Policy Decisions and the McNamara and Clifford-Taylor Missions to South Vietnam June–August
222. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Vietnamese (South) Elections 1967. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis; Literally Eyes Only for Ambassador. Drafted by Katzenbach on June 27, cleared by Walt Rostow, and approved by Katzenbach. Repeated as telegram CAP 67599 from Rostow to the President at the LBJ Ranch, where it was received at 6:29 p.m. on June 29. (Ibid.) The President stayed at the ranch June 29–July 9. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) On June 27 Thieu filed his formal candidacy application, listing Trinh Quoc Khanh, a leading Hoa Hao politician, as his running mate; later that day Ky announced that when he formally declared his candidacy, Nguyen Van Loc would be his running mate.
223. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Vietnamese (South) Elections 1967. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Rostow repeated the text of this telegram as CAP telegram 67595 to the President at the LBJ Ranch. In his prefatory comments, he informed Johnson that Bunker proposed “to have Westy find out from Vien what happened at the Directorate meeting and the session of Division Commanders on June 28” and then “execute the instruction” separately with both Ky and Thieu. (Ibid.)
224. Telegram From the Central Intelligence Agency to the Station in Saigon
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Vietnamese (South) Elections 1967. Secret; Immediate; Most Sensitive. Released by Carver who confirmed the transmittal at Bundy’s request in an attached memorandum to Read, June 29.
225. Telegram From the White House Situation Room to President Johnson in Texas
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Vietnamese (South) Elections 1967. Secret; Nodis; Eyes Only. The cable was received at the White House Situation Room at 9:33 p.m. on June 29. A notation on the telegram indicates that the President saw it. Jim Jones wrote a note on the telegram quoting the President as follows: “Yes send it, against it but nothing else I can do.”
226. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 14 VIET S. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Received at 9:15 a.m. and repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD. Rostow sent the text of this telegram to the President at the LBJ Ranch as telegram CAP 67608, June 30, where it was received at 10:50 a.m. He prefaced the telegram with the observation: “Here is how they appear to have worked it out in their smoke-filled room.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Vietnamese (South) Elections 1967) The Directorate announced publicly later that day that Thieu and Ky would run on the same ticket as Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, respectively. In telegram CAP 67621 to the President in Texas, June 30, Roche observed: “So far our luck is holding in Saigon but I would urge that we take out immediate coup insurance. Suggest that General Westmoreland inform ARVN that U.S. will block any coups.” A notation by Jones written on the telegram quotes the President’s directive: “pass on to Walt.” (Ibid.)
227. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, Top Secret WPB Chron., Jun/Aug 1967. Secret; Exdis.
228. Memorandum of Conversation Between the Ambassador at Large (Harriman) and Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, Special Files, Public Service, Subject File, McNamara, Robert S. Top Secret; Personal; For Personal Files Only. A cover page includes the typed phrase: “Literally Eyes Only for Governor Harriman.”
229. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 14 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Received at 6:28 a.m. and repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD. Passed to the White House at 6:45 a.m. Rostow sent the text of the telegram to the President at the LBJ Ranch in CAP 67628, July 1, where it was received at 11:12 a.m. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, CAP Cables) The notation “L” on the telegram indicates that the President saw it.
230. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 14 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Received at 7:28 a.m. and repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD. Passed to the White House at 8:26 a.m. Rostow sent the text of the telegram to the President at the LBJ Ranch in telegram CAP 67627, July 1, where it was received at 9:37 a.m. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, CAP Cables) The notation “L” on the telegram indicates that the President saw it.
231. Memorandum From the Secretary of the Air Force (Brown) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Johnson Library, Papers of Paul C. Warnke, McNaughton Files, McNTN XIII, Memoranda 1967 (3). Top Secret.
232. Memorandum From the Ambassador’s Special Assistant (Lansdale) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)
Source: Center for Military History, Dep CORDS/MACV Files, Lansdale (1967–1968). Secret; Sensitive. Copies were sent to Locke, Westmoreland, Komer, Calhoun, Hart, and Jacobson.
234. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson in Texas
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Walt Rostow, Komer-Locke on Vietnam. Secret; Literally Eyes Only for the President. Received at the LBJ Ranch at 4:54 p.m.
235. Telegram From the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 14 VIET S. Secret; Sensitive; Nodis. This telegram was passed to Read under cover of a July 11 memorandum by George W. Allen, Vietnamese Affairs Staff, CIA, who noted that it was received at 5:45 a.m. (Ibid.)
236. Memorandum for Record
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, Kissinger—1967. Secret. Prepared by General Wheeler on July 13 in Washington on letterhead of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In Wheeler’s covering memorandum to Bundy, July 14, he wrote in part: “The interesting thing, in my judgment, was that neither Thieu nor Ky appeared to be particularly interested in the out of country bombing campaign.”
237. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Received at 10:35 a.m. The notation “L” on a covering note from Rostow to the President, July 12, 7:45 p.m., indicates that the President saw the telegram. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 8B(1)[A], Bunker’s Weekly Report to the President) This telegram is printed in full in Pike, The Bunker Papers, pp. 78–85.
238. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings, 7/12/67. Top Secret; Literally Eyes Only. The notes were presented to the President as a memorandum from Tom Johnson at 7:30 p.m. There is an indication on the notes that the President saw them. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting was held in the Cabinet Room and lasted from 1:05 to 2:38 p.m. It was followed by a luncheon, 2:50–3:40 p.m., of which no record has been found. (Ibid.) Rostow prepared an agenda/outline for the 1 p.m. meeting, “Meeting With President on Vietnam,” July 12. (Ibid., National Security File, Files of Walt Rostow, Meetings with the President, July–Dec. 1967) In addition to the participants who spoke at the meeting, Rostow, McPherson, and Tom Johnson attended. Afterward, McNamara held a press conference during which he stated: “I think some more U.S. military personnel will be required. I am not sure how many. I am certain of one thing: that we must use more effectively the personnel that are presently there.” See American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1967, pp. 942–944.
239. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings, 7/13/67. Top Secret; Literally Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room following the NSC meeting. Tom Johnson forwarded these notes to the President under cover of a July 13 memorandum at 5:30 p.m. (Ibid.)
240. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings, 7/13/67. Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Family Dining Room of the White House.
241. Draft Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Vietnamese (South) Elections 1967. Secret; Sensitive. An attached covering note from Read to Rusk, July 13, indicates that Habib drafted the cable; Bundy, Katzenbach, and the CIA cleared it; and Rostow’s clearance would be sought before its transmission. An attached covering memorandum from Rostow to Rusk, July 14, reads: “The President is against any financial support to candidates in the Vietnamese elections—presidential or parliamentary.” According to notations on the covering note, the telegram was received in Saigon on June 16 via CAS channels, but a copy of it as sent has not been found.
242. Telegram From the Station in Saigon to the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 14 VIET S. Secret; Sensitive. Transmitted to the Department of State under cover of a memorandum from Carver to Read. Despite the lack of direct funding for the Thieu-Ky campaign from Washington, the CIA Station succeeded in having Ky arrange the establishment and funding from Vietnamese sources of a front organization, the All-Vietnam Bloc, in order to legitimize and ensure the election prospects of the military slate. (Telegram CAS 9395 from Saigon, July 18; Central Intelligence Agency, DDO/ISS Files, Job 78–32R, Box 1, Folder 11, ARC) In addition, although money was not given directly to the Thieu-Ky campaign, according to telegram DIR 38735 to Saigon, September 27, Acting Secretary of State Katzenbach authorized payments as high as [text not declassified] each to Deputies of the National Assembly who would guarantee that they would vote in favor of confirming the electoral victory of Thieu and Ky in the validation vote on October 2. (Ibid.)
243. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 14 VIET S. Secret; Exdis. Received at 11:11 a.m.
244. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings, 7/14/67. Top Secret; Eyes Only. The President met with Clifford, McNamara, Katzenbach, Wheeler, Rostow, and Tom Johnson from 12:51 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary)
245. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Memos to the President, 6/1–8/2/67, Vol. I. Top Secret. The notation “L” on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it.
247. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings, 7/18/67. Literally Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room from 6:06 to 7:30 p.m.
248. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, Top Secret WPB Chron., Jun/Aug. 1967. Secret; Exdis. In a July 18 memorandum to Bundy, Hughes indicated that INR concurred with the views expressed in this memorandum. (Ibid., Central Files 1967–69, POL 27 VIET S)
249. Memorandum From Vice President Humphrey to the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach)
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 14 VIET S. Secret.
250. Telegram From the Station in Saigon to the Central Intelligence Agency
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Vietnamese (South) Elections 1967. Secret; Most Sensitive. Helms forwarded the telegram to the President on July 19. On his covering memorandum to the President, also July 19, Rostow wrote: “Herewith Amb. Bunker reports how he is proceeding to guide the Ky campaign. No U.S. funds are involved.” (Ibid.) The notation “L” on the covering memorandum indicates that the President saw the telegram.
251. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 15–1 VIET S. Secret; Priority. Received at 11:06 p.m. and repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.