Sources
List of Sources
Department of State
Indexed Central Files. The Department of State used the decimal central file system through January 1963, when it changed to a subject-numeric central filing system. The decimal central files were a major source for this volume of documents through January 1963. The following are the most important files cited:
- 033.1100 - McN: foreign visits by Secretary of Defense McNamara
033.51J11: visits of Lao officials to the United States
110.11 - RU: foreign travel by Secretary of State Rusk
396.1: international meetings (followed by abbreviated location of meeting)
397: SEATO affairs
611.51J: U.S.-Laos political relations
611.61: U.S.-Soviet Union relations
711.537 - Bailey, Lawrence R.: individual POW file
751J.00: political developments in Laos
751J.5: defense affairs in Laos
751J.51: Lao defenses
751J.56: military equipment and sales to Laos
790.00: political developments in the Far East
792.13: meetings of the Thai Government
811.0051J: U.S. aid to Laos
851J.10: financial matters in Laos
851J.501: Lao national police
851J.511: Lao police organization
Subject-Numeric Indexed Central Files. On February 1, 1963, the Department of State began a new central filing system. The subject-numeric system was divided into broad categories: Administration, Consular, Culture and Information, Economic, Political and Defense, Science, and Social. Within these categories were subject subcategories and then numerical subdivisions. The most important subject-numeric files used in this volume are:
- POL Laos: general policy and background
POL 7 Laos: visits and meetings between U.S. and Lao officials
POL 7 US/Harriman: visits and meetings of W. Averell Harriman
POL 15 Laos: Lao governmental affairs
POL 15 - 1 Laos: Lao head of state
POL 27 Laos: military operations
POL 27 - 14 Laos: truce, cease-fire, armistice
DEF 6 - 7: Lao armed forces
DEF 12 Laos: armaments
DEF 19 US - Laos: U.S.-Lao defense policy and plans
DEF 19 - 2 Laos-Thai: reports and statistics on Lao-Thai defense plans
DEF 19 - 3 US - Laos: military organizations and conferences
Lot Files. Documents from the central files have been supplemented by materials from the decentralized office files, the lot files of the Department of State. For Embassy Files used or consulted, see under Washington National Records Center. The most important lot files used or consulted for this volume are:
Conference Files: Lot 65 D 366
- Documentation on official visits to the United States by heads of government and foreign ministers and on international conferences attended by the President, Secretary of State, and Under Secretary of State for 1961.
- Documentation on official visits to the United States by heads of state and foreign ministers and on international conferences attended by the President, Secretary of State, and Under Secretary of State for 1962.
- Laos Desk files for 1962.
- Laos Desk files for 1963.
- Top secret files of the Bureau of Far Eastern (later East Asian) Affairs for 1955 - 1961.
- Laos Desk files for 1961.
- Copies of National Intelligence Estimates and Special National Intelligence Estimates maintained by the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Retired by INR as INR/EAP Files: Lots 90 D 99 and 90 D 110.
- Records of the Geneva Conference on Laos including verbatim records of restricted and plenary sessions and many, but not all, of the related conference documents and papers.
- Special U.S. - USSR correspondence, 1961 - 1964, including the Kennedy - Khrushchev ``Pen Pal" series.
- Files of Secretary of State Dean Rusk, 1961 - 1969, including his memoranda of telephone conversations.
- Memoranda of conversation of the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of State, 1961 - 1964.
- Chronologies, minutes, studies, and briefing materials used by the Secretaries of State and Under Secretaries, 1953 - 1965. Includes records of the Secretary of State's staff meetings, 1961 - 1963, and memoranda of telephone conversations of Under Secretary Ball.
- Master file of National Security Action Memoranda (NSAMs), 1961 - 1968, maintained by the Executive Secretariat.
- Administrative and miscellaneous national security documentation, including National Security Council records of action, 1947 - 1963, maintained by the Executive Secretariat.
Department of Defense (see also entries under Washington National Records Center)
Office of the Secretary of Defense, Historian's Office, Secretary of Defense's Cable Files
- Telegrams to and from the Secretary of Defense as maintained by the Historian's Office, Department of Defense.
National Archives and Records Administration
JCS Records
- Record Group 218, Records of the Joint Staff and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland
Record Group 84, Records of the Foreign Service Posts of the United States
Bangkok Embassy Files: FRC 68 A 5612
- Files of the Embassy in Bangkok for 1956 - 1961.
- Files of the Embassy in Vientiane for 1962.
- Files of the Embassy in Vientiane for 1962 - 1963.
- Files of the Embassy in Vientiane for 1963 - 1967.
Record Group 330, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense
OSD/A Sensitive Files: FRC 71 A 6489
- Files of Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara for 1961 - 1968.
- Files of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs, for 1961.
- Files of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs, for 1962.
- Official Records of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for 1962.
Eisenhower Library, Abilene, Kansas
Herter Papers
- Papers of Christian A. Herter, Secretary of State, 1959 - 1961.
- Papers of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961 - 1969.
- From the White House Office Files, Records of the Office of the White House Staff Secretary, 1952 - 1961.
- Several White House Office collections, including Project Clean Up.
- Papers of Dwight D. Eisenhower as President, 1953 - 1961, maintained by his personal secretary, Ann C. Whitman. The Whitman File includes the following elements: Name Series, Dulles - Herter Series, DDE Diaries, Ann Whitman (ACW) Diaries, NSC Records, Miscellaneous Records, Cabinet Papers, Legislative Meetings, International Meetings, Administration Series, and International File.
John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, Massachusetts
George W. Ball Papers
- Transcripts of telephone conversations.
Papers of John F. Kennedy, Presidential Papers
National Security Files
- Country Series, Laos.
Meetings and Memoranda Series.
Regional Security Series, Southeast Asia.
President's Office Files
- Countries, Laos Security.
- Subject file: Southeast Asia.
Lyndon B. Johnson Library, Austin, Texas
Vice Presidential Security File
- National Security Council, 1961 - 1963.
Papers of Lyndon B. Johnson, Presidential Papers
National Security File, Country File, Laos
Rusk Appointment Books
National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
Taylor Papers
- Papers of Maxwell D. Taylor, Military Adviser to the President, 1961 - 1962, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1962 - 1964.
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington, D.C.
Harriman Papers
- Special Files of W. Averell Harriman, Public Service, Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
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