Courtesy of National Archives, "National Security Action Memorandum No. 52 Vietnam," 11 May 1961
Description
Following research gathering in Vietnam, the document outlines the actions of President John F. Kennedy. In 1961, politically and militarily, President Ngo Dinh Diem's regime was losing supporters. By January of 1962, the U.S. began military action directly against the North. The memo foreshadows the Kennedy administration taking an even more active role in Vietnam.
Transcript of "No. 52 Vietnam" NSA Memorandum
Source-Dependent Questions
- How do the policy recommendations align with the speech then-Sen. John F. Kennedy gave in 1956?
- Why would the U.S. undertake covert actions as outlined in point 10 in a country in which we were aligned? How would actions in Cambodia align with U.S. ideas at the time?
Citation Information
"National Security Action Memorandum No. 52 Vietnam," 11 May 1961. Courtesy of National Archives