September 19–November 27: Manila Conference; Debates Over Pacification and Stabilization of the War
299. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson
Source: Department of State, EA/VN-Vietnam Working Group: Lot 72 D 219, Rolling Thunder Memos, 1966. Top Secret. See Document 298 regarding the transmission of this memorandum to the President.
300. Memorandum of Meeting
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Stearns.
301. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler)
Source: Johnson Library, Warnke Papers, McNaughton Files, Mc NTN VII. Top Secret. Printed in The Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, vol. IV, pp. 364–365.
302. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, box 138, Nodis/Louisiana. Secret; Eyes Only. A copy was sent to McNamara.
303. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, box 141, Aspen. Top Secret; Nodis; Aspen. Drafted by Heyward Isham of EA and Unger. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 655–661. The meeting was held in the Secretaryʼs Dining Room. Documentation on Aspen, the codeword for the negotiating channel with North Vietnam through Sweden, is in Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14/ASPEN, and in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, box 141, Aspen. A substantial selection has been printed in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 655–715.
304. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by Unger; cleared by McNamara, Helms, Gaud, Marks, and Komer; and approved by Rusk and Katzenbach. In telegram 85196 to Saigon, November 15, Rusk told Lodge and Porter that telegram 83699 “was discussed today at highest levels, who wished to emphasize that this represents final and considered decision.” (Ibid.)
305. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. Drafted by Unger and approved by Rusk. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 263–264.
306. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Secret; Flash; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 7:06 a.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 266–268.
307. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LXI. Secret. Copies were sent to Rusk and Wheeler.
308. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, box 147, Marigold [1]. Top Secret; Flash; Nodis; Marigold. Drafted by Cooper and Heywood Isham of EA/VN; cleared by Harriman, Unger, and William Bundy; and approved by William Bundy. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 268–269.
309. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–3 VIET S/LOUISIANA. Secret. Drafted by Bundy.
310. Letter From President Johnson to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Lodge)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LXI. Secret. Drafted by Komer and cleared by McNamara and Rusk. In a back channel telegram, November 18, Komer gave Lodge “advance flavor” of the Presidentʼs reaction to Lodgeʼs November 7 letter, Document 294: “He said I agree with Cabot that pacification is the heart of the matter, Iʼve given him every support I know how and will give him more if he needs it. But I wish heʼd make his people stop arguing about the organizational instructions we send, accept them cheerfully, and get on with the job.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Komer Files, Back Channel Cables)
311. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Komer) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Komer Files, Memos to the President. Secret. The source text is marked with an indication that the President saw the memorandum.
313. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 15. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Copies were sent to Rusk and Katzenbach.
314. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Sweden
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/ASPEN. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Aspen. Drafted by Unger and approved by Rusk. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 662–663.
315. Report Prepared by the Ambassador at Large (Harriman)
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 15. Secret. Harriman forwarded the report to the President and Rusk on November 28, and Rostow forwarded it to the President under cover of a November 29 memorandum stating that “Governor Harriman obviously did a first-class job.” (Ibid.) See Document 281 for information on Harrimanʼs trip.
316. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 VIET S. Secret; Exdis.
317. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET. Secret; Immediate; Nodis.