Discussion on Ending the War and Deployment of Additional U.S. Forces, July 29-November 26, 1965


158. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XV. Top Secret; Nodis; Eyes Only. Also sent to Acting Secretary Ball. There is an indication on the source text that the President saw this memorandum. Rusk and Gromyko were at the United Nations for the 20th session of the General Assembly.


159. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (McNaughton)

Source: Department of State, Bundy Files: Lot 85 D 240, WPB Chron. Top Secret. McNaughton passed a copy of this letter to the JCS on October 6. (Washington National Records Center,RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Vietnam 381)


160. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Emmett B. Ford, Jr., of the Office of German Affairs on October 8 and approved in S on October 13. The meeting was held at USUN.


162. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Exdis. Repeated to USUN, Moscow, and Budapest.


163. Memorandum From Chester L. Cooper 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, Vietnam, Vol. XLI, Memos (A). Confidential.


164. Paper by the Ambassador at Large (Thompson)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XVI, Memos (A). Secret. Thompson sent this paper to Bundy under cover of a memorandum that reads: “The attached report was largely prepared in State and was reviewed by General Taylor, Mr. McNaughton, Mr. William Bundy, Mr. Unger and myself.


165. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Confidential. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.


166. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 6:40 a.m. Bundy sent the President a retyped copy of this telegram on October 14 under cover of a memorandum that reads: “We are puzzled by his conversation with Thieu—in the sense that we see no reason why the Viet Cong should be able to win politically in a fair fight if they are as unpopular as we all believe. I am having a further analysis made on this point. Otherwise, an interesting report.


167. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-7 VIET. Secret; Exdis.


168. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Lisle and approved in S on November 26. The source text is labeled “Part I of III.” The meeting was held in the James Madison Room of the Department of State.


170. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central File, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate time of transmission; the telegram was received at 2:26 a.m.


171. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 2:40 a.m. McGeorge Bundy sent a retyped copy of this telegram to the President under cover of an October 20 memorandum that states that Lodge “sheds more light this time on the shape of the political problem. In this sense, it is a better report than last week’s, though the more we learn of the problem the harder the job looks.” Bundy noted that “good reporters coming back from Vietnam are optimistic as they have never been before. I have talked at some length with both Joe Alsop and Warren Rogers—listened rather than talked—and both of them are encouraging.


172. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to USUN and CINCPAC for POLAD. Received at 5:52 a.m.


173. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-7 VIET. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.


174. Memorandum From Chester L. Cooper 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, Vietnam, Negotiation. Secret; Eyes Only.


175. Letter From the Representative to the United Nations (Goldberg) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Negotiation. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that the original letter was in the U.N.-Goldberg correspondence file.


176. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Exdis. Received at 8:37 a.m. and passed to the White House.


177. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, EA/ACA Files: Lot 69 D 412, Mai Van Bo, 1965. Secret; Limdis. Received at 6:08 p.m.


178. Draft Paper by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLI, Memos (A). Top Secret. According to a typed notation on the source text this was a second draft. A copy of the first, dated October 20, is in the Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ADMIN Files: FRC 70 A 1265, Vietnam 380.


179. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 41-Point Program in Non-Military Sphere in SVN. Secret.


180. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Name File, President Eisenhower. Top Secret. President Johnson wrote the following note on the source text: “See me on this. L


181. Paper by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLI, Memos (A). Top Secret. According to a note attached to another copy of this paper, William Bundy sent it “Strictly Eyes Only” to Ball, McGeorge Bundy, and Thompson on October 26. (Department of State, Bundy Papers: Lot 85 D 240, WPB Chron)


182. Memorandum From the Administrator, Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs (Schwartz) to Chester L. Cooper of the National Security Council Staff

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLI, Memos (A). Secret. Also sent to McNaughton, William Bundy, Unger, Meeker, and Assist-ant Secretary of State for Public Affairs James L. Greenfield. Drafted by Frank A. Sieverts, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.


183. Draft Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLI, Memos (A). Secret. There is no indication on the source text that this message was sent.


184. Intelligence Memorandum

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. XLI, Memos (A). Secret; No Foreign Dissem [text not declassified]. Disseminated by the Directorate of Intelligence.


186. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.


187. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 5:34 a.m. McGeorge Bundy sent a retyped copy of this telegram to the President with the observation that it was “more cheerful than usual.” There is an indication on the White House copy that the President saw it. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. XVI)