103. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Harriman) and the Director of Central Intelligence (McCone)

Source: Library of Congress, Harriman Papers, Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Mildred Leatherman of Harriman’s staff.

104. Letter From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Lodge) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Correspondence-L. Top Secret; Eyes Only.

105. Memorandum Prepared by the Director of Central Intelligence (McCone)

Source: Department of State, Har-Van Files, South Vietnam Policy, August 31 through September 15, 1963. Top Secret. In a covering memorandum to Rusk, September 14, an assistant to McCone informed him that McCone’s summary was of a cable “from a senior CIA headquarters official who has paid a recent visit to Saigon.” Copies were also sent to McNamara and McGeorge Bundy. Also included as an attachment was a copy of CIA telegram 0890 from Saigon, September 13, the telegram which McCone is summarizing.

106. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 S VIET-US. Top Secret; Priority. Received at 3:11 a.m. Repeated to CINCPAC. Passed to the White House at 4:44 a.m.

107. Letter From the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Harriman) to the Ambassador in Vietnam (Lodge)

Source: Library of Congress, Harriman Papers, Vietnam Policy. Personal and Confidential.

108. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Murrow) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Meetings on Vietnam. Confidential.

109. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Har-Van Files, South Vietnam Policy File, August 31 through September 15, 1963. Top Secret; Immediate. Drafted by Hilsman and cleared by Rusk and Harriman.

110. Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hughes) to the Secretary of State

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Action Plan. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1982, 593 A.

111. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 S VIET-US. Top Secret; Immediate. Received at 6:19 a.m. and passed to the White House, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and CIA.

112. Memorandum for the Record of the Daily White House Staff Meeting

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-646-71. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by W.Y. Smith.

113. Memorandum for the Record of a Meeting

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-647-71. Top Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Krulak. The meeting was held at the Department of State.

114. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman) to the Secretary of State

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Memos and Miscellaneous, Part 11. Top Secret; Eyes Only. There is no drafting information on the source text, but the memorandum was drafted by Hilsman with the assistance of officers in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs. (Hilsman, To Move a Nation, p. 506; Department of State, Office of the Historian, Vietnam Interviews, Roger Hilsman, May 15, 1984) A handwritten note on the source text indicates that the attached cables had been revised.

115. Draft Letter From President Kennedy to President Diem

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Memos and Miscellaneous, Part II. Top Secret; Eyes Only. There is no drafting information on the source text, but this letter was prepared by Hilsman and others at the Department of State. The source text is labeled: “Suggested Draft of Presidential Letter, Adapted to Phase 1 of This Plan.”

116. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Memos and Miscellaneous, Part 11. Top Secret, Eyes Only.

117. Editorial Note

118. Memorandum of Conversation Between the Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Kattenburg) and Madame Tran Van Chuong

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 S VIET. Secret. Drafted by Kattenburg on September 17. On a copy of this memorandum sent to the White House, Forrestal wrote: “Family life in Vietnam”, and next to Madame Chuong’s threat to run over her daughter: “Mother love.” (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Memos and Miscellaneous, Part II)

119. Telegram From the Central Intelligence Agency Station in Saigon to the Agency

Source: Department of State, Har-Van Files, South Vietnam Policy Files, September 16-30, 1963. Secret. There is no time of transmission on the source text.

120. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence (McCone)

Source: Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Phyllis D. Bernau.

121. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities (Krulak) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff(Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-186-69. Top Secret; Sensitive.

122. Memorandum From the Deputy Regional Planning Adviser of the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Mendenhall) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman)

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, POL 25 Buddhist Dispute. Secret.

123. Memorandum by the Assistant Director for Rural Affairs, United States Operations Mission, Vietnam (Phillips)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Memos and Miscellaneous. An attached note from Forrestal to McGeorge Bundy, September 17, reads: “This does not add to what you already know; but I still think that Phillips’ judgments of Vietnamese reactions are as good as any we have. If you think of it, he is the only reporter we have with first hand-long term knowledge of this situation both in Saigon and in the field.”

124. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Harriman) and Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff

Source: Library of Congress, Harriman Papers, Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Mildred Leatherman.

125. Telegram From the White House to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Washington Federal Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 68 A 5159, SGN (63) 19 GVN. Top Secret; Flash; Eyes Only. Prepared in the White House and sent to the Department of State for transmission to Saigon. Also printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 12, pp. 545-547.

In a memorandum to Rusk, McNamara, McCone, Harriman, and Robert Kennedy, September 17, Bundy stated that he drafted this cable. Bundy attached a draft of CAP 63516 which was similar although not identical to the text printed here. Bundy’s memorandum reads in part: “I have taken the liberty of doing a draft of a possible instruction that would initiate action under what we are now calling Phase I of Track 2—namely, a final effort of persuasion and pressure short of a decision to dump the regime no matter what.” (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Memos and Miscellaneous, Part II)

126. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 S VIET-US. Top Secret; Immediate; Eyes Only. Received at 7:58 a.m. and passed to the White House at 8:25 a.m.

127. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Harriman) and the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Library of Congress, Harriman Papers, Telephone Conversations. No Distribution. Transcribed by Mildred Leatherman.

128. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 S VIET-US. Top Secret; Immediate; Eyes Only. Drafted in the White House and sent to the Department of State for transmission to Saigon. Bundy’s covering memorandum to Rusk, September 18, reads: “As I said on the telephone, the President is very clear in his mind that he wants this to go out at once, but I am sure he would be responsive to any amendment you yourself would wish to propose to him.”

On the White House draft of this telegram there is a marginal note indicating that McNamara also received a copy. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, State Cables) Also printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 12, p. 548.

129. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 S VIET-US. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Received at 5:54 a.m. Repeated to CINCPAC. Passed to the White House at 7:10 a.m.

130. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central files, POL 15 S VIET Top Secret; Immediate Eyes Only. Received at 7:04 a.m. and passed to the White House at 8:35 a.m.

131. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 S VIET Top Secret; Immediate. Received at 7:16 a.m. and passed to the White House at 8:02 a.m.

132. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman)

Source: Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Phyllis D. Bernau.