January 1964 to June 1964: U.S. Response to the Pathet Lao/North Vietnamese Offensives of February and May; U.S. Support for Souvanna Phouma During the April Coup; U.S. Photo Reconnaissance and the Retaliatory Attack of June
1. Memorandum From the Deputy Director for Coordination, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Scott) to the Special Group
Source: Department of State,INR/IL Historical Files, Special Group Meetings. Secret; Eyes Only.
2. Telegram From the Central Intelligence Agency to the Station in Saigon
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Special Category Messages, Vol. I, 11/63–1/65. Secret; Exclusive; No Night Action. Sent to Saigon exclusive for Lodge, Harkins, and the Station Chief; repeated exclusive to Honolulu for Felt, Department of State for Hilsman, OSD for McNamara, JCS for Taylor and Anthis, and the White House for McGeorge Bundy.
3. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 LAOS. Secret. Drafted by Neubert and Hilsman on February 15. Copy sent to Harriman.
4. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Vietnam, 01 Feb-27 Feb, 1964. Secret. Drafted by Colby, who apparently also attended the meeting.
5. Memorandum From the Chief of the Far East Division, Directorate of Plans (Colby) to Director of Central Intelligence McCone
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Vietnam, 1 Feb-27 Feb, 1964. Secret. Submitted with Helms’ concurrence.
6. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 1–1 ASIA SE. Secret. Drafted by Neubert on February 25 and cleared by Sullivan. A copy was sent to Harriman.
7. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Solbert) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 68 A 306, Asia 092, Jan-May 1964. Secret. There was no date on this memorandum but there was an indication that it was received in McNamara’s office at 12:30 p.m., February 26. A note on the source text indicates McNamara saw it on February 26.
9. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 1–1 ASIA SE. Secret. Drafted by Green. There is a note on this memorandum indicating that Rusk saw it.
11. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Top Secret; Priority. Repeated to Bangkok, CINCPAC for POLAD, Phom Penh, and Saigon.
13. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Repeated to Bangkok also for DEPCHJUSMAG, CINCPAC for POLAD, Saigon also for Harkins, and Phnom Penh.
15. Telegram From the Central Intelligence Agency to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret. This telegram was a relay of CAS Saigon 5161, sent to the Department of State Exclusive for Sullivan and Stoneman, to the White House Exclusive for Forrestal, to OSD Exclusive for McNaughton, to JCS Exclusive for Anthis, and to ISA Exclusive for Blouin. Repeated to Vientiane and Honolulu.
16. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by William Bundy, cleared by McGeorge Bundy and Harriman, and approved by William Bundy. Also sent to Saigon as telegram 1448.
17. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Top Secret; Priority. Repeated priority to Saigon.
19. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 LAOS. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Barbis, cleared by Trueheart and Sullivan, and approved by William Bundy. Repeated to Saigon, Bangkok, London, Paris, and CINCPAC.
20. Telegram From the Consulate General in Hong Kong to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 LAOS. Confidential, Priority, Repeated to Bangkok, CINCPAC for POLAD, Saigon, Taipei, and Vientiane.
21. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (Fitch) to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Admin Files: FRC 7425, Laos 381. Top Secret. A note on the source text indicates that McNamara saw this memorandum on April 10.
22. Situation Report No. 1
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Laos, Vol. II, 4/16/64–4/30/64. Secret. No drafter indicated, but it was prepared in the Operations Center of the Department of State.
23. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Johnson Library, John McCone Memoranda, Meetings with the President, 4/30/64–5/20/64. Secret. Drafted by Colby on April 20, who mistakenly characterized this as an NSC meeting. It was not an official numbered meeting of the National Security Council.
24. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Rusk at Saigon
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 LAOS. Secret; Immediate; No Distribution. Drafted and approved by Ball.
25. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Rusk at Saigon
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Drafted by Green, cleared in substance by McNamara and McGeorge Bundy, cleared in draft by U. Alexis Johnson and Thompson, and approved by Ball. Repeated immediate to Vientiane.
26. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 LAOS. Secret; Immediate. Drafted by Green, cleared in draft by U. Alexis Johnson, cleared in substance by Forrestal, and approved by Harriman.
27. Transcript of a Teletype Conference Between the Ambassador to Laos (Unger) and Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, WPB Chron, Mar/June 1964. Secret; Limited Distribution. Unger was in Vientiane; Rusk was in Saigon. The date of the teletype conference is Saigon time, 13 hours ahead of Washington time.
28. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Received at the Department of State at 9:30 p.m. April 19. Passed to the White House, CIA, JCS, OSD, and USUN.
29. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 LAOS. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to Bangkok. Received at the Department at 7:46 a.m., April 20. Passed to the White House, CIA, OSD, and USUN.
30. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security Files, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. III, 4/1–30/64. No classification marking. A note on the source text indicates that the President read it on April 21.