Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume III, Vietnam, June–December 1965

136. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (McNaughton) to Secretary of Defense McNamara¹

I-36114/65

Washington, September 8, 1965.

SUBJECT

• Concept for Vietnam (U)

In JCSM 652-65 (Tab A),² the Joint Chiefs of Staff outline a concept for the future conduct of the conflict in Vietnam. In the proposed concept, the Joint Chiefs outline factors bearing on the development of a US military strategy, discuss US objectives, tasks, and basic strategy, and recommend principal measures necessary for executing the basic strategy and for achieving US objectives. The concept includes certain generalized courses of action about which there would be little or no dispute and a number of other courses that are clearly controversial and raise far-reaching policy issues (e.g., blockade and mining of DRV, US build-up in Thailand, intensified RT).

The JCS state that they will submit specific recommendations to implement the concept at an early date. They recommend that the concept be approved as the basis for subsequent development of courses of action, forces and other requirements, to include the phasing of operations.

In my judgment, an over-all approval of the concept proposed by the JCS is not required at this time and would not significantly increase US capabilities and planning in dealing with the situation in SEA in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, I recommend that the concept proposed not be specifically approved at this time. Instead I recommend that you indicate to the Chairman, JCS, that you have studied the referenced JCSM and agree to the use of the proposed concept in the formulation of specific recommendations for future operations in SEA.³

Copies of the referenced JCSM have been provided to Bill Bundy and to McGeorge Bundy.

John T. McNaughton

1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Vietnam 381. Top Secret.
2. Document 130.
3. On September 11, McNamara informed the JCS that he had considered JCSM 652-65 and agreed that the recommendations for future operations in Southeast Asia should be formulated and considered individually as they were developed. McNamara noted that he had sent JCSM 652-65 to the Department of State and White House for use in future deliberations. (Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Vietnam 381)