Increase in U.S. ground forces in Vietnam and consideration by the U.S. Government of a bombing pause, March 8–May 8
219. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXXI, Memos. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Also sent to McNamara and McGeorge Bundy.
220. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Taylor and approved by William Bundy.
222. Letter From Director of Central Intelligence McCone to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, McCone’s 12 Points. Secret.
223. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80 BO 1285A, Memos for the Record, 1 Mar-28 Apr 65. Secret; Eyes Only. Dictated by McCone and transcribed in his office.
224. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. IX. Confidential.
225. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis. Received in the Department of State at 8:42 a.m.
226. Paper Prepared by the Ambassador to Vietnam (Taylor)
Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, Political Track Papers. Top Secret.
227. Draft Memorandum by the Ambassador at Large (Harriman)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of McGeorge Bundy, SE Asia Regional Development. Secret. The source text was attached to Harriman’s covering memorandum of April 1 to McGeorge Bundy, in which he explained that the draft paper contained suggestions for clearing up the confusion regarding U.S. policy toward Vietnam that Harriman believed existed abroad and in the United States.
228. Memorandum by the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. IX. Top Secret. Printed in part in Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, vol. III, pp. 346–347. The source text was attached to a brief memorandum of April 1 from McGeorge Bundy to the President, in which Bundy wrote: “If you have a chance to read this memorandum before our meeting today, I think it will save time. I have deliberately put the political problems up near the front because they are the harder ones. The military and non-military action programs summarized in later parts of the memo do not seem as controversial or difficult today.
When he was doing research in his files at the Department of State in the early 1970s, William Bundy typed a note to the effect that this memorandum was essentially the same as his March 31 memorandum entitled “Key Elements in Strategy for South Vietnam.” This memorandum and Bundy’s later note are in Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240. WPB Chron.
229. Personal Notes of a Meeting With President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, Papers of McGeorge Bundy. No classification marking. The notes were handwritten by McGeorge Bundy for his personal use and were not an official record of the meeting. Bundy lists the following participants: The President, Rusk, McNamara, McCone, Vance, Wheeler, McNaughton, Taylor, William Bundy, and McGeorge Bundy. The time is taken from the President’s Daily Diary at the Johnson Library, which indicates that the President was out of the meeting room from 6:43 to 7 p.m. The President’s Daily Diary mistakenly identifies the meeting as an official NSC meeting; the attendance list in the Daily Diary is actually a list of those who attended the NSC meeting on April 2. No other record of the discussion at this meeting has been found, but for records of the decisions, see Documents 230 and 242.
230. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence McCone to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carter)
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80 BO 1285A, DCI Memoranda, 1 Mar 65–30 Apr 65. Top Secret.
231. Summary Notes of the 551st Meeting of the National Security Council
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File,NSC Meetings File, Vol. III. Top Secret. Prepared by Cooper on April 5. The time of the meeting is taken from the President’s Daily Diary at the Johnson Library. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room.
232. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Johnson Library, John McCone Memoranda of Meetings with the President. Secret. Apparently dictated by McCone and transcribed in his office. The time of the meeting is taken from the President’s Daily Diary. (Ibid.)
233. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Cleveland, cleared by William Bundy, and approved by Rusk.
234. Letter From Director of Central Intelligence McCone to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXXII. Top Secret. The last paragraph of McCone’s letter indicates that it was sent to President Johnson sometime after April 2.
235. Note From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations (MacArthur)
Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, WPB Chron. Confidential. Drafted by William Bundy. Copies were sent to Unger and Green.
236. Note From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Taylor)
Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, WPB Chron. Top Secret. Drafted by William Bundy. Copies were sent to McGeorge Bundy, McNaughton, Green, and Unger. April 3 was the last day of Taylor’s Washington visit.
237. Memorandum for the Record
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Cables 1965. Top Secret. The drafter is not indicated, but apparently Matthews drafted it on April 6. The meeting was held in the Secretary of State’s office.
238. Memorandum for the Record
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Cables 1965. Top Secret. Drafted by Unger.
239. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Cleland, cleared by Friedman (DOD), and approved by Unger. Repeated to Vientiane, CINCPAC, COMUSMACV, Bangkok, and the Department of Defense.
240. Memorandum for the Record
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Box 52, Folder D. Top Secret. Drafted by Matthews on April 6. The meeting was held at CINCPAC headquarters.
241. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, JCS Memos, Vol. I. Top Secret. The source text bears the following handwritten marginal note: “Retd from President 4/9/65.”
242. National Security Action Memorandum No. 328
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSAM’s. Top Secret. Signed by Bundy. Printed also in Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, vol. III, pp. 702–703.
243. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis.
244. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC. Received in the Department of State at 12:58 a.m.
246. National Security Action Memorandum No. 330
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSAM’s. Secret.
247. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Department of State,S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 328. Top Secret; Exdis. Also addressed to the Secretary of Defense. A handwritten note on the source text indicates that copies were sent to FE, U, and G and one other component in the Department of State whose acronym is illegible, and that a copy was shown to Greenfield.
248. Letter From President Johnson to Senator Mike Mansfield
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. IX. No classification marking.