374. Memorandum From Marshall Wright of the National Security Council Staff to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Steadman)1
SUBJECT
- The Presidentʼs conversation with Prime Minister Thanom in Australia2
The President stressed the importance of the earliest possible deployment to Vietnam of additional Thai forces. Prime Minister Thanom agreed, but pointed out that the training of the forces could not begin until the necessary equipment was in hand. Thanom undertook to guarantee deployment in Vietnam of the forces in a maximum of 90 days from the receipt in Thailand of necessary equipment. The President promised that the equipment would be provided at the earliest possible moment.
I would appreciate having from you a status report3 on where we are in providing the human and material resources needed for the training of the Thai expeditionary force. I would be particularly interested in anything which we will have difficulty in providing in time to meet the accelerated schedule implicit in the Presidentʼs conversation with Prime Minister Thanom.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, International Meetings and Travel File, Presidentʼs Trip to Holtʼs Funeral, Memos and Misc. Cables. Confidential. In an attached covering memorandum to Rostow, December 29, Wright stated that Steadman wanted this memorandum “as a weapon with which to reopen the whole question of training schedules for Thai troops.” Wright also stated that he checked with Bundy, “who agrees that this summation of the Presidentʼs conversation with Thanom is accurate.” (Ibid.)↩
- President Johnson was in Canberra for former Australian Prime Minister Holtʼs funeral and memorial service, December 21–22. Johnson met from 2:32 to 3:05 p.m. with Prime Minister Thanom who was also attending the funeral. (Ibid., Presidentʼs Daily Diary)↩
- McNamara sent the President a report; see Document 375.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩