National Security Policy


1. Memorandum From the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (LeMay) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 200, Defense Programs and Operations, LeMay’s Memo to President and JCS Views, Box 83. Secret.


2. Memorandum for the Record by Director of Central Intelligence McCone

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, DCI Meetings with the President, 01 January–30 April 1964, Box 6. No classification marking. An undated outline of topics for this briefing of the President is attached but not printed.


3. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330 70 A 4662, 381 DUCC (10 Jan 64) 1963 and 64 Papers. Top Secret.


4. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Subject File, Deep Underground Command Center, Box 8. Top Secret.


5. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Assistant for Atomic Energy (Howard) to Charles E. Johnson of the National Security Council Staff

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Subject File, Nuclear Weapons, Vol. I, Box 32. Top Secret. According to a January 23 covering memorandum from Charles Johnson to McGeorge Bundy, Bundy had requested this status report so the President could “be brought up to date with this special capability.”


6. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to Secretary of State Rusk and Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, TKH Jan. 1964–Feb. 1965, Box 1. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. Copies were sent to William Bundy and Brockway McMillan (DOD); Wheelon and Cline (CIA); and Ambassador Thompson, Chayes, and Hughes (Department of State).


7. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (Coyne) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

[Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Vol. 1 [2 of 2], Box 5. Top Secret. 2 pages of source text not declassified.]


9. Final Report of the Central Intelligence Agency/Defense Intelligence Agency Scientific Guidance Panel

[Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Vol. 1 [2 of 2], Box 5. Secret. 7 pages of source text (including 5-page Appendix A) not declassified.]


10. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Taylor)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 200, Defense Programs and Operations, LeMay’s Memo to President and JCS Views, Box 83. Secret.


11. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence McCone to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Carter)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, DCI McCone Memoranda, 01 March 1962–30 April 1965, Box 9. Secret.


12. Paper Prepared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 200, Defense Programs and Operations, JSOPFY 1969–1971, Feb. 14, 1964, Box 41. Top Secret; Special Handling Required; Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals. Attached but not printed are a title page; a September 5, 1963, memorandum from Colonel R.C. Forbes (SM–1082–63); a table of contents; and a February 14 memorandum from General Taylor to McNamara (CM–1181–64), which noted that Parts I–V of the JSOP, approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were being forwarded prior to final development of Part VI. Parts I–V, Taylor added, “constitute guidance to the commanders of unified and specified commands for their submission of force requirements and a basis for the Joint Chiefs of Staff to determine objective force levels.” He described their contents as follows:

  • “I. Purpose—States the various purposes of the JSOP.
  • “II. Strategic Appraisal—Analyzes the world-wide threat through the mid-range period.
  • “III. Military Objectives—Describes military objectives to support national objectives.
  • “IV. Strategic Concept—Describes anticipated employment of forces on a functional and geographical basis.
  • “V. Basic Undertakings—Describes the basic undertakings of the unified and specified commands envisaged for this period.”

Taylor continued that Part VI, “Force Tabs,” of JSOP-69, which would be forwarded on March 16, “will contain views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on major combatant forces required to carry out strategy presented in Parts I through V.” He concluded that the entire JSOP-69 was designed to provide the Secretary of Defense with military advice for the development of the FY 1966 budget, justification for Defense Department FY 1966 program objectives as they pertained to major combatant forces, and a basis for reassessment of the previously approved Five-Year Force Structure and Financial Program. Part VI of JSOP-69 is in the National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Files, 3130 (16 Sep 63) Sec 4A–6A.


13. Memorandum for the Record by Director of Central Intelligence McCone

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, DCI Meetings with the President, 01 January–30 April 1964, Box 6. Secret. Drafted on February 27.


14. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 70 D 265, NSC Meeting, February 29, 1964, 10:00 a.m. Top Secret. Attached are copies of transmittal notes, all dated March 5, from Read to Secretary Rusk, Under Secretary Ball, Under Secretary for Political Affairs Harriman, Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs U. Alexis Johnson, Llewellyn Thompson, and others.


15. Memorandum for the Record by Director of Central Intelligence McCone

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, DCI Meetings with the President, 01 January–30 April 1964, Box 6. Secret. Drafted on March 2. The time of the meeting is taken from the President’s Daily Diary. (Johnson Library)


16. Paper Prepared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Source: Johnson Library, Clifton Papers, Joint Chiefs of Staff Meetings with the President, Vol. I, Box 2. Top Secret. Drafted by Major General C.V. Clifton. This may be the paper the Joint Chiefs discussed with the President on March 4; see Document 17.


17. Memorandum of Conference With President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, Clifton Papers, Joint Chiefs of Staff Meetings with the President, Vol. I, Box 2. Top Secret. Another record of this meeting prepared by Taylor is in the National Archives and Records Administration, RG 200, Defense Programs and Operations, Presidential Meetings, Box 142.


18. Memorandum From Acting Director of Central Intelligence Carter to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

[Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Vol. 1 [2 of 2], Box 5. Secret. 7 pages of source text not declassified.]


19. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs (Kitchen) to the Counselor and Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rostow)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/PC Files: Lot 70 D 199, Internal Security. Secret. Cleared by Eric E. Oulashin (AF), Ellwood M. Rabenold (ARA), Richard E. Usher (FE), and Donald W. Bunte (NEA).


20. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Subject File, Nuclear Weapons, General, Vol. I, Box 32. Top Secret.


21. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 200, Defense Programs and Operations, JSOPFY 1969–1971, Feb. 14, 1964, Box 41. Top Secret.


22. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Taylor) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 200, Defense Programs and Operations, JSOPFY 1969–1971, Feb. 14, 1964, Box 41. Top Secret.


23. Circular Airgram From the Department of State to All Posts

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 1 US. Secret. Drafted by Duncan A. D. Mackay (G/PM) on March 25, cleared by Captain Calvert (Navy), Reynolds (USAF/GC), William Lang (DOD/ISA), Captain Bennett (OSD/AE), O’Donnell (AEC), David H. Popper (EUR/RPM), M. Gordon Knox (EUR/BNA), Ellwood M. Rabenold (ARA), Robert B. Wood (FE), Eric E. Oulashin (AF), James P. Grant (NEA), Jeffrey C. Kitchen (G/PM), Jerry C. Trippe (L), Richard N. Gardner (IO), Jeanne Davis (S/S), and Charles Johnson (White House); and approved by U. Alexis Johnson. Also sent to the political advisers at major military commands: CINCEUR, CINCLANT, CINCPAC, CINCSAC, CINCSO, CINCSOUTH, CINCSTRIKE, COMATS, HICOM RYUKYUS, and SHAPE. In a March 25 memorandum to U. Alexis Johnson, Jeffrey Kitchen explained that once the airgram was sent, the Navy would send it “to the four CINC’s involved, drawing their attention to it, and requesting their assessment of the countries in which this problem could become sufficiently serious to have our Ambassadors take it up with the Governments concerned.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Subject File, Nuclear Weapons, General, Vol. I, Box 32)


24. Memorandum From President Johnson to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Subject File, Nuclear Weapons, General, Vol. I, Box 32. Top Secret.


25. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330 69 A 7425, A–471.61 (25 Jan 64). Top Secret; Restricted Data.


26. Circular Airgram From the Department of State to Certain Posts

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–1966, DEF 15 US. Secret. Drafted by Richard G. Colbert (S/P) and George L. Warren (G/PM) on January 31; cleared by Henry D. Owen (S/P), Howard Meyers (G/PM), Arthur E. Pardee, Jr. (SCI), John J. Conroy and Charles R. Stout (EUR), Richard W. Barrett (O), Thomas P. Dillon (P), James R. Johnstone (FBO), Dillon (USIA), Heath (FAA), William P. Bundy (DOD/ISA), Thomas D. Morris (DOD/I&L), Arnold W. Frutkin and Packard (NASA), Joint Staff (JCS), Captain Muzzey (Coast Guard), David Rowe (S/S); and approved by U. Alexis Johnson. Sent to Ankara, Athens, Bonn, Brussels, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, The Hague, and USCINCEUR.


27. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Vol. 1 [1 of 2], Box 5. Secret.


28. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source:Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. 3. Top Secret; Restricted Data.


29. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Vance)

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330 69 A 7425, A–471.61 (25 Jan 64). Top Secret; Restricted Data. Stamped notations indicate that Vance and Howard saw the memorandum. It is also reproduced in sanitized form in Seaborg, Journal, vol. 26, p. 245.


30. National Security Action Memorandum No. 299

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/PC Files: Lot 70 D 199, National Security Action Memos (NSAM). Confidential.