Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part IV. C. 1.djvu/28

Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011

 

TOP SECRET – Sensitive

 

DATE	EVENT OR DOCUMENT	DESCRIPTION
2 Mar 1965	ROLLING THUNDER Begins	After being once postponed, the first ROLLING THUNDER strikes take place.
6 Mar 1965	Marines to DaNang	The President decides to send two US Marine Battalion Landing Teams to DaNang to take up the base security function. They arrive two days later.
14 Mar 1965	General H.K. Johnson Report	After a trip to Vietnam, the Army Chief of Staff, General Johnson, recommends a 21-point program to the President. Included are increased attacks on the North and removal of restrictions on these missions.
29 Mar 1965	US Embassy Bombed	Just as Ambassador Taylor is leaving for a policy conference in Washington, the US Embassy in Saigon is bombed by VC terrorists with loss of life and extensive property damage.
31 Mar 1965	State Memo to the President	In a 41-point non-military recommendation to the President, State elaborates on a Taylor proposal.
1 Apr 1965	President Meets With NSC and Taylor	At a meeting with Taylor and the NSC Principals, the President approves the 41-point non-military proposal, plus General Johnson's 21-point proposal. In addition, he decides to send two more Marine battalions and an air wing to Vietnam and to authorize an active combat role for these forces. He also authorizes 18,000–20,000 more support forces.
2 Apr 1965	McCone Dissents from 1 Apr Decisions	In a memo to SecState, SecDef, and Ambassador Taylor, CIA Director John McCone takes exception to the decision to give US troops a ground role. It is not justified unless we take radically stronger measures against North Vietnam.
6 Apr 1965	NSAM 288	NSAM 288 promulgates the decisions of the 1 April meeting.
7 Apr 1965	President's Johns Hopkins Speech	The President; in a speech at Johns Hopkins, offers unconditional talks