53. Editorial Note
During a meeting on March 9, 1959, with Secretary McElroy, Under Secretary Murphy, General Twining, General LeMay, and other officials to discuss airborne alert exercises and additional means of securing the SAC from attack, the President commented on proposals for continuous alert:
“The President now turned to a political question which is of some concern to him. In the light of the pressures from Congress to maintain an ‘airborne alert,’ the President dislikes that name. He is concerned over the possibility that once this exercise is conducted, it will establish a requirement for its continuance; and the implication will be that at the end of the test we will no longer be alert. The President pointed out his mentioning in press conference that a continuous airborne alert may become essential during certain phases of the missile age, but it is not essential now. He therefore desires that a training name be placed on this exercise, in order to alleviate the effect of possible leaks. A training name would emphasize that we are only preparing to do what we need to do in the future. Mr. McElroy pointed out that this will go under the code name of Headstart II; but this did not satisfy the President in itself. He desired that we have a name in case we are asked for a description of this exercise. Mr. McElroy voiced his agreement that there is no current military need for an airborne alert.” (Memorandum of Conference by Goodpaster; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries) The full text is in the Supplement.