Office of the Historian

149. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson1

Washington, September 22, 1965.

This memorandum outlines the basis for the increase in estimated US force requirements in South Vietnam from the 175,000 discussed in [Page 412] early July and mentioned in my July 20 recommendations2 to the 210,000 figure referred to in my September 1 memorandum to you.3

You will recall that at your July 28 press conference4 you stated that you had ordered deployments which would raise our fighting strength from 75,000 to 125,000 men almost immediately, that additional forces would be needed later, and that they would be sent as requested.

Prior to that date—specifically, on July 24—the Joint Staff, as a result of MACV requests, had revised their total for 1965 deployment, increasing it to a little more than 195,000. I mentioned this higher figure to you at the time. At the August 2-6 Honolulu Meeting of General Wheeler, Admiral Sharp and General Westmoreland, the 1965 “Phase I” requirements were refined to 210,000. The Joint Chiefs of Staff on August 23 therefore made specific deployment recommendations totaling approximately 210,000.5

Refinements continue to be made. For example, General Wheeler on September 4 listed an additional 3,000 for the 1965 Phase I (mainly three engineer construction/combat battalions); at the same time he indicated that approximately an equivalent number listed earlier (mainly helicopter personnel) will be arriving after the end of 1965. My prediction is that the final version of the 1965 Phase I requirement will end up exceeding 210,000 by a few thousand.

The differences between the 175,000 figure first mentioned in July and the 210,000 number now being discussed are primarily attributable to additional (a) air lift to move supplies around the country for both civilian and military purposes, (b) air defense, (c) artillery to support offensive operations and to provide immediate response to calls for help by villages under attack, (d) strike aircraft and associated support, (e) engineers, primarily to construct additional air bases, and (f) fleshing out, according to General Westmoreland’s requests, of existing operational units and advisory and support elements (refugee relief teams, intelligence teams, communications, and security units, etc.).

You have authorized the deployment of 175,000 US personnel. I recommend that, at the present time, you authorize the movement of an additional 35,000 men, bringing the total to 210,000. These deployments are essential to our effort. The authority will cover our requirements as they now appear although, as we have discussed before, forces in addition to the 210,000 may be needed later.

Robert S. McNamara
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XL, Memos (A). Top Secret.↩
  2. Document 67.↩
  3. Document 132.↩
  4. See Document 97.↩
  5. See footnote 2, Document 132.↩