Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
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Size and composition:
There has been considerable study of the size and composition of U.S. combat forces for possible deployment to Vietnam. The latest I have seen were CINCPAC's tentative views, after refinement. A U.S. Army infantry division to the High Plateau region, reinforced with Army Aviation, Engineers, Artillery, etc. The Seventh Fleet would relieve the Vietnamese need for readiness to resist large scale invasion by sea. A minimum number of U.S. Navy patrol craft to help develop and train the Vietnamese Junk Forces, while initially supplementing the efforts. The air effort would be based near Saigon, with eight B57's (later relieved by F100 squadron) for border surveillance, four F102's for possible air defense, two or three TAC recce aircraft, and provisional C47 squadron.
Location:
Much of the thinking has been on stationing U.S. combat forces in the High Plateau, where they would be well located in relation to borders vulnerable to overt Communist aggression. However, General Williams has written a brief memo for me, recommending such U.S. forces be stationed on the coast, at Da Nang (Tourane), Nha Trang, and Phan Thiet, where sea, road, rail, and air facilities would permit further deployment as necessary in a contingency.
Any of the above locations would permit the relief of Vietnamese forces for training or operations against the Viet Cong. Also, any of the above locations have good areas for training of Vietnamese forces, if this were to be a mission of the U.S. forces.
Recommendations:
Since the deployment of U. S. combat forces in Vietnam is predicated on the request for them, by the Government of Vietnam, since this request hasn't been made yet, and since President Diem is sending. Nguyen Dinh Thuan (Secretary of Security, Defense, Interior, etc.) to Washington next week to bring us Vietnam's "definitive military needs," it is recommended that you explore this subject with Secretary Thuan towards getting a precise definition of the use of U.S. forces in Vietnam. With concrete information, you will then have a firm position for further decisions.
| cc: | Secretary McNamara |
| General Lemnitzer | |
| Assistant Secretary Nitze |
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