Historical Documents - Office of the Historian

Washington, November 29, 1967, 1:40–2:37 p.m.

[Here follows discussion of Cyprus and Thailand.]

The President asked about the over-flight of B–52s over Laos.

Secretary Rusk said Souvanna Phouma had some problems with this. Secretary Rusk recommended night-time flying if this is possible.

General Wheeler said there are three aspects involved:

(1): Recommends doing away with restriction against flying over Laos during the day and night. This will shorten the turn-around time, will permit the B–52s to get up to their twelve hundred sorties per month, and will cut down on operational cost.
(2): Even trained eyes cannot identify B–52s flying at 20,000 to 30,000 feet, and tell them apart from KC–135s which are permitted to fly over Laos now.
(3): It is no longer necessary to couple strikes in South Vietnam with the flights out of Thailand since B–52s stationed on Guam are hitting areas in South Vietnam already.

The President approved the over-flights.2

[Here follows discussion on Vietnam scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, volume V.]

Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnson’s Notes of Meetings, 11/29/67. Top Secret. The meeting was held at the White House.↩
This approval was transmitted to Vientiane in telegram 76627, November 29. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S)↩

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVIII, Laos