85. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1
2430. For the President. Ref. Depcirtel 1443.2 I feel obliged to appeal to you for assistance in permitting us to carry out the “orderly withdrawal of American dependents from South Vietnam” announced in your statement of February 8.3 By the flood of cables of various US agencies on my desk this morning, it is apparent that your decision is being interpreted as requiring use of standard emergency evacuation procedures. These procedures call for rapid outshipment of dependents on military aircraft to intermediate “safe-havens” where they are temporarily held pending a second move to destinations. Such methods are not required by or suitable for the situation here where we wish to give the impression of leaving SVN with dignity and composure. You are aware, I am sure, over our concern lest a precipitous departure alarm our Vietnamese friends and create unjustified fears.
Recognizing the inevitability of eventual evacuation of dependents we have been working quietly for some time on an orderly evacuation plan based on the movement of dependents to destination in commercial and MATS passenger aircraft without passage through safe-havens. We estimate that we can carry out this plan in a week to ten days with minimum discomfort and inconvenience to the hundreds of families who learned for the first time at breakfast this morning that their pattern of life soon must change. I earnestly request to be allowed to continue to proceed in accordance with this plan, which we have already begun to implement, calling on outside agencies for help as the need is determined here.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Flash; Nodis. Received in the Department of State at 10:22 p.m. on February 7.↩
- Circular telegram 1443, February 7, contained the text of the President’s statement that day on the withdrawal of U.S. dependents from South Vietnam. (Ibid.)↩
- The statement was released on February 7; see footnote 4, Document 80.↩