XIII. U.S. Response to the Governmental Crisis In South Vietnam, December 8–31
441. Memorandum of a Conversation
Source: Department of State, Presidential Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 66 D 199. Secret. No drafting or clearance information appears on the source text which is dated December 10.
442. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Johnson and cleared with Taylor. (Ibid., Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 68 F 8) Received at 6:04 a.m.
443. Memorandum of a Conversation
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Akalovsky on December 16 and approved in the Executive Secretariat on December 30. Gromyko was in the United States to attend the 19th session of the U.N. General Assembly, which began December 1.
444. Memorandum From Chester L. Cooper of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XXIII, Memos. Secret.
445. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Forrestal and cleared in draft with William Bundy and the first sentence cleared in substance with McGeorge Bundy. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
446. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XXIII, Memos. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC. Attached to the source text was a memorandum from McGeorge Bundy to the President, dated December 15, which stated: “We don’t get an awful lot of good news from Saigon, and this one is of real interest.” The President had written across the memorandum: “I’d like to see this accelerated.”
447. Message From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Taylor) to the President
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T–161–69. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Drafted by Taylor and transmitted as telegram 1826 from Saigon, which is the source text.
448. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 VIET S. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC.
449. Letter From the President to Senator Mike Mansfield
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Names File, Mansfield. No classification marking. Drafted by the President and McGeorge Bundy. Senator Mansfield was the Senate Majority Leader.
450. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis; Ivory. Drafted by William Bundy; cleared in draft with McGeorge Bundy, McNaughton, and Forrestal; and initialed by Harriman. Repeated to Bangkok, Vientiane, and CINCPAC.
451. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, London, Paris, Vientiane, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and CINCPAC. Received at 9:20 a.m.
452. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, London, Paris, Vientiane, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and CINCPAC. Received at 9:19 a.m.
453. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Repeated to the Department of Defense, CIA, the White House, and JCS. Received at 2:43 p.m.
454. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Ambassador in Vietnam (Taylor) and the Commander in Chief of the Vietnamese Armed Forces (Khanh)
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T–272–69. Secret. U. Alexis Johnson, the only other participant, presumably prepared this record. The source text indicates the meeting took place at Khanh’s office at the JGS. For other accounts of the meeting, see Taylor, Swords and Plowshares, p. 331, and Johnson, Right Hand of Power, p. 418.
455. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by William Bundy, cleared with Westmoreland and McNaughton, and initialed by Rusk. Repeated to CINCPAC.
456. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Forrestal and William Bundy, cleared with McNaughton, and initialed by Rusk. Repeated to CINCPAC.
457. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House and CINCPAC. Received at 7:43 a.m.
458. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 VIET S. Confidential; Flash; Limdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC. Received at 10:14 a.m.
459. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XXIV, Cables. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Drafted by Forrestal. Repeated to the Department of Defense, CIA, and the White House. Rusk’s Appointment Book shows that he met with William Bundy and Forrestal at 11:22 a.m. and 12:40 p.m., and with Forrestal alone at 1:10 p.m., presumably to discuss the drafting of this telegram. (Ibid.)
460. Telegram from the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, and the White House. Received at 6:01 a.m.
461. Message From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Taylor) to the President
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Transmitted as telegram 1916 from Saigon, which is the source text. According to another copy, the telegram was drafted by Taylor. (National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T–157–69) Telegram 1916 was received in the Department of State at 8:33 a.m.
462. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC. Received at 9:19 a.m.
463. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Forrestal, cleared with William Bundy and McNaughton, and initialed by Rusk. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC.
464. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated to the Department of Defense and the White House.
465. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Flash; Exdis. Drafted by William Bundy and cleared with McGeorge Bundy and Secretary Rusk. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1979, 206F.
466. Memorandum From Edward G. Lansdale to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Vietnam Country File, Vol. XXIV, Memos. Personal. At this time, Lansdale was a Consultant to the White House on Food for Peace.
467. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Top Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Taylor. (Ibid., Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 68 F 8) Received at 8:46 a.m.
468. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis; Ivory. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Taylor. (Ibid., Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 68 F 8) Received at 9:27 a.m.
469. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by William Bundy and cleared with Rusk, Vance, and McGeorge Bundy. Repeated to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC.
470. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL US–VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC. According to another copy, this telegram was drafted by Taylor and cleared with Johnson. (Ibid., Saigon Embassy Files: Lot 68 F 8) Received at 9:21 a.m.