79. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)1
MAC-
Hilsman says he and Harriman are sore as hell over “dirty pool” in Pentagon. Harriman says someone pulled out a cable from Harkins2 in test ban session this morning and showed it to JFK; it says Harkins and Krulak think everything’s wonderful in Vietnam. State never got this cable, and wants us to spring it.
Roger is much more taken with Saigon 4473 on Thuan’s views, which State suggests makes it more urgent than ever that we put additional pressure on Viets. Roger urges JFK see this cable.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Memos and Miscellaneous. Secret.↩
- Apparent reference to either MAC 1646 or MAC 1651, both September
9. These telegrams were preliminary reports by Krulak of his interviews with
U.S. advisers on the state of the morale of the Vietnamese Army.
Krulak’s summary report
on the Delta and IV Corps in MAC 1646 is representative of his
preliminary conclusions in general:
“Visited Delta and Fourth Corps units. Talked to 31 officers, 4 enlisted U.S. advisors. Their general attitudes were uniform in the following areas: they are attentive to fighting the war, certain that steady progress is being made, convinced that present thrust will ultimately bring victory, assured that their units are worrying about the Viet Cong and not about politics or religion, generally unwilling to say categorically that war effort has slowed, but anxious to illustrate that the change has been small.” (MAC 1646 from Krulak to Taylor, September 9; ibid., Defense Cables) MAC 1651, which reported on Krulak’s visit to I, II, and III Corps, is also ibid. Krulak’s report on his visit to Vietnam is Document 82.
↩ - Document 76.↩