X. Senator Mansfieldʼs Visit to Vietnam and Subsequent Report; Visits and Reports by Johnson and Heavner December 1962
323. Memorandum of Conversation, Gia Long Palace, Saigon, December 1, 1962, 11:30 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 22.1. Mansfield Visit to Saigon. Confidential. No drafting or clearance information is given on the source text, which is apparently a draft as it contains numerous handwritten corrections. The meeting was held at Gia Long Palace. On October 18 Kennedy had written Mansfield asking him to lead a bipartisan group of Senators to visit Berlin, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia to review the situation and U.S. policies in these areas. (University of Montana Library, Mansfield Papers, Series XXII, Box 95, Folder 13) The Senators left Washington on November 7 and returned December 17.
325. Letter From the Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Wood) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Nolting)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193. Secret; Official-Informal. Drafted by Wood.
326. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-562. Secret. Drafted by Wood on December 7, cleared with Cottrell and DOD/ISA, and initialed by Harriman Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.
327. Notes on Visits to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Okinawa by the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, IJKL. Confidential. Attached to a transmittal note from Johnson to Harriman, dated December 10. The visits took place December 1-9; Johnson was in Saigon December 6-8.
328. Report by the Deputy Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Heavner)
Source: Department of State, Special Group Counterinsurgency Files: Lot 68 D 451, 10/30/62-12/31/62. Secret. The source text was attached to a memorandum from Cottrell to the Special Group (CI), dated December 11, which stated that it was being circulated for the information of the members. On December 18, Forrestal sent a copy of the report to President Kennedy, saying that it was one of “the more informative reports we have.” (Kennedy Library, Presidentʼs Office File, Staff Memoranda, Forrestal) On the same day Robert Johnson also sent a copy to Rostow stating that it was excellent and well worth reading. (Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 69 D 121, R. Johnson Chron, 1962) On November 13, Heavner had written to Wood giving his initial impressions on the situation in Vietnam. A copy of this 4-page letter, which dealt mainly with the strategic hamlets, is ibid., Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 20.6 WG/VN-Meetings. Before leaving Vietnam Heavner had also prepared a 16-page memorandum for Nolting on his visit. Dated December 4 and comprising the following sections: General; Strategic Hamlets; SDC, Force Populaire, Village Defenders; and Random Observations on the Military Effort, this document is the same in substance as the report dated December 11. (Ibid., 1.A-2, Briefing Papers, GVN 1962)
329. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/12-1562. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.
330. Report by the Senate Majority Leader (Mansfield)
Source: Senate Document 93–11. Printed in U.S. Senate 93d Congress, 1st session, Two Reports on Vietnam and Southeast Asia to the President of the United States by Senator Mike Mansfield (Washington, April 1973), pp. 7-14. For Mansfieldʼs report to the Foreign Relations Committee, see U.S. Senate, Vietnam and Southeast Asia, Report of Senator Mike Mansfield … to the Committee on Foreign Relations (Washington, 1963).
331. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/12-1962. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.
332. Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series. Secret; Noforn. Signed by Hilsman. A stamp on the source text shows that it was received by the NSC on December 26. Copies were also circulated to the Special Group (CI) on December 31. Also printed in part in Hilsman, To Move a Nation, pp. 451-453.
333. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series. Top Secret.
334. Memorandum for the Files by the Deputy Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Heavner)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 22.1 Mansfield Visit to Saigon. Secret; Limit Distribution.