Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
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General Le May said that these aircraft could always be moved in to scare us off.
The Secretary next asked to what extent the Defense Department had been influenced by the danger of escalation. Had this made any considerable difference? Mr. McNamara replied that it would be easy for the PL or the Chinese Communists prevent successful landings at Vientiane or Somo.
Admiral Burke said that the situation had deteriorated quite a bit but he still thought it possible to go in. War is dangerous, he said. If pushed we could retreat across the river, reinforce from Udorn and go back and fight.
When the Secretary asked whether we could send in troops to secure the airfield, Admiral Burke said that would be a first task. Mr. McNamara said it would be easy for the enemy to deny us the airfield as we would need thirty-six sorties a day to get US troops into Vientiane.
Mr. Bundy said that if we took this action we would be doing something which most countries would not appreciate.
The Attorney General asked where would be the best place to stand and fight, in Southeast Asia, where to draw the line. Mr, McNamara said he thought we would take a stand in Thailand and South Viet-Nam. The Attorney General asked whether we would save any of Laos, but the major question was whether we would stand up and fight.
Admiral Burke said that we could hold Tourane, and General Le May observed that we could use air power back as far as necessary, letting the enemy have all of the countryside but that the PL could be stopped by air power.
Mr. McNamara said that we would have to attack the DRV if we gave up Laos.
The Secretary suggested that the part of Laos from the 17th Parallel across to the Mekong might be easier to hold than the entire country.
General Decker thought that there was no good place to fight in Southeast Asia but we must hold as much as we can of Viet-Nam, Cambodia and Laos. At this point the Secretary said that we had missed having government troops who were willing to fight.
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