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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-LCH-02
In this interview Heinz discusses his primary contacts in other government agencies; the Vietnam task force; the different political trips and survey missions to Vietnam; the Maxwell D. Taylor-Walt W. Rostow mission to Vietnam and subsequent report; the Ngo Dinh Diem regime; the rise in interest in the concept of counterinsurgency; problems with working in Vietnam; changing the terrain in Vietnam with the use of defoliants; the Strategic Hamlet program; how to measure success in warfare; the International Control Commission; General Paul D. Harkins; the various agency reports coming out of Vietnam and interagency meetings; the Buddhist crisis in the summer of 1963; the appointment of Henry Cabot Lodge as Ambassador; and the military coup in Saigon and the rumors leading up to it, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-ROWK-05
In this interview Komer discusses working with McGeorge Bundy; the “inner circle” of the Bundy State Department; Komer’s major contacts; the intelligence system; the power and responsibilities of the State Department; how Bundy screened what President John F. Kennedy [JFK] would see; relations with other key officials; Robert F. Kennedy and foreign policy issues; the Bundy State Department and White House staff; the “little State Department” in the White House; the bureaucratic role of the State Department; U.S. foreign policy in Asia; relations with key U.S. Ambassadors; handling Arab-Israeli issues; domestic pressures of American-Jewish community on JFK; Arabists in the Kennedy Administration; working with Myer Feldman on Israeli issues; the United States, Saudi Arabia, and oil; filling the power vacuum left by the British; dealing with Congress on foreign aid matters; counterinsurgency; and looking back at programs during the Kennedy Administration, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-TGW-01
In this interview Wicker discusses early impressions of John F. Kennedy [JFK], 1952–1961; Lyndon B. Johnson campaigning for JFK in the South, 1960; Richard M. Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge’s 1960 presidential campaign; JFK and Johnson in the August 1960 special session of Congress; Wicker’s first interview with President JFK for the New York Times, 1961; building a rapport with JFK’s staff; various Times articles, by Wicker and others, about the Kennedy Administration and White House reactions to them; Wicker’s arguments with Pierre E.G. Salinger over certain articles; year-end briefings in Palm Beach; and President JFK’s press conferences, among other issues.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-201-001
This file contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam. Topics include relations with the United States, U.S. aid, the South Vietnamese economy and the Commercial Import Program (CIP), religious persecution and demonstrations by Buddhists, military operations against the Viet Cong, and the government of President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-200-006
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam. Topics include United States policy towards South Vietnam and the government of President Ngo Dinh Diem, Ngo Dinh Nhu, and his wife Madame Nhu (Tran Le Xuan); U.S. aid; religious persecution and demonstrations by Buddhists; and U.S. military objectives in the conflict against the Viet Cong. Of note is a draft of a letter from President John F. Kennedy to President Diem.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-200-002
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam. Topics include religious persecution and demonstrations by Buddhists and students, the political climate surrounding President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem and his chief advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu, the conflict with the Viet Cong, and a trip to the region by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and Military Representative to the President General Maxwell Taylor.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-199-006
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam. Topics include religious persecution and demonstrations by Buddhists and students, the political climate surrounding President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem and his chief advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu, a visit to the United States by Madame Nhu (Tran Le Xuan), and the conflict with the Viet Cong.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-198-004
This file contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam and Buddhists. Topics include religious persecution by the government, attacks on pagodas by police and troops, and the decree of martial law. Also included are telegrams discussing a potential coup to overthrow President Diem and an increase of United States troops in Vietnam. Of note is a special report by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) titled, "The Buddhists in South Vietnam."
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-198-003
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam and Buddhists. Topics include religious persecution by the government; demonstrations by Buddhists and students; anti-Buddhist remarks by Madame Nhu (Tran Le Xuan), sister-in-law of President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem; and attacks on four pagodas by police and troops. Also included are telegrams discussing a potential coup to overthrow President Diem and an increase of United States troops in Vietnam. Of note is a special report by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) titled, "Buddhist Militants in Japanese Politics."
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-198-002
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam. Topics include religious persecution and demonstrations by Buddhists, the political climate and President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, and military actions against the Viet Cong. Also included are a report by Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Robert Manning and memoranda of conversations between Assistant Secretary Manning, President Diem, chief advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu, and other officials discussing the relations between United States journalists and Vietnam.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-198-001
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding South Vietnam. Topics include religious persecution and demonstrations by Buddhists; attacks on United States journalists by police; the political climate; and plots to overthrow President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, including one supported by Ngo Dinh Nhu, Diem's chief advisor and brother.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-096-002
Sound recording of a meeting held on July 4, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman, and member of the National Security Council Michael Forrestal. The main focus of this White House off-the-record meeting is the situation in Vietnam. The meeting takes place not long after a Buddhist monk burned himself to death to protest the relationship between the government of Vietnam and the Buddhists and amidst recent Buddhist demonstrations. The possibility of a coup in Vietnam and differing staff assessments of that possibility are also presented. Other topics are discussed near the end of the meeting, including Laos, Indonesia, Brazil, and Averell Harriman’s upcoming mission to Moscow concerning the treaty banning atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, later known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) or the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT), and specific aspects of its negotiations. One segment of the recording totaling 35 seconds has been removed in accordance with the donor's deed of gift. Four segments of the recording totaling 41 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 12958. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 96, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 96 in its entirety.