Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
TOP SECRET – Sensitive
V.B.4.
U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR -- INTERNAL DOCUMENTS
The Kennedy Administration: January 1961 - November 1963
Contents and
Chronological List of Documents
| 1961 | Page | |
| 1. | General Lansdale reports on his January visit to Vietnam: "The U.S. should recognize "that Vietnam is in a critical condition and should treat it as a combat area of the cold war…" He recommends strong support for Diem personally as the best available South Vietnamese leader, and the prompt transfer of Ambassador Durbrow, whose relations with Diem are poor. Memo for Secretary of Defense, 17 January 1961 | 1 |
| 2. | Embassy Saigon is advised that Kennedy has approved Counter-Insurgency Plan (prepared by previous Administration) calling for increases in U.S. support for Vietnamese armed forces, contingent on reforms by Diem. State to Saigon 1054, 3 February 1961 | 14 |
| 3. | The President requests the SecDef to examine means for placing more emphasis on the development of counter guerrilla forces. NSAM 2, 3 February 1961 | 17 |
| 4. | The Secretary of Defense is instructed to report his views on actions in the near future to launch guerrilla operations in Viet Minh territory. NSAM 28, 9 March 1961 | 18 |
| 5. | The JCS comment on the recommendations of Lt Gen Trapnell. In addition to the Trapnell recommendations, the JCS suggest that the U.S. provide Defense support funds on the same basis for 170,000 forces as for 150,000; that the U.S. provide MAP support for the entire 68,000-man Civil Guard; and that the U.S. exploit these contributions to induce the GVN to accept the Counter Insurgency Plan. Memorandum reflects conflict of views between MAAG and Embassy in Saigon. JCS Memorandum for Secretary of Defense , JCSM 228-61, 11 April 1961 | 19 |
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