Vietnam: General, 1963: 22 September-5 October: Defense cables
1963: 22 September-5 October
This file contains Department of Defense cables regarding relations between the United States and South Vietnam, recommendations from a report by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and Military Representative to the President General Maxwell Taylor assessing the military situation against the Viet Cong, and the text of a letter to President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem from General Taylor.
Defense, 1963: July-November
1963: 8 July-19 November
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the Department of Defense. Materials include comments on a Readers Digest article titled, "We're Running the Wrong Race with Russia," a progress report for the Department of Defense cost reduction program, Space Project 461, and a report by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maxwell D. Taylor of their mission to South Vietnam.
Meetings: Tape 108/A43. Vietnam, 29 August 1963
Sound recording of a meeting held on August 29, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, former United States Ambassador to Vietnam Frederick Nolting, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) General Marshall Carter, Director of the United States Information (USIA) Edward R. Murrow, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric, Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Victor Krulak, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman, Deputy Director of the CIA for Plans Richard Helms, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, Military Aide to the President General Chester Clifton, National Security Council member Michael Forrestal, Executive Secretary of the National Security Council Bromley Smith. This meeting is a discussion between President Kennedy and a wide range of Department of State, Department of Defense, CIA, and White House advisors on the volatile situation in South Vietnam. Three segments of the recording totaling 1 minute and 44 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 12958. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 108, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 108 in its entirety.
Meetings: Tape 108/A43. Vietnam, 3 September 1963
Sound recording of a meeting held on September 3, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, former United States Ambassador to Vietnam Frederick Nolting, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) General Marshall Carter, Director of the CIA John McCone, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Maxwell Taylor, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric, Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Victor Krulak, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman, Director of the CIA's Far Eastern Division William Colby, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, Military Aide to the President General Chester Clifton, National Security Council member Michael Forrestal, and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council Bromley Smith. This meeting is the continued discussion between President Kennedy and a wide range of Department of State, Department of Defense, CIA, and White House advisors on the volatile situation in South Vietnam. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 108, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 108 in its entirety.
Meetings: Tape 109. Meeting on Vietnam, 10 September 1963
Sound recording of a meeting about Vietnam held on September 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy; former United States Ambassador to Vietnam Frederick Nolting; Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Maxwell D. Taylor; Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McCone; Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman; Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric; Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) Edward R. Murrow; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman; Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy; National Security Council (NSC) member Michael Forrestal; Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the JCS General Victor Krulak; Executive Secretary of the NSC Bromley Smith; Foreign Service Officer Joseph Mendenhall; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman; Military Aide to the President General Chester Clifton; Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; USIA Official-Public Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, John Mecklin; Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) David Bell; and Assistant Director for Rural Affairs, Operations Mission in Vietnam Rufus Phillips. This meeting is essentially the platform through which General Krulak and Foreign Service Officer Mendenhall report to President John F. Kennedy on their fact-finding mission to South Vietnam in September 1963. General Krulak and Mendenhall's four-day trip was intended to gain an overview of the military and civilian views of the country. General Krulak's view, taken from his visits with military leaders, is generally optimistic on the progress of the war. Mendenhall presents the opposite view, one of widespread military and social discontent. After the two men present their views, President Kennedy quips, "You both went to the same country?" In this rather long and involved meeting, they delve into divergent views and possible steps to take. Responding to a question from former Ambassador Frederick Nolting, State Department official Rufus Phillips comments, "This was not a military war, but a political war." Four segments of the recording totaling 3 minutes and 46 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 109, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 109 in its entirety.
Meetings: Tape 112. Vietnam, 23 September 1963
Sound recording of a meeting about Vietnam held on September 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Maxwell Taylor, Acting Secretary of State George Ball, and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy. President Kennedy speaks with Secretary McNamara and General Taylor prior to their fact-finding mission to South Vietnam. Topics of discussion include whom Secretary McNamara and General Taylor should meet and what steps they should take to help the military win the war. At the end of the meeting there are also brief discussions about Indonesia, funding for the Apollo space mission, and the multilateral force (MLF). Two segments of this recording totaling 2 minutes and 47 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 112, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 112 in its entirety.
Meetings: Tape 112. Cabinet Meeting, Civil Rights discussion with Burke Marshall, Civil Rights Discussion with Officials from Birmingham, AL, 23 September 1963
Sound recording of three meetings. The first is a Cabinet meeting held on September 23, 1963, during which members of several departments brief President John F. Kennedy and each other on topics of particular interest, including private wheat sales to the Soviet Union and relevant political issues, Secretary McNamara and General Taylor's mission to South Vietnam, federal employment, and the economic outlook heading into 1964. Meeting participants include President Kennedy; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara; Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon; Acting Secretary of State George Ball; Herbert Miller for the Attorney General; Acting Postmaster General Sidney Bishop; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman; Secretary of Commerce Luther Hodges; Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz; Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Anthony Celebrezze; Director of the Bureau of the Budget Kermit Gordon; Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Dr. Jerome B. Wiesner; Special Assistant to the President Timothy J. ("Ted") Reardon; Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy; and Special Counsel to the President Ted Sorensen.
Second is a brief meeting on civil rights held on September 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division Burke Marshall. One segment of this recording totaling 16 seconds has been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526.
Third is part of a meeting held on September 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and several city leaders from Birmingham, Alabama, including Dr. Landon Miller, W.C. Hamilton, Caldwell Marks, Frank Newton, and Don Hawkins. They discuss civil rights issues in Birmingham. The recording of this meeting ends abruptly and continues on Tape 113. Please note that this meeting was previously made available for review in 1984.
This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 112, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 112 in its entirety or the remainder of recording of the third meeting on Tape 113.
Meetings: Tape 114/A49. NSC Meeting on McNamara-Taylor Report on Vietnam, 2 October 1963
Sound recording of a National Security Council (NSC) meeting held on October 2, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Maxwell Taylor, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McCone, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. They discuss the mission to Vietnam for Secretary McNamara and General Taylor, and topics include the approval of a press release and a draft policy statement. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 114/A49, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 114/A49 in its entirety.
Vietnam War, 1961-1975 (5)
United States government departments and agencies (1)
Ngo, Dinh Diem, 1901-1963 (1)
(-)South Vietnam (8)
Birmingham (Ala.) (1)
(-)McNamara, Robert S. (Robert Strange), 1916-2009 (8)
Taylor, Maxwell D. (Maxwell Davenport), 1901-1987 (5)
Forrestal, Michael V. (Michael Vincent), 1927-1989 (3)
Hilsman, Roger, 1919-2014 (3)
Krulak, Victor H. (Victor Harold), 1913- (3)
Nolting, Frederick E. (Frederick Ernest), 1911-1989 (3)
Smith, Bromley K. (Bromley Keables), 1911-1987 (3)
Carter, Marshall S. (Marshall Sylvester), 1909-1993 (2)
McCone, John A. (John Alex), 1902-1991 (2)
Murrow, Edward R., 1908-1965 (2)
Bell, David E. (David Elliott), 1919-2000 (1)