Discussion on Ending the War and Deployment of Additional U.S. Forces, July 29-November 26, 1965
128. Memorandum for President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XXXIX, Memos. Secret; Limdis. There is no drafting information on the source text, which indicates that the President saw the memorandum.
129. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by William Bundy and David H. Popper of IO on August 26 and cleared by Sisco of IO and Ruth Bacon of FE. Repeated to Saigon, London, Ottawa, Canberra, and Bangkok. At 2:55 p.m. on August 27, McGeorge Bundy sent a copy of this cable to the President, noting in a covering memorandum that the response to Thant had been coordinated with the South Vietnamese Government by Ambassador Lodge, and had been prepared in close collaboration with Goldberg. Bundy added: “Dean Rusk and I consider that this entire paper represents no modification of our position, but only a careful and diplomatically skillful statement of it for U Thant’s eyes.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XIII)
130. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Viet 381. Top Secret.
131. Letter From the Ambassador to Vietnam (Lodge) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Lodge Letters to the President. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Received in the White House and delivered to the President on September 2. (Telegram 614 to Saigon, September 2; ibid.)
132. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietrnam, Vol. XI, Memos (A). Top Secret.
133. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-14 VIET/XYZ. Top Secret; Nodis; XYZ. The source text is a copy that does not bear a telegram number or a time of transmission or receipt. For additional information, see the source note, Document 120. In United States-Vietnam Relations, the meeting described in this telegram is incorrectly dated September 3. (Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 106-107)
134. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 2:51 a.m.
135. Memorandum From the President’s Consultant on Vietnam (Taylor) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Memos. Secret. Regarding Taylor’s role as a part-time consultant to the President, see Swords and Plowshares, pp. 358-366.
136. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (McNaughton) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Vietnam 381. Top Secret.
137. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rostow) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 72 D 219, Rolling Thunder Memos, 1965. Secret. Copies were sent to Unger and McGeorge Bundy. The source text is Unger’s unsigned copy; McGeorge Bundy’s signed copy is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Cables.
138. Memorandum by Chester L. Cooper of the National Security Council Staff
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 41-Pt. Program in Non-Military Sphere in SVN. Secret.
139. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, President’s Appointment File, September 13, 1965. Top Secret; Sensitive.
140. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Johnson Library, President’s Appointment File, September 13, 1965. Top Secret. Prepared by Califano.
141. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis. Drafted by William Bundy, approved in draft by McGeorge Bundy and McNamara, and approved by Ball. A September 12 draft of this telegram with handwritten revisions by McGeorge Bundy is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Memos. The substantive changes by McGeorge Bundy are indicated in footnotes below.
142. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Vietnam 381. Top Secret.
143. 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 the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 6:36 a.m. Lodge sent this unnumbered telegram to the Department of State with instructions to pass it to the White House, but a note on the source text indicates that it was not.
144. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 6:08 a.m.
145. Memorandum for the Record
Source: U.S. Military History Institute, Johnson Papers, Close Hold File No. 3. Top Secret. Drafted by Abrams on September 27.
146. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Received at 3:37 a.m. and passed to the White House. There is an indication on another copy of this telegram that the President saw it. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Cables)
147. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XV. Secret.
148. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 72 D 139, SNIE 10-11-65. Top Secret; Sensitive. A note on the cover sheet indicates that the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and Defense and NSA participated in drafting the estimate. All members of the USIB concurred except the representatives of the AEC and FBI, who abstained because the subject was outside their jurisdiction.
149. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Memos (A). Top Secret.
150. 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. XV. Secret.
151. 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. XV. Top Secret. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw the memorandum.
152. Memorandum From Chester L. Cooper of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Memos (A). Secret. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw this memorandum.
153. Memorandum From the National Security Council Executive Secretary (Smith) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Memos. Top Secret.
154. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret. Drafted by Thompson and approved in S/AL on September 27.
155. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Johnson Library, President’s Appointment File, Sept. 29, 1965. Top Secret. Prepared by Califano.
156. 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 2:02 a.m. A retyped copy of this telegram indicates that the President saw the telegram. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XV)
157. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority. Received at 9:27 a.m. and passed to the White House, Department of Defense, and CIA.