November 28–December 31: Planning for 1967; Marigold and the Controversy Over Bombing


348. 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 8:07 p.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, p. 311.


349. 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 and approved by Read. In a telephone conversation with the President at 1:01 p.m. on December 23, McNamara informed Johnson that Wheeler had agreed to the action authorized in this telegram. Johnson then asked McNamara, “Would it give you any problem, do you think, before the hawks later on in your testimony?” McNamara responded, “I donʼt think so. We wrote this first to try to get these things [talks] started but secondly, in the event they donʼt start and this thing all leaks, to have a reasonable position with both the hawks and doves.” Johnson then said, “All right, itʼs OK with me.” (Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Recording of Telephone Conversation between Johnson and McNamara, Tape F6612.03, PNO 1) At 4:08 p.m. on December 23, the JCS notified CINCPAC in telegram 2135 that “until further notice from JCS you will not conduct air operations that involve attacks against targets within 10 NM of the center of Hanoi.” (Department of Defense, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 9155 (18 Feb 65), Section 13, Rolling Thunder 52)


350. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Sharp) to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler)

Source: Center of Military History, Westmoreland Papers, COMUSMACV Message Files. Top Secret. Repeated to General Westmoreland.


351. 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 8:20 p.m.


353. Memorandum From William Leonhart of the White House Staff to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LXII. Secret.


354. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, box 147, Marigold II. Top Secret; Nodis; Marigold. Drafted by Thompson and approved in S/AL. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 321–322.


355. Telegram From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson, in Texas

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, box 147, Marigold—Incomplete. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Marigold. The source text is marked with an indication that the President saw the telegram.