Office of the Historian

142. Memorandum to President Johnson1

Washington, February 19, 1965.

Mr. President:

This is the latest information from General Westmoreland on the attempted coup in South Vietnam.2

The coup d’etat in Saigon was undertaken by military group headed by Generals Phat and Tran Van Don. The composition of the group is apparently essentially the same as that which attempted September 13 coup less Gen. Duc.

Announced target of coup leaders (who speak for an organization called Forces For The Protection of the Country) is to remove Gen. Khanh from the scene but highly probable that group desires also to change the present government headed by Prime Minister Quat.

Coup group has support of militant Catholic elements at the moment. To date, Quat’s government has kept aside from coup activities treating it as an intramural struggle among military.

Ambassador Taylor, with concurrence of Prime Minister Quat, has suggested to Air Commodore Ky that he attempt to call urgent meeting of the Armed Forces Council at Bien Hoa this evening if possible, if not, earliest possible time tomorrow morning. Taylor also suggested that Ky inform corps and unit commanders of his call for meeting and urge a standstill of troop movements in meantime.

Impossible to judge this moment amount and degree of support for Phat/Don group and for Gen. Khanh.

U.S. military advisors have been counseled to take the following position with their counterparts:

a.
Emphasize the necessity to avoid armed clashes and bloodshed among Vietnamese Government Forces.
b.
Emphasize that call for Armed Forces Council meeting is a sound approach to solving difficulties. In the meantime, there should be a standstill on troop movements headed for Saigon.
c.
Deny that the U.S. was informed concerning the coup attempt but otherwise maintain a neutral position insofar as the contending factions are concerned.
d.
Stress that the coup attempt following on recent U.S./GVN joint air attacks on DRV is most unfortunate in terms of its effect on U.S. and Free World opinion.

  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXVIII. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text and it is unsigned. A handwritten note at the top reads: “Sent to the President Per Bundy.”↩
  2. A situation report on developments in South Vietnam as of noon (EST) on February 19, prepared by Corcoran, is ibid., Nodis-LOR, Vol. I.↩