61. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Vietnam, April 64. Secret. Drafted by Colby on May 24. Bromley Smith prepared an account of this meeting, which he noted began at 11 a.m; for text, see Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, vol. I, pp. 369–374.

62. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Vietnam 1964. Secret; Eyes Only. Dictated by McCone and transcribed by his secretary on May 25.

63. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Secret; Immediate; Verbatim Text. Drafted by Trueheart, cleared by William Bundy, and approved by Rusk. Repeated to Vientiane.

64. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to the Executive Committee of the National Security Council

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Laos, Vol. V, Memos, 5/21/64–5/31/64. Secret. Drafted by Bundy on May 26.

65. Memorandum From the Director of Intelligence and Research (Hughes) to Acting Secretary of State Ball

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 LAOS. Secret.

66. Telegram From the White House to the Johnson Ranch in Texas

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Vol. II, 5/64–6/64, Memos (B). Top Secret; Exdis.

67. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Rusk at Bangkok

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Sent also to New Delhi. Drafted by U. Alexis Johnson and cleared by Ball.

68. Telegram From Secretary of State Rusk to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL US–USSR. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Rusk was in Thailand for a brief visit after attending Indian Prime Minister Nehru’s funeral in New Delhi, May 28–30. Kosygin also attended the funeral. (Johnson Library, Rusk Appointment Book)

69. Summary Record of Meeting

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, McNamara Files: FRC 72 A 3470, Southeast Asian Strategy. Top Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. President Johnson’s major advisers met in Honolulu, June 1–2, primarily to discuss Vietnam.

70. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Laos, Vol. VI, Memos, 6/1/64–6/14/64. Secret.

71. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Memo for the Record, 6 Apr-8 July 1964. Secret. Drafted by Colby on June 8.

72. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 69 A 926, Laos 000.1—Sensitive (381 Laos), 1964. Top Secret; Sensitive.

73. Memorandum for Discussion

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Special Meetings on Southeast Asia, Vol. I. Top Secret. Prepared for the President for a meeting on June 5 at 6 p.m. A copy of this memorandum was attached to a June 5 memorandum from McNamara to the President, entitled “South Vietnam Action Program”; see Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, vol. I, pp. 461–464. A title page to that memorandum indicates that the paper and its attachments were prepared in the Department of Defense for the use of the President at a meeting on June 5, at 6 p.m.

The President met with Rusk, McGeorge Bundy, and McNamara from 6:52 to 7:43 p.m., June 5. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) No other record of the discussion has been found.

74. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, WPB Chron, Mar/June 1962. Top Secret.

75. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Memos for the Record, 6 Apr-8 July 1964. Secret. Drafted by Colby on June 8. The time of the meeting is from Rusk’s Appointment Book; according to the President’s Daily Diary, Rusk met with the President at 6:52 p.m. (Both Johnson Library)

76. Summary Record of the 533d Meeting of the National Security Council

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Meetings, Vol. 2, Tab 6, 6/6/64, Laos. Top Secret. Prepared by Forrestal.

77. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Johnson Library, John McCone Memoranda, Meetings with President, 1/4/64–4/28/64. Secret; Eyes Only. Dictated by McCone and transcribed by his secretary. Copies were sent to Carter and Helms. McCone mistakenly describes this as an Executive Committee of the NSC meeting. It is a formal numbered NSC meeting. For Forrestal’s account of the meeting, see Document 76.

78. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Top Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by William Bundy, cleared in substance with McNamara and U. Alexis Johnson, and approved by William Bundy. Repeated to CINCPAC, Bangkok, and Saigon.

79. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Vol. II, Memos (A), 5/64–6/64. No classification marking. There is an indication on the source text that Johnson saw it.

80. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of McGeorge Bundy, Meetings on SEA, Vol. I. Top Secret. Drafted by Forrestal on June 10.

81. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Meetings with the President, 1 May–31 Oct 1964. Secret; Eyes Only. Dictated by McCone on June 8 and transcribed by his secretary. For Forrestal’s account of this meeting, see Document 80.

82. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Top Secret; Flash; Exdis. Received at the Department of State at 9:48 a.m., June 8.

83. Memorandum of Conference With President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of McGeorge Bundy, Meetings on Southeast Asia, Vol. I. Top Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Bromley Smith. Colby and Cooper prepared a separate although substantively similar memorandum for the record of this meeting, June 8. (Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Meetings with President, 1 May–31 Oct, 1964)

84. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Drafted by Rusk and William Bundy; cleared with Manning, Harriman, Sullivan, and U. Alexis Johnson; and approved by Rusk and William Bundy. Repeated to Geneva for Ball.

85. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Harriman) and Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff

Source: Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, Kennedy and Johnson Administrations. Secret; No Distribution; Personal.

86. Memorandum From Senator Mike Mansfield to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Laos, Vol. VI, Memos 6/1/64–6/14/64. Personal and Confidential.

87. Draft Paper Prepared for a White House Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. V. Top Secret. No drafter is indicated on the source text, but at the White House meeting (see Document 88) Forrestal summarized the paper and explained its rationale.

88. Summary Record of Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of McGeorge Bundy, Meetings on Southeast Asia, Vol. I. Top Secret; Sensitive. Apparently drafted by Bromley Smith. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room at the White House. The President did not attend. Dean Rusk returned to the Department of State from this meeting at 7:25 p.m. (Ibid., Rusk Appointment Book)

89. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Memos for the Record, 6 Apr-8 July, 1964. Secret. Drafted by Colby on June 11. Colby mistakenly describes this as an NSC meeting. For Bromley Smith’s version, see Document 88.

90. Memorandum From the Counselor and Chairman of the Policy Planning Staff (Rostow) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Vol. III, Memos B, 6/64–8/64. Top Secret.