Office of the Historian

278. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, April 28, 1965.

SUBJECT

  • Discussion with the President alone on 28 April 1965–12:00 Noon

[Here follows discussion unrelated to Vietnam.]

4. I then reviewed my discussion at the NSC (restricted) meetings of last Thursday and Friday2 at which time I expressed some opposition to the April 21st proposal of Secretary McNamara3 and finally gave the President my letter of April 28,4 copy of which is attached and to which is appended my letter to Secty Rusk, Secty McNamara and Mr. Bundy.5 The President asked if I had discussed the subject with Rusk and McNamara. I replied affirmatively, and told him I had also discussed this with McGeorge Bundy. The President accepted the letter and placed it on his desk without comment. I personally feel this is as far as I can go or, for that matter, as far as the Agency should go in this matter, which is of a strictly policy nature.

  1. Source: Johnson Library, John McCone Memoranda of Meetings with the President. Secret; Eyes Only. Apparently dictated by McCone and transcribed in his office. McCone retired as Director of Central Intelligence on April 28 and was replaced by Admiral William F. Raborn, Jr. (USN, Ret.)↩
  2. See Documents 266 and 269.↩
  3. Document 265.↩
  4. Document 279.↩
  5. See the attachment to Document 234.↩