132. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson1
General Westmoreland has requested and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have concurred in the movement of an additional increment of forces to Vietnam.2 This increment would be in addition to the 28 combat battalions, associated air squadrons, and logistic support forces—totalling 125,000—announced by you on 28 July.3 The request is for six additional combat battalions (making a total of 34), associated air squadrons, and logistic support forces—totaling 85,000 additional United States personnel.
I recommend that these additional forces be authorized for movement.
I further recommend that no announcement be made at this time of the decision to deploy additional forces, but that announcements be made only as forces arrive in the theater.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietrnam, Vol. XI, Memos (A). Top Secret.↩
- At the instruction of the JCS, representatives of the Joint Staff, the Military Services, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics), CINCPAC, COMUSMACV, and COMUSKOREA conferred at Honolulu August 3-6 on the details of Phase I deployment of U.S. forces to Vietnam. (History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Vietnam, 1960-1968, Part II, ch. 22, p. 8) On August 23, the JCS approved and forwarded to McNamara the program for deployment of U.S. troops in Phase I worked out at the Honolulu conference. The program provided for 34 battalions and 210,000 U.S. personnel for South Vietnam and 41,000 U.S. personnel stationed in other Pacific and Southeast Asian areas outside Vietnam. (JCSM 643-65 to Secretary of Defense, August 23; Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Vietnam 381)↩
- See Document 97.↩