future policies
    • POL 7 US (LODGE), visits of Ambassador Lodge
    • POL 8 CAMB, neutralism and non-alignment of Cambodia
    • POL 13 VIET S, non-party blocs
    • POL 13–2 VIET S, students and youth groups
    • POL 15 VIET S, government
    • POL 15–1 VIET S, head of government/Executive branch
    • POL 15–1 US/Johnson, Executive branch, President Johnson
    • POL 15–4 VIET S, administration of government
    • POL 16 CHICOM, recognition of the People’s Republic of China
    • POL 16 VIET S, recognition
    • POL 27 LAOS, military operations, Laos
    • POL 17 CHINA–VIET S, diplomatic representation, China-South Vietnam
    • POL 17–5 US–VIET S, diplomatic representation, changes in status, U.S.-South Vietnam
    • POL 23 VIET S, internal security and counterinsurgency
    • POL 23–7 VIET S, infiltration and subversion
    • POL 23–8 VIET S, demonstrations, protests and riots
    • POL 23–9 VIET S, rebellions and coups
    • POL 27 VIET S, military operations
    • POL 27–3 LAOS–VIET N, use of force in Laos against North Vietnam
    • POL 27–14 VIET S, truce, cease-fire, and armistice
    • POL 32 CAMBODIA–VIET S, boundaries, Cambodia-South Vietnam
    • POL 33–6 US–VIET N, waters and boundaries, high seas
    • POL CAN–US, U.S.-Canadian relations
    • POL FR–US, U.S.-French relations
    • POL FR–VIET S, general policy, France-South Vietnam
    • POL US–VIET S, general policy, U.S.-South Vietnam
    • DEF 1 ASIA SE, plans and policy, Southeast Asia
    • DEF 1 US–VIET S, plans and policy, U.S.-South Vietnam
    • DEF 6–3 VIET S, air force, South Vietnam
    • DEF 9–3 VIET S, morale and discipline, South Vietnam
    • DEF 19 PHIL–VIET S, military assistance, Philippines-South Vietnam
    • DEF 19 US–VIET S, military assistance, U.S.-South Vietnam
    • DEF 19–9 US–VIET S, advisory assistance and training, U.S.-South Vietnam
    • SOC 10 VIET S, disaster relief, South Vietnam
    • SOC 12 VIET S, religion, South Vietnam
    • AID (US) 8 VIET S, grants and technical assistance, U.S. aid to South Vietnam
    • AID (US) VIET S, general policy and technical assistance, U.S. aid to South Vietnam
    • E 12 VIET S, land reform, South Vietnam
    • INCO–RICE 14 VIET S, rice prices, South Vietnam
    • INF 8 US–VIET S, U.S. psychological operations, South Vietnam
    • ORG 7 VIET S, field trips to South Vietnam
    • SEATO 3 PHIL (MA), SEATO meeting, Manila

    2.
    Lot Files. Documents from the central files have been supplemented by materials from decentralized office files, the lot files of the Department of State. A list of the major lot files used or consulted follows:
    • Ball Files: Lot 74 D 272
      • Files of Under Secretary of State George Ball, 1961–1967.
    • Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240
      • Files of William P. Bundy for the 1960s, first as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and then Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs after 1964 (cited as Bundy Files/WPB Special Papers without Lot File number).
    • Conference Files: Lot 66 D 110
      • Collection of documentation on International conferences abroad attended by the President, the Secretary of State, and other U.S. officials, May 1961–December 1964.
    • Har-Van Files
      • Files created for Ambassador W. Averell Harriman and Cyrus Vance, Delegates to the Paris Peace Conference in 1968. Background documents beginning in the early 1960s. The file contains texts of documents found nowhere else.
    • INR Files: Lot 81 D 343
      • Consolidated files of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
    • Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204
      • Exchanges of correspondence between the President and heads of foreign governments, 1953–1964, maintained by the Executive Secretariat.
    • Presidential Correspondence: Lot 77 D 163
      • Correspondence between Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and the Chairman of the Soviet Union, Prime Minister of Great Britain, and President of France, 1961–1964.
    • Presidential Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 66 D 149
      • Cleared memoranda of Presidential conversations with foreign visitors, 1956–1964, maintained by the Executive Secretariat.
    • Presidential Reading File: Lot 74 D 164
      • Department of State material included in the President’s evening reading items. 1964–1973; also Secretary-President luncheon meetings, 1964–1969.
    • Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192
      • Files of Secretary of State Dean Rusk, 1961–1969, including texts of speeches, miscellaneous correspondence files, White House correspondence, chronological files, and memoranda of telephone conversations.
    • Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 68 F 8
      • Top Secret subject files of the Embassy in Saigon, 1964.
    • Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330
      • Memoranda of conversation of the Secretary and Under Secretary of State, 1961–1964.
    • Secretary’s Staff Meetings: Lot 66 D 147
      • Minutes of the Secretary of State staff meetings, 1961–1964.
    • S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199
      • Files of the Policy Planning Council for the yeas 1963–1964.
    • S/P Files: Lot 71 D 273
      • Files of Ernest K. Lindley, member of the Policy Planning Staff, 1961–1968.
    • Special Group for Counterinsurgency Files: Lot 68 D 451
      • Memoranda and minutes of the meetings of the Special Group, Counterinsurgency, 1961–1966, and “eyes only” material for 1964.
    • S/S-NSC Files: Lot 70 D 265
      • Master set of papers pertaining to National Security Council meetings, including policy papers, position papers, and administrative documents for the years 1961–1966, maintained by the Executive Secretariat.
    • S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316
      • Master file of National Security Action Memoranda (NSAMs) for the years 1961–1968, maintained by the Executive Secretariat.
    • Vietnam Negotiating Files: Lot 69 D 412
      • Files of negotiations for a possible peace in Vietnam, including the efforts of countries, international organizations and individuals, 1961–1967.
    • Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 72 D 219
      • Top Secret files of the Interagency Vietnam Working Group, 1963–1967.
  • Massachusetts Historical Society. Boston, Massachusetts
    • Lodge Papers
      • Personal papers of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., 1928–1968.
  • Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland
    • Record Group 84, Records of the Foreign Service Posts of the United States
    • Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 68 A 1814
      • Classified and unclassified files of the Embassy in Saigon for 1964 (formerly Lot 67 F 26).
    • Saigon Embassy’s Coordinator Files: FRC 68 A 5612
      • Classified sensitive captioned files of the coordinator, Embassy in Saigon, 1964–1965 (formerly Lot 68 F 32).
    • Record Group 306, Records of the United States Information Agency
    • USIA Psychological Operations Files: FRC 68 A 4933
      • Vietnam Working Group files, 1962–1964 (formerly Lot 67 D 444).
    • Record Group 319, Records of the Army Staff
    • Headquarters, Department of the Army
      • Microfilm files of incoming and outgoing messages, 1945 ff.
    • Record Group 330, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense
    • McNamara Files: FRC 71 A 3470
      • Files of Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara for the years 1961–1968.
    • OASD/ISA Files: FRC 68 A 306
      • Secret and lower-classified general files of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1964.
    • OASD/ISA Files: FRC 68 A 4023
      • Top Secret files of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1964.
    • OASD/ISA Files: FRC 69 A 926
      • Miscellaneous Top Secret and sensitive files of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1961–1964.
    • OASD/ISA Files: FRC 69 A 7425
      • Official Records of the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and the Special Assistant, 1964.
  • National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
    • Taylor Papers
      • Papers of General Maxwell D. Taylor, Chief of Staff of the Army, 1955–1959; Military Adviser to the President, 1961–1962; and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1962–1964.
  • John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Thompson Papers
      • Files of the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, 1960–1966.
  • Lyndon B. Johnson Library, Austin, Texas
    • Papers of President Lyndon B. Johnson, National Security File
      • Agency File (cited as Agencies File)
      • Aides Files
      • Heads of State Correspondence
      • Intelligence File
      • Memos to the President
      • National Intelligence Estimate File
      • NSC Meetings
      • Vietnam Country File
    • Papers of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Special Files
      • Meeting Notes File
      • President’s Daily Diary
    • Papers of President Lyndon B. Johnson, White House Central Files
      • Confidential Files
    • Rusk Appointment Book
  • Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington, D.C.
    • Harriman Papers
      • Special files of W. Averell Harriman, Public Service, Kennedy and Johnson administrations
  • U.S. Army Center for Military History, Washington, D.C.
    • Westmoreland Papers
      • Records of General William C. Westmoreland, Commander, Military Assistance Command Vietnam, 1964–1968.
[Page XVIII]

Published Sources

  • Documentary Collections, Congressional Documents, and Periodicals
    • The Declassified Documents Quarterly Catalog and microfiche. Woodbridge, CT: Research Publications (formerly Washington: Carrollton Press), 1974 and onwards.
    • Joint Chiefs of Staff Historical Division. History of the JCS: The War in Vietnam, 1960–1968.
    • The Pentagon Papers: The Department of Defense History of United States Decisionmaking on Vietnam [The Senator Gravel Edition]. 4 vols. Boston: Beacon Press, 1971.
    • U.S. Department of State. Aggression From the North. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1965.
      • ____. American Foreign Policy: Basic Documents, 1950–1955. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1957.
      • ____. American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1961, 1963, and 1964. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
      • ____. Department of State Bulletin, 1964. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
    • U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963–1964. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1964.
  • Memoirs
    • Note: The Department of State takes no responsibility for the accuracy of these memoirs nor endorses their interpretation of the events.
    • Ball, George. The Past Has Another Pattern: Memoirs. New York, 1982.
    • Colby, William, and Forbath, Peter. Honorable Men: My Life in the CIA. New York, 1978.
    • Hilsman, Roger. To Move a Nation. Garden City, NY, 1967.
    • Johnson, Lyndon Baines. The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963–69. New York: Holt, Reinhardt and Winston, 1971.
    • Johnson, U. Alexis with Jeff Olivarius. The Right Hand of Power. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1984.
    • Nguyen Cao Ky. Twenty Years and Twenty Days. New York, 1976.
    • Nitze, Paul. From Hiroshima to Glasnost: At the Center of a Decision, A Memoir. New York, 1989.
    • Rusk, Dean as told to Richard Rusk. As I Saw It. New York, 1990.
    • Sullivan, William. Obbligato, 1939–1979: Notes on a Foreign Service Career. New York, 1984.
    • Taylor, Maxwell D. Swords and Plowshares: A Memoir. New York, 1972.