IV. Vice President Johnson’s Trip to Asia, May 9-24, 1961, and the Visit of Vietnamese Secretary of State for the Presidency Thuan to Washington, June 12-17, 1961
54. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/5-1361. Secret; Priority. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Mendenhall and cleared with Nolting. (Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files:FRC 66 A 878, 361.1) Also sent to CINCPAC for PolAd and repeated to Manila, Taipei, and Phnom Penh.
55. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.1100-JO/5-1561. Secret; Priority. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Mendenhall and cleared by Nolting. (Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 66 A 878, 361.1) Repeated to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and CINCPAC for PolAd.
56. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/5-2061. Top Secret; Priority. Drafted and signed for the Acting Secretary by Cottrell and cleared with McConaughy and S/S. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd. Also printed in Declassified Documents, 1978, p. 112A. Telegram 1422, May 20, advised that the Presidential Program transmitted here listed only those items specifically approved by the President, most of which were extracted from the Task Force Report (see footnote 2, Document 51, and Document 42). It also advised the Embassy in Saigon that Task Force traffic should be slugged Task Force VN with the appropriate paragraph number corresponding to the Presidential Program. (Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/5-2061)
57. Telegram From the Embassy in Thailand to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.110-JO/5-2061. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Athens. Young accompanied the Vice President on his visit to Saigon, Manila, Taipei, and Bangkok.
58. Telegram From the Embassy in Thailand to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 379/5-2261. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Saigon, Wellington, Karachi, Canberra, Manila, Vientiane, London. Paris. and Geneva.
59. Paper Prepared by the Vice President
Source: Department of State, Viet-Nam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 22.1 Vice President’s Trip, GVN 1961. Secret. The source text was an attachment to Johnson’s memorandum to the President, May 23, reporting on his mission to Asia. The text is printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, pp. 159-166.
It is not clear whether this paper was intended to be an annex to the memorandum to the President, a draft of the memorandum itself, or the report from which the Vice President briefed the Cabinet on May 25. The copy of the memorandum to the President in OSD Files also has this attachment, but copies in the Johnson Library and the Policy Planning Files do not. (Washington National Records Center, RG 330; FRC 65 A 3078; Johnson Library, VP Security Files, VP Visit to SE Asia; and Department of State,S/P Files: Lot 67 D 548, Asia 1961)
60. Report by the Vice President
Source: University of Montana, Mansfield Papers, Series XXII, Box 110, Folder 3. Secret. No drafting or clearance information is given on the source text. A copy of this report was sent to Nolting by Cottrell as an enclosure to a letter dated May 29, along with the memorandum to the President, dated May 23; see footnote 1, Document 59. Cottrell noted in the covering letter that the President’s brother-in-law, Stephen Smith, had briefed him on the previous day about the visit to Saigon. (Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 66 A 878, 350 GVN-TF)
61. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to the President
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series. Secret.
62. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/5-2661. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Bangkok and to CINCPAC for PolAd.
63. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5-2261. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Wood; cleared with McConaughy, Admiral Heinz, Johnson (G), L,NEA, EUR, IO, and S/S; and signed by Secretary Rusk. Also sent to London, Ottawa, Paris, and New Delhi and repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, and Geneva.
64. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/5-2761. Confidential; Priority. Also sent to CINCPAC for PolAd and Vientiane and repeated to London, Ottawa, Paris, Geneva, New Delhi, Bangkok, and Phnom Penh.
65. Memorandum From the President to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 366, CF 1883. Attached to a memorandum from G to S/O, June 1, which stated that the President made a similar request to the Secretary of Defense and that the Vice President made an oral request along these lines.
66. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Viet-Nam (McGarr) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer)
Source: National Defense University, Lemnitzer Papers, 1961, Eyes Only Messages In. Secret: Eyes Only; Exclusive.
67. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/6-961. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.
69. Memorandum of a Conversation, The White House
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/6-1461. Secret. Drafted by Wood, cleared by McConaughy, and approved by the White House on July 22. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Saigon in telegram 1526, June 15. (Ibid., 751K.5-MSP/6-1561) McConaughy had a similar conversation with Thuan at 5:30 on June 13. A summary of this conversation was transmitted to Saigon in telegram 1525, June 15. (Ibid.)
70. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/6-1461. Secret. Also sent to CINCPAC for PolAd and repeated to London and Kuala Lumpur.
71. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5-MSP/6-1461. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Cottrell, Fowler, and Furst (ICA); cleared with McConaughy and ICA; and signed for the Secretary by Cottrell. Repeated to CINCPAC for PolAd.