Office of the Historian

80. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, June 7, 1964.

SUBJECT

  • Meeting with the President, June 7, 1964, Laos Reconnaissance

PRESENT AT THE MEETING

  • Secretary McNamara, Under Secretary Harriman, Deputy Under Secretary Johnson, Assistant Secretary Bundy, Assistant Secretary Manning, Assistant Secretary McNaughton, Director McCone, Deputy Secretary Vance, Mr. Forrestal

The Secretary of Defense reviewed the circumstances surrounding the shooting down of an F8 aircraft flying an escort for the reconnaissance over the Plaine des Jarres early this morning.2

The Secretary of Defense proposed that another flight of two reconnaissance planes, accompanied by between 6 and 8 escorts, follow a maximum safety route to the vicinity of Xieng Khouang Ville. The escort planes would strike a fortification in this area in which aircraft batteries have been identified by photographic reconnaissance. Immediately following the strike, the photo reconnaissance planes would follow, taking additional pictures, and would then exit from Laos by the safest route. The Secretary of Defense said he would prefer that this action take place tomorrow, but understood that the Department of State wished to delay it 24 hours.

Under Secretary Harriman and Assistant Secretary Bundy explained that they did not wish to increase the pace of escalation and particularly wanted to avoid interfering with discussions about the Polish proposal which were currently going on in London and Moscow. They asked, therefore, for a 24-hour delay. The Secretary of Defense agreed.

A proposed press statement prepared by the Department of Defense was also reviewed at the meeting.

The Secretary of Defense proposed that on June 10 a carrier task force from the First Fleet be transferred to the Seventh Fleet and that a public announcement of this fact be made.

The President approved the escorted reconnaissance flight described above to take place on June 9, unless cancelled in the meantime. The President also approved the press statement for release [Page 148] between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 7.3 The President further indicated that he was prepared to approve the proposed announcement of the fleet transfer on June 10.4

Michael V. Forrestal 5
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of McGeorge Bundy, Meetings on SEA, Vol. I. Top Secret. Drafted by Forrestal on June 10.↩
  2. June 6.↩
  3. Apparent reference to a statement released by the Department of State, June 7; see footnote 4, Document 78.↩
  4. Not found.↩
  5. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩