November 28–December 31: Planning for 1967; Marigold and the Controversy Over Bombing
318. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Komer) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Komer Files, McNamara-Vance-McNaughton. Secret; Eyes Only. Komer forwarded a copy of the attachment to this letter to Rostow the same day, noting in his covering memorandum that “while it gives less weight to bombing NVN than does your paper [attachment to Document 319], and more weight to creating a bandwagon psychology in SVN, we are basically on the same track. We both see 1967 as crucial, and the key to success in 1967 as developing, then effectively managing, a multi-faceted strategic plan.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files, Vietnam Strategy)
319. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files, Vietnam Strategy. Secret. On November 17 Rostow forwarded to the President a 9-page paper by Edward Lansdale, “The Battleground in 1967,” which presented Lansdaleʼs views on strategy in Vietnam for 1967. In his covering memorandum, Rostow called the paper “Lansdale at his best—worth reading.” (Ibid., Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 15)
320. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Komer) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LXII. Secret.
321. Memorandum From Richard Holbrooke of the White House Staff to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Komer)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, McNamara Vietnam Files: FRC 77–0075, Vietnam—1966. Secret. Also sent to Leonhart. On December 1 Komer sent copies to Rusk, McNamara, Gaud, Vance, Katzenbach, McNaughton, and William Bundy. (Ibid.) The source text is marked “Sec Def has seen.”
322. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 11:04 a.m. Rostow forwarded the telegram to the President at the LBJ Ranch on December 2 and commented in a separate telegram to the President, CAP 66134, December 2, that both Rusk and Thompson believed the message was of importance and that he himself was impressed by several factors, “above all, by the phrase ‘as fast as possible.’ As you know, I have felt that if Hanoi was ever serious they would want a quick complete deal, not a slow negotiation.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 16)
323. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Roche) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, Office of the President File, John Roche. Secret.
325. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Poland
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. Drafted by Thompson and approved by Katzenbach. Repeated to Saigon.
326. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 4:55 a.m.
327. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 10:43 a.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 275–277.
329. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Poland
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. Drafted by Katzenbach, cleared by Rostow, and approved by Katzenbach. Repeated to Saigon for Lodge and to Tokyo for Rusk.
330. Letter From President Johnson to Chairman Kosygin
Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 77 D 163. No classification marking. Attached to the source text is a draft with extensive handwritten corrections. In a memorandum of his conversation with Dobrynin on December 7, Llewellyn Thompson reported that he handed the letter to Kosygin, who read it carefully and indicated that he would carry it back to Moscow. (Ibid.)
331. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Poland
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis; Marigold. Drafted by Read, cleared by Rostow, and approved by Katzenbach. Repeated to Saigon. Also printed in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 283–286.
332. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 4:31 p.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 281–282.
333. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Poland
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis; Marigold. Drafted by Unger; cleared by Rostow, Thompson, and McNamara; and approved by Katzenbach. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp 286–288.
335. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 8:57 p.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 293–295.
336. Draft National Security Action Memorandum
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 Viet S. Secret. Rostow forwarded the draft to Katzenbach and McNamara under cover of a December 12 memorandum stating that the President wanted to issue an NSAM “embracing guidelines for 1967 in Vietnam” and wanted comments on it “if you believe it constitutes a basis for such a NSAM.” This draft was based on a paper by Komer, “A Strategic Plan for 1967 in Vietnam,” November 29. (Johnson Library, Komer Files, McNamara-Vance-McNaugton; see footnote 3, Document 320) In a December 5 memorandum to Katzenbach, Komer proposed that Katzenbachʼs “non-group” prepare a strategic plan for the President, working from his paper. “All it really needs is a preamble, and a bit of cleaning up.” (Johnson Library, Komer Files, Katzenbach) On December 10 Rostow forwarded the draft NSAM to the President, who wrote on Rostowʼs covering memorandum: “Itʼs good. Come in with Bob on Monday.” (Ibid., Rostow Files, Vietnam Strategy) The President met with Rostow and Komer on Monday, December 12, from 12:20 to 1:03 p.m., presumably prior to circulating the draft NSAM to McNamara and Katzenbach, but no record of their discussion has been found. (Ibid., Presidentʼs Daily Diary)
337. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, ORG 7 S. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Rusk was in Saigon on December 9–11, following visits to Tokyo (December 5–7) and Taipei (December 7–9). He then proceeded to Bangkok (December 11–12), New Delhi (December 12), and Tehran (December 12–13), prior to attending the NATO Ministerial Meeting in Paris December 13–16.
338. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Confidential; Limdis. Received at 8:56 p.m. on December 11.
339. Telegram From the Commander, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (Westmoreland) to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler)
Source: Center of Military History, Westmoreland Papers, COMUSMACV Message Files. Top Secret; Personal. Also sent to Admiral Sharp.
341. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 1:36 p.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 296–297.
342. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 12:30 a.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 302–304. Rostow forwarded the telegram to the President at 9:50 a.m. on December 15. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 17) Gronouski amplified his comments in telegram 1475 from Warsaw, December 15. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD)
343. National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR Files: Lot 81 D 343, Vietnam: INR & Other Studies, 1966. Secret; Controlled Dissem. The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of NSA and the Departments of State and Defense participated in the preparation of the estimate. The estimate was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by all the members of the U.S. Intelligence Board, except the Assistant General Manager of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction.
344. Notes of Meeting With President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files. Top Secret. Prepared by Rostow on December 19. Rostow states incorrectly that the meeting was held on Friday, December 17, in Austin, Texas. The Presidentʼs Daily Diary indicates that the meeting was held on Friday, December 16, at the White House, prior to the Presidentʼs departure for Texas that evening. (Ibid.)
345. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 9:44 a.m.
346. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 9:06 p.m.
347. Draft Paper Prepared by the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret.