251. Editorial Note
On April 13 from 1:50 to 3:10 p.m. a luncheon meeting was held at the White House to discuss Vietnam. Attending the meeting were the President, Secretary of State Rusk, Secretary of Defense McNamara, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Wheeler, Army Chief of Staff Johnson, Commandant of the Marine Corps Greene, Chief of Naval Operations McDonald, Air Force Chief of Staff McConnell, President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs Bundy, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Vance. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary)
No memorandum of discussion at the luncheon meeting has been found. One of the decisions reached at the meeting, however, was to deploy immediately the 173d Airborne Brigade to the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau area for security and counterinsurgency combat operations, of which the Joint Chiefs notified CINCPAC in telegram 9012, April 13. In telegram 3373 from Saigon, April 14, Taylor expressed surprise at this decision in view of the understanding reached during his visit to Washington that “we would experiment with the Marines in a counterinsurgency role before bringing in other U.S. contingents.” He recommended that the deployment be delayed until all matters relating to it could be sorted out. Both these messages are in Department of State,S/S Files: Lot 74 D 51, Deployment—State Messages.
On April 14 the Department of Defense drafted a telegram to Taylor summarizing the decisions reached at a luncheon meeting the previous day. According to a telephone conversation between Rusk and McNamara the morning of April 14:
“Sec wondered after he left the luncheon yesterday if it had become clear that all these things were execute orders; he asked if M had seen Max’s telegrams. M said he thought that particular cable referred to related to actions before yesterday; it was not clear what the decisions were; they were execute orders subject to clearance with South Viet Nam Govt. Sec said we have some real consultation to do on the Hill, haven’t we? M said he thought so but first we should get the clearances with the South Vietnamese govt so it does not leak from here. M said he would try to pull the pieces together this morning.” (Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Calls)
The cable referred to by McNamara was apparently telegram 3373 from Saigon. Rusk may also have been referring to telegram 3384 (Document 252) which, along with telegram 3373, was received in Washington early in the morning of April 14.
Later the morning of April 14, in a telephone conversation between Rusk and McGeorge Bundy:
“Sec asked as to what the decisions were yesterday. B said the JCS had confused matters by sending out their own cable. B said the document [Page 554] of serious consideration will be a cable to Max which Sec and President would review; the draft cable should be over by 2 pm. B hoped then that Sec and Bob and he could see President for a moment before the 6 pm. Sec said there was a serious question of consultation with the Leadership on this.” (Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Calls)
The 6 p.m. meeting referred to was apparently a briefing for certain Senators at the White House that began at 6:40 p.m. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary) As recorded in a telephone conversation between McNamara and Rusk at 4:55 p.m. on April 14:
“M said he had tried to put in the form of a cable the decisions the President made; it was sent to Bill Bundy; maybe Sec could look at it and we could get Sec’s views tonight and M would see if the President is of the same mind. M said there was nothing we could get agreement on back here but M had put them on an experimental basis. Sec asked if we had left room for a full consultation with Max. M said no; it is directed to Max; he will not be in favor; a lot of people were not. Sec thought the President should be aware of that, that Max will not be in favor. M said someone has to make a decision. M said we are not doing enough here for them to give up the direction of the war.” (Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Calls)
For text of the Defense Department telegram as sent to Taylor, see Document 256.