77. Editorial Note
On May 2 from 4:30 to 5:50, the National Security Council held its 482d meeting. Laos was the first of the two issues discussed. President Kennedy presided over the meeting which was attended by 30 people for item 1. The group was similar to that who attended the previous two Council meetings. At this meeting, however, all the Joint Chiefs of Staff were participants. (Kennedy Library, President’s Appointment Book)
In NSC Action No. 2418, the Council took the following actions on Laos:
- “a. Noted and discussed a briefing by the Acting Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the military implications of possible courses of action in Laos.
- “b. Noted the President’s directive that contingency military planning for Southeast Asia should be continued in the light of the rapidly developing situation, and should be discussed with the United Kingdom.
- “c. Noted that the Secretaries of State and Defense would send to the President promptly a joint recommendation on U. S. action with respect to Laos.” (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)
Notes of this meeting, prepared for Vice President Johnson by his Military Aide, Colonel Howard L. Burris, are in the Johnson Library, Vice Presidential Security File, National Security Council Records of Action.