July 1962–March 1963: Failure of the Geneva Settlement; Breakdown of the Souvanna Government
412. Memorandum of Meeting
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI-McCone Files, [text not declassified]. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by McCone. This meeting was in anticipation of the President’s meeting with Souvanna; see Document 413.
413. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–2762. Secret. Drafted by Koren and approved by the White House on August 6. Following the meeting, the participants went to a White House luncheon in honor of Souvanna. (Kennedy Library, President’s Appointment Book)
415. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.51J/7–2862. Secret; Eyes Only. No drafting information appears on the source text.
416. 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, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Staff Memoranda: M.V. Forrestal, 6/62–10/62. Secret; Personal.
417. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/8–162. Confidential. Drafted by Harriman.
418. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security. 8/1/62–8/31/62. Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.
419. Memorandum of Presidential Conference
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 8/1/62–8/22/62. Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.
420. Memorandum From the Director of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 8/23/62–8/27/62. No classification marking. A handwritten note by Hilsman on the top of the source text reads: “Mike [Forrestal]—I think the President might be interested in this. Roger.” There was no indication that the President saw this memorandum.
421. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen) to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 8/1/62–8/31/62. Secret.
422. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 8/28/62–8/31/62. Top Secret. Drafted by Kaysen. This meeting lasted from 4 to 4:40 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Appointment Book)
423. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/9–2162. Confidential. Harriman wrote the following note at the bottom of the memorandum: “Alex, I think it is too soon. Pushkin told me they would be out by Oct 7th. Bill Sullivan has some assurance from Souphanouvong a few days ago. The time to bring in the big guns is after Oct 7th if we have sufficient evidence in which to complain. WAH.”
424. Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/9–2462. Secret; Noforn.
425. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 9/1/62–12/31/62. Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.
426. National Security Action Memorandum No. 189
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda, NSAM 189. Secret. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1981, 79 A.
427. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman) and the Deputy Director of the United States Information Agency (Wilson)
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, Telephone Conversations, June-December 1962. No classification marking. A note on this memorandum, which was transcribed in Harriman’s office, indicates that it was unread and uncleared by Harriman.
428. 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, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Staff Memoranda, Michael V. Forrestal, 6/62–10/62. No classification marking.
430. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 10/62–12/62. Confidential. Drafted by Forrestal.
431. Summary Paper Prepared by the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–862. Confidential. Drafted by Bruns and cleared in draft by Cross and by Koren and Rice. Attached to a note from McGeorge Bundy by Executive Secretary Brubeck in connection with the President’s discussion on the afternoon of November 8.
432. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 9/1/62–12/31/62. Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.
433. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–962. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Koren, cleared by Cross and with Forrestal in substance, and approved by Harriman. Also sent to Bangkok and repeated to Saigon, Phnom Penh, Paris, London, and CINCPAC.
434. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.5/11–962. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Cross, cleared by Koren and in substance with Forrestal, and approved by Harriman. Repeated to London, Paris, Bangkok for JUSMAAG, and CINCPAC.
435. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative’s Naval Aide (Bagley) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Taylor)
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Laos #2, 7, T–265–69. Secret. Taylor initialed the memorandum.
436. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/11–1762. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Bangkok, CINCPAC for POLAD, Paris, London, Moscow, New Delhi, Saigon, and Phnom Penh.
437. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative’s Naval Aide (Bagley) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Taylor)
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Laos #2, 7, T–265–69. Secret.
438. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.61/11–2962. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Glenn and approved by the White House on December 13. The time of the conversation is taken from Kennedy’s appointment book. (Kennedy Library, President’s Appointment Book) The portions on Laos and Cuba were only a small part of the conversation. The complete record of this conversation, see volume V.
439. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 10/62–12/62. Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.
440. Paper Prepared by the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) and Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 3/63. Secret. The handwritten date “1/15/63?” appears on the source text. Hilsman and Forrestal were in Laos January 9–14, 1963. They met with RLG officials and traveled to the Plaine des Jarres for discussions with Kong Le on January 11. An account of their trip and discussions with Kong Le is in airgram A–314, March 6, 1963; Department of State, Central Files, INT 7 Laos. Hilsman and Forrestal also traveled to South Vietnam and reported to the President; see vol. III, pp. 3 ff.
441. Memorandum from Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 1/63–2/63. Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.