152. Memorandum From President Truman to Secretary of War Patterson0

Admiral Souers, who has been serving as the Director of the Central Intelligence Group, will be leaving that position in a short time

I discussed his successor with General Eisenhower and suggested to him that Lieutenant General Vandenberg was the proper man to succeed Admiral Souers. General Eisenhower told me that he needed General Vandenberg and he recommended Major General Bonesteel to me.1

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It seems to me that Lieutenant General Vandenberg is the proper person for this position—he knows it from “A to Z”, he is a diplomat and will be able to get along with the State and Navy, as well as the War Department, and if it will not completely cripple General Eisenhower I would like very much to have Lieutenant General Vandenberg assigned to serve as the Director of the Central Intelligence Group.2

Harry S. Truman 3
  1. Source: Truman Library, Papers of Harry S. Truman, Official File. No classification marking.
  2. See the source note to Document 149.
  3. Vandenberg was sworn in as Director of Central Intelligence on June 10.
  4. Printed from a copy that indicates President Truman signed the original.