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Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-14B
Dictation Belt 14B contains six sound recordings from March 12, 1963. The recording of the conversation in item 14B.1 begins on Dictation Belt 14A.5. Item 14B.1 is part of a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon. They continue to discuss Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules on expense accounts. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 14B.2 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Under Secretary of the Navy Paul B. Fay. They discuss possible naval base closings and the outlook for a bid by the city of San Francisco to host the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 14B.3 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Richard N. Goodwin, Secretary-general for the International Peace Corps Secretariat. They discuss preparing remarks for President Kennedy to deliver during his visit to Costa Rica. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 14B.4 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell L. Gilpatric. They discuss hearings on the TFX airplane. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 14B.5 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Lawrence F. O'Brien, Special Assistant to the President. They discuss a construction bill, a pay raise issue, and their effects on the federal budget. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 14B.6 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Assistant Secretary of Defense Arthur Sylvester. They discuss Sylvester’s testimony at a hearing involving the TFX airplane.Transcript included. Each item listed above is also available individually as an excerpt derived from this full-length digitized recording. See Related Records for more information.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-109-004
Sound recording of a meeting about Vietnam held on September 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy; former United States Ambassador to Vietnam Frederick Nolting; Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Maxwell D. Taylor; Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McCone; Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman; Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric; Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) Edward R. Murrow; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman; Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy; National Security Council (NSC) member Michael Forrestal; Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the JCS General Victor Krulak; Executive Secretary of the NSC Bromley Smith; Foreign Service Officer Joseph Mendenhall; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman; Military Aide to the President General Chester Clifton; Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; USIA Official-Public Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, John Mecklin; Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) David Bell; and Assistant Director for Rural Affairs, Operations Mission in Vietnam Rufus Phillips. This meeting is essentially the platform through which General Krulak and Foreign Service Officer Mendenhall report to President John F. Kennedy on their fact-finding mission to South Vietnam in September 1963. General Krulak and Mendenhall's four-day trip was intended to gain an overview of the military and civilian views of the country. General Krulak’s view, taken from his visits with military leaders, is generally optimistic on the progress of the war. Mendenhall presents the opposite view, one of widespread military and social discontent. After the two men present their views, President Kennedy quips, “You both went to the same country?” In this rather long and involved meeting, they delve into divergent views and possible steps to take. Responding to a question from former Ambassador Frederick Nolting, State Department official Rufus Phillips comments, “This was not a military war, but a political war.” Four segments of the recording totaling 3 minutes and 46 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 13526. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 109, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 109 in its entirety.