384. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–262. Top Secret. 1 Drafted by Sullivan and approved in S on June 12. The meeting was held in McNamara’s office at the Pentagon. Forrestal and Taylor also made records of this meeting: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/1/62–6/5/62 and National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Das Buch, Laos. According to Rusk’s appointment book, his next appointment was at 12:10, therefore the meeting probably ended before that. (Johnson Library, Rusk Appointment Book)

385. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/1/62–6/5/62. Secret.

386. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Kennedy

Source: Washington, National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542, Laos 381. McNamara purposely did not sign this memorandum and it apparently did not go the White House.

387. Memorandum from Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office File, Countries, Laos Security, 6/5/62. Top Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.

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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–562. Secret; Niact. Repeated priority to Paris, London, and Bangkok, and to CINCPAC for POLAD, Geneva for Fecon, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur, and New Delhi.

389. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542, Laos 381, 1962. Top Secret.

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

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/6/62–6/12/62. Top Secret.

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

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542, Laos 381. Top Secret.

392. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/6/62–6/12/62. Secret.

393. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–962. Top Secret. Drafted by Sullivan, Hilsman, and Johnson.

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

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/6/62–6/12/62. Top Secret.

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

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/6/62–6/12/62. Secret.

396. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–1262. Top Secret. Drafted by Sullivan on June 12 and approved in S on June 26. The meeting was held in the Secretary’s conference room. The Secretary left at 12:50 p.m. for the White House for lunch with the President of Panama. (Johnson Library, Rusk Appointment Book)

397. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/13/62–6/25/6. Top Secret.

398. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/13/62–6/25/62. Top Secret. Prepared by Forrestal. A note on the top margin in McGeorge Bundy’s hand reads “weekend reading.”

399. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Thailand

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–1462. Secret. Drafted by Queneau, cleared in draft by Wright and Harriman, and approved by Cross. Repeated to Vientiane.

400. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Brubeck) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/13/62–6/25/62. Secret. According to the covering note to Bundy, June 26, this memorandum was requested by Forrestal and was signed for Brubeck by J.T. Rogers of S/S.

401. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/26/62–6/30/62. Confidential. On the Department of State copy, Koren was indicated as the drafter, Harriman cleared, and Legal Adviser Abram Chayes cleared in draft. E.S. Little of S/S signed for Brubeck. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2762)

402. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/26/62–6/30/62. Confidential. On the Department of State copy, Koren was indicated as the drafter, Harriman cleared, and Legal Adviser Abram Chayes cleared in draft. E.S. Little of S/S signed for Brubeck. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2762)

403. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 6/26/62–6/30/62. Confidential. On the Department of State copy, Koren was indicated as the drafter, Harriman cleared, and Legal Adviser Abram Chayes cleared in draft. E.S. Little of S/S signed for Brubeck. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2762)

404. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 7/1/62–7/16/62. Secret. Drafted by Forrestal.

405. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Ball to President Kennedy

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/6–2862. Top Secret. Drafted by Cross and cleared by Harriman and Koren. Kennedy requested this memorandum at a meeting on June 13; see Document 398.

406. Telegram From the Delegation to the Conference on Laos to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/7–362. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Moscow, London, Paris, Bangkok, and Vientiane.

407. Memorandum From President Kennedy to His Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 7/1/62–7/16/62. The memorandum was not signed or initialed by Kennedy. Bundy wrote the following note on the source text: “done & understood.”

408. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative’s Naval Aide (Bagley) to the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Laos #2, 7, T–265–69. Secret.

409. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative’s Naval Aide (Bagley) to the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Laos #2, 7, T–265–69. Secret.

410. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, Chronology File, May to August, 1962. Secret. Drafted by Sullivan and authorized by Harriman. The meeting was held in Barrington’s suite at the Hotel Suisse.

411. Editorial Note