ASSESSMENT OF THE U.S. ROLE AND THE DECISION TO EXPAND THE U.S. COMMITMENT, JUNE 13-JULY 28
61. Telegram From Acting Secretary of Defense Vance to Secretary of Defense McNamara, in Vietnam
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/General Counsel Files: FRC 75 A 62, Box 55, Binder 35, SecDef Cable Files. Top Secret; Literally Eyes Only. Sent to MACV headquarters in Saigon with an instruction to the Duty Officer to deliver it personally to McNamara only. The source text has a stamped indication that Secretary McNamara saw it.
62. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 7:16 a.m.
63. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. No classification marking. The President put a line through the entire memorandum, crossed out the third point, and wrote at the bottom, “Rewrite eliminating 3.” Bundy submitted the rewritten memorandum to President Johnson on July 23 under a covering memorandum stating: “This is a revised version of an earlier paper, but it may clearly be out-of-date.” The revised version was identical to the memorandum printed here except for the omission of the third point. (Ibid.)
64. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. No classification marking.
65. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 8:02 a.m. and passed to the White House.
66. Memorandum From the Ambassador-Designate to Vietnam (Lodge) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXXVII, Memos (B). Top Secret. Lodge apparently wrote this memorandum in Saigon and sent it to the White House upon his return from Vietnam.
67. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. Top Secret. The source text bears no drafting information. A list of comments on the memorandum, prepared by Lodge in Saigon on July 19, indicates that it was drafted by McNaughton on July 18. (Washington National Records Center, RG 330, McNamara Files: FRC 71 A 3470, Box 2) U. Alexis Johnson sent his comments on the July 18 draft to McNaughton on July 19. (Ibid.)
69. Memorandum From Richard C. Bowman of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXXVII. Top Secret.
70. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. No classification marking.
71. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, Box 1. No classification marking. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room of the White House. The notes were originally handwritten by Valenti and later transcribed. They are quoted extensively in Valenti, A Very Human President, pp. 319-40. For another account of this meeting, see Document 72; more information on attendance is in footnote 1 thereto. For other first-hand accounts of the White House meetings on Vietnam on July 21 and July 22, see Johnson, Vantage Point, pp. 147-148; and Ball, The Past Has Another Pattern, pp. 399-403. William Bundy also wrote an account of the meetings. (Johnson Library, Papers of William P. Bundy, Ch. 27, pp. 30-33)
72. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 2 E, 1965 Troop Decision. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Prepared by Cooper on July 22. Valenti’s notes of the July 21 meeting do not list Cooper among those present; see Document 71. An attendance list attached to Cooper’s record of the meetings indicates that, in addition to those listed by Valenti, Cooper and Busby of the White House staff and Marks of USIA were present for the morning and afternoon meetings. Clark Clifford was invited and attended the afternoon meeting.
73. 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, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXXVII. No classification marking.
74. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. No classification marking.
75. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Busby) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, Office Files of Horace Busby, Vietnam, Box 3. Secret.
76. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, Box 1. No classification marking. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room of the White House. The notes were originally handwritten by Valenti and later transcribed. They are quoted extensively in Valenti, A Very Human President, pp. 340-352. Valenti recalled that before this meeting, President Johnson told him: “All these recommendations seem to be built on a pretty soft bottom. Everything blurs when you get almost to the gate.” (Ibid., p. 341)
77. Meeting Agenda
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. No classification marking. The source text bears no drafting information, but the agenda was apparently drafted by McGeorge Bundy between the noon and 3 p.m. meetings; see Documents 76 and 78.
78. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, Box 1. No classification marking. The notes were originally handwritten by Valenti and later transcribed. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room of the White House.
79. Memorandum From John Kenneth Galbraith to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, Confidential File, ND 19/CO 312. Confidential. Sent to President Johnson by Galbraith under a covering memorandum dated July 22, which states: “This is meant as a sympathetic suggestion on a problem that I know is worrying you.” The covering memorandum is marked with an indication that the President saw Galbraith’s memorandum.
80. Memorandum From the Assistant Director of the Bureau of the Budget (Rowen) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. No classification marking. McGeorge Bundy forwarded this memorandum to President Johnson at 7:45 p.m. on July 22, noting in his covering memorandum that it was the “quick and dirty report” on calling up the reserves that he had mentioned on the telephone.
81. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, National Intelligence Estimates File. Top Secret; Sensitive; Controlled Dissem. The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of AEC, NSA, and the Departments of State and Defense participated in the preparation of this estimate. The estimate was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by the members of the U.S. Intelligence Board, except for the Assistant to the Director of the FBI, who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside his jurisdiction.
82. Memorandum From Justice Arthur J. Goldberg to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, Confidential File, ND 19/CO 312. No classification marking. Attached to a note by President Johnson’s secretary, dated August 17, that reads: “Fr. his [Johnson’s] pocket, he has had it since Camp David, the weekend of July 23, 1965.” Goldberg had agreed by the time he wrote this memorandum to become U.S. Representative to the United Nations, a position to which he was appointed on July 26.
83. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII. Secret.
84. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to Bangkok eyes only for Ambassador Johnson. Received at 8:21 a.m. on July 25 and passed to the White House.
85. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, Box 1. No classification marking. The notes were originally handwritten by Valenti and later transcribed. The meeting was held in Aspen Lodge.
86. Memorandum From Gordon Chase of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXXVII. Top Secret.
87. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, Box 1. No classification marking. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room of the White House. The notes were originally handwritten by Valenti and later transcribed. An hour before the meeting, McGeorge Bundy sent the President an agenda that included: the SAM site, taking Vietnam to the United Nations, a general plan for Congressional consultation and a public announcement of the build-up, and further consultation with the South Vietnamese Government. In a covering memorandum, Bundy noted that an additional item on covert negotiations was not listed on the agenda. Only he, Rusk, Ball, and McNamara were aware of it, and all felt that no one else should be informed. Bundy suggested that the President might want to have a small follow-up meeting in his office on the matter. (Ibid., National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XII) No record of such a meeting has been found.
88. 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 Unger, cleared by McGeorge Bundy and William Bundy, and approved by Unger.
89. 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 Unger, cleared in substance by William Bundy and McGeorge Bundy, and approved by Unger.
90. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File, Box 1. No classification marking. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room of the White House. The notes were originally handwritten by Valenti and later transcribed.