208. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 6AA, High Level Comments re Bomb Pauses. Top Secret; Sensitive. A note on the source text states that this memorandum was received at the LBJ Ranch in Texas at 8:30 p.m. on November 28, and there is an indication that the President saw it.

209. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Rusk and the President’s Special Assistant (Valenti)

Source: Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Conversations. No classification marking. Secretary Rusk was in Washington; Valenti was in Texas.

210. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-14 VIET. Top Secret; Exdis.

211. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Lake and approved by Herbert Thompson of S/S on December 22. The source text is labeled “Part II of II.” The following note is typed at the top of the source text: “As indicated in the attached letter to Mr. Schneider from Mr. Unger, subsequent accounts of the conversation with Bo by Messrs. Mendel and Wood presented a less optimistic picture of the possibility of the DRV’s agreeing to talks.” The letter, dated December 5, is ibid.

212. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 2EE, Primarily McNamara’s Recommendations re Strategic Actions. Top Secret. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum.

213. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson, in Texas

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Cables. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Flash. Also from Califano and Moyers.

214. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson, in Texas

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Cables. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The date-time-group on the source text is illegible. An earlier draft indicates that the telegram was sent on December 3. (Ibid.)

215. 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. XVII. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. There is an indication on the source text that this memorandum was received at the LBJ Ranch in Texas at 11 a.m. on December 4, and that the President saw it.

216. Letter From the Representative to the United Nations (Goldberg) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Memos (A). Secret.

217. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 12:41 a.m.

218. Personal Notes of Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, Papers of McGeorge Bundy, Notes for December 6, 1965. No classification marking. These notes were handwritten by Bundy for his personal use. The meeting was held in Rusk’s conference room at the Department of State.

219. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Rusk and cleared by William Bundy.

220. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson, in Texas

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Cables. Top Secret; Eyes Only. A copy was sent to Austin for Moyers.

221. Telegram From the National Security Council Executive Secretary (Smith) to President Johnson, in Texas

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Cables. Secret; Exdis. Also sent to McGeorge Bundy for information. Received at the LBJ Ranch at 9:07 a.m.

222. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Memos (A). Top Secret. Sent to the President in Texas in CAP 65822, December 6. (Ibid., Vol. XLIII, Cables) There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum. This memorandum is a revision of Document 212. A draft of this memorandum with minor revisions and comments by McGeorge Bundy, December 4, is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Memos (A). Another draft with significant revisions, December 6, is ibid., 2EE, Primarily McNamara Recommendations re Strategic Actions.

223. Personal Notes of Meeting With President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, Papers of McGeorge Bundy, Notes of December 7, 1965. No classification marking. The notes are in McGeorge Bundy’s hand with a small contribution by Komer. At 10 a.m. on December 7, Dean Rusk, Robert McNamara, Robert Komer, and McGeorge Bundy arrived by aircraft at the LBJ Ranch in Texas. At 10:10 a.m., they assembled in the living room for this meeting with the President to discuss Vietnam policy. At 10:47 a.m., Bill Moyers and Joseph Califano arrived from Austin and joined the meeting. The participants broke for lunch at 12:35 p.m., and resumed their meeting at 1:35 p.m. on the front lawn of the ranch. At 4:34 p.m., Rusk, McNamara, Komer, and McGeorge Bundy returned by aircraft to Washington. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary)

224. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Nodis; Priority. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 5:24 a.m.

225. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 6AA, High Level Comments Re Bomb Pauses. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.

226. 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. XVII. Confidential. Received at the LBJ Ranch at noon on December 10. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum

227. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson, in Texas

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, International Meetings and Travel File, Senator Mansfield’s Trip (Southeast Asia). Secret; Nodis. Received at the LBJ Ranch at 12:50 p.m.

228. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Califano) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, White House Central Files, Confidential File, ND 19/CO 230, Vietnam 1964-65. Secret; Eyes Only. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum.

229. 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. XVII. Top Secret; Sensitive. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum.

230. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 3:09 a.m.

231. Notes of Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, December 17 Meeting on Vietnam. Secret. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room. McGeorge Bundy sent the President a briefing memorandum for this meeting, which reads in part:

“Rusk and McNamara both believe that the most important question before us is that of peaceful actions before January. When last heard from, they were both strongly in favor of the pause. Bob and I have been doing further work on the wider notion of a cease-fire in all Vietnam. I do not know his views, but I continue to think we are not ready for this one yet.

“Another matter for discussion is Rusk’s report on his European trip. Like Bob McNamara he has found the responses pretty thin on Vietnam. But it remains a good thing that he put our case as strongly as he did.” (Ibid., National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, High Level Comments Re Bomb Pauses)

232. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Nodis; Priority. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 8:04 a.m.

233. Memorandum From Senator Mike Mansfield to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, International Meetings and Travel File, Senator Mansfield’s Trip (Southeast Asia). No classification marking. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum.

234. Draft Papers

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIII, Memos (B). Top Secret. There is no drafting information on the papers.

235. Notes of Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, December 18 Meeting with Foreign Policy Advisers on Vietnam. Secret. The source text does not indicate a drafter, but the notes were taken by Valenti. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room. President Johnson describes this meeting in The Vantage Point (pp. 235-237), and quotes from this document.

236. 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. XVII. No classification marking. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum.

237. Telegram From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLIV, Cables. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Repeated to Goodpaster.