October 26-31, 1968: The Bombing Halt
153. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings. No classification marking. The meeting began at 10:09 a.m. in the Cabinet Room with the President, Rusk, Clifford, Rostow, Wheeler, and McPherson in attendance. Christian joined the meeting at 10:15. Read was present for an undetermined period, left, and then returned at 11:30. At 10:24, the President left for the Oval Office to receive a telephone call from Russell. Bundy joined the meeting at 10:30. The President returned at 10:50 a.m. but left again for the Oval Office from 11:52 to noon. The meeting ended at 12:27 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) A summary and full transcript of this meeting are ibid., Transcripts of Meetings in the Cabinet Room.
154. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassies in Vietnam and France
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Outgoing)-October 1968. Secret; Priority; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. Drafted and approved by Bundy and cleared by Read.
155. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Outgoing)-October 1968. Secret; Immediate; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. Repeated to Paris for the delegation as Todel 1412. Drafted from a telephone conversation between Rusk and Bunker, cleared by Read, and approved by Rusk.
156. Notes of Meeting
Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Although the meeting, held in the Cabinet Room, actually began at 3 p.m. with Rusk, Clifford, Wheeler, Rostow, McPherson, Christian, and Tom Johnson attending, these notes cover only the period from when the President joined the meeting at 3:56 until it ended at 5:18. The President, McPherson, and Christian met earlier that day from 12:27 to 1:40 p.m. to work on McPherson’s draft of the President’s speech. Christian and McPherson continued to work on another draft of the speech until the 3 p.m. meeting. The President approved a version of the speech at 4:55 p.m., and he asked Staff Assistant Charles Maguire to review the speech at 5:50. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) A full transcript of the meeting is ibid., Transcripts of Meetings in the Cabinet Room.
157. Situation Report by the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, HARVAN/DOUBLE PLUS, Vol. IV [1 of 2]. Secret; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus.
158. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Incoming)-October 1968. Secret; Flash; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. Received at 12:23 a.m.
159. Situation Report by the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, HARVAN/DOUBLE PLUS, Vol. IV [1 of 2]. Secret; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus.
160. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Outgoing)-October 1968. Secret; Flash; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. Drafted and approved by Read from text received from the White House.
161. Notes of Meetings
Source: Johnson Library, George M. Elsey Papers, Van De Mark Transcripts [1 of 2]. No classification marking. The notes begin with the regular meeting of the Secretary of Defense’s “8:30 Group” and continue throughout the day. Nitze’s brief notes on the same series of meetings is in the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Nitze Papers, Defense Department, Deputy Secretary of Defense Notes, 1968 [6 of 6].
162. Situation Report by the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Memos to the President/Bombing Halt Decision, Vol. III [1 of 2]. Secret; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. In an attached covering note transmitting a copy of this report to the President, October 31, 11:15 a.m., Rostow wrote: “Herewith an interim report of what has been going on in Saigon. The wrangle continues unresolved but Bunker is still in there fighting, armed by your letters.” The notation “ps” on the covering note indicates that the President saw the report.
163. Information Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Memos to the President/Bombing Halt Decision, Vol. III [1 of 2]. Secret; Sensitive. The notation “ps” on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it.
164. Letter From President Johnson to Chairman Kosygin
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Memos to the President/Bombing Halt Decision, Vol. IV [1 of 3]. No classification marking. Rusk passed the letter to Dobrynin during a meeting at 10 p.m. on October 31. (Ibid., Dean Rusk Appointment Books, 1968-1969) A memorandum of conversation of this meeting, dated October 31, was drafted by Rusk. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, Special Files, Public Service, Kennedy-Johnson, Trips & Missions, Paris Peace Talks, Nodis for Harriman/Vance, HARVAN Plus: Cables Outgoing, #54-91)
165. Situation Report by the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, HARVAN/Double Plus, Vol. IV (1 of 2). Secret; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus.
166. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Among President Johnson, Vice President Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and George Wallace
Source: Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, October 1968 [2 of 2]. No classification marking. Although the transcript, prepared by the White House staff, is derived from a recording of the telephone conversation, the recording has not been found. Jones was on the line to arrange the call. The President, at Washington, reached Humphrey at New York, Nixon at Newark, New Jersey, and Wallace at Norfolk, Virginia. The conversation lasted 16 minutes. Clifford, Rusk, Rostow, Wheeler, and Helms joined the President at 5:54 p.m. and remained with him until 6:35 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary)
167. Summary Notes of the 593rd Meeting of the National Security Council
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Meetings File, Vol. 5, Tab 75. Secret; Sensitive; For the President Only. Prepared by Bromley Smith. Those attending the meeting, which was held in the Cabinet Room, were the President, Rusk, Katzenbach, Clifford, Nitze, Secretary of the Army Stanley Resor, Secretary of the Navy Paul Ignatius, Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown, Fowler, Helms, Wheeler, Westmoreland, Palmer, Moorer, Chapman, Acting Air Force Chief of Staff General John Ryan, Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Price Daniel, USIA Director Leonard Marks, Rostow, Smith, Deputy Special Counsel Lawrence Levinson, and Staff Assistants Robert Hardesty and Harry Middleton. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) According to the Daily Diary, the meeting ended at 6:48 p.m., at which time photographers entered. A full transcript of the meeting is ibid., Transcripts of Meetings in the Cabinet Room.
168. Telephone Conversation Between President Johnson and Vice President Humphrey
Source: Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Recording of Telephone Conversation Between Johnson and Humphrey, October 31, 1968, 6:52 p.m., Tape F6810.09, PNO 4-5. No classification marking. This transcript was prepared specifically for this volume in the Office of the Historian. A summary of this conversation is ibid. The Daily Diary noted: “The VP called Jim Jones for the President’s guidance on what to say re Congr. Gerald Ford.” (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary)