Office of the Historian

3. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler) to Secretary of Defense McNamara1

CM-359–65
Washington, January 4, 1965.

SUBJECT

  • Evacuation of U.S. Dependents from South Vietnam

The Joint Chiefs of Staff reviewed this date their previous views regarding the withdrawal of U.S. dependent personnel from South Vietnam in the light of the existing military and political situation. They recommend that all U.S. dependents be withdrawn from South Vietnam as [Page 6] soon as it is possible to do so in an orderly fashion. This recommendation applies not only to the dependents of military personnel but to all dependents of U.S. Government or U.S. Government-affiliated personnel stationed in South Vietnam.2

Earle G. Wheeler3
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXV, Memos. Secret. Copies were sent to Vance, McNaughton, the other service Chiefs, and the Director of the Joint Staff.↩
  2. The military aspects of the withdrawal of U.S. dependents from Vietnam were discussed further in memorandum DJSM-65–65 from Lieutenant Colonel David A. Burchinal, Director of the Joint Staff, to Assistant Secretary of Defense McNaughton, January 18. (Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 75 D 167, Withdrawal of U.S. Dependents)↩
  3. Printed from a copy that indicates Wheeler signed the original.↩