Ask the Scholar
Page 2 of 4
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
Digitized from Box 19 of the NSA. Presidential Country Files: East Asia and the Pacific at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
34
MEMORANDUM
1651
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
URGENT INFORMATION
SECRET
FORD
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
own) A
FROM:
BRENT SCOWCROFT
SUBJECT:
Saigon CIA Station Chief's Assessment of
the Current Military Situation in South Vietnam
The CIA Station Chief in Saigon has just completed an appraisal of
the current military situation there following the outbreak of North
Vietnamese attacks on March 10.
The key points in this analysis are as follows:
-- Developments of the past two weeks in South Vietnam leave no
doubt that the Government (GVN) is facing a "general offensive" as
traditionally defined to include coordinated, countrywide attacks by
divisional-sized units aimed at bringing about a decisive change in the
military and political situation.
-- Elements of two strategic reserve divisions recently have moved
from North Vietnam into the South and possibly other elements are on
the way.
-- The GVN as a result of U.S. aid cutbacks is in the position of
having to defend itself with far fewer resources than ever before, a
problem which has been seriously exacerbated by the latest round of
fighting.
--
The drawdown on GVN ammunition and POL stocks will soon be
staggering.
-- In their own guidance documents and briefings the Communists
are describing 1975 as the year of decision in which large scale military
activity will bring about decisive changes in the military=political balance.
DECLASSIFIED
SECRET
E.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5
NSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Dept. Guidelines, CIA Review
By KBH NARA, Date 2/9/00
Document source description
This item is a National Security Council memorandum from William L. Stearman to Brent Scowcroft, and an accompanying memo from Scowcroft for President Gerald Ford.
Page data
- Page
- 2
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 8d385c566f3629e3
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 7367436
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "7367436",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367436",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Memorandum Regarding the Saigon Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Station Chief's Assessment of the Current Military Situation in South Vietnam",
"description": "This item is a National Security Council memorandum from William L. Stearman to Brent Scowcroft, and an accompanying memo from Scowcroft for President Gerald Ford.",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367436",
"identifierLocal": "032400077-001",
"collections": [
"Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific (Ford Administration)",
"East Asia and Pacific Country Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/3674/7367436/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/032400077-001_Page_3.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/3674/7367436/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/032400077-001_Page_3.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/3674/7367436/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/032400077-001_Page_3.jpg",
"imageCount": 4,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "7367436",
"label": "Memorandum Regarding the Saigon Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Station Chief's Assessment of the Current Military Situation in South Vietnam",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367436"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "7367436",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367436",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Memorandum Regarding the Saigon Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Station Chief's Assessment of the Current Military Situation in South Vietnam",
"description": "This item is a National Security Council memorandum from William L. Stearman to Brent Scowcroft, and an accompanying memo from Scowcroft for President Gerald Ford.",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367436",
"identifierLocal": "032400077-001",
"collections": [
"Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific (Ford Administration)",
"East Asia and Pacific Country Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/3674/7367436/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/032400077-001_Page_3.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/3674/7367436/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/032400077-001_Page_3.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/3674/7367436/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/032400077-001_Page_3.jpg",
"imageCount": 4,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367436",
"naId": 7367436,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"day": 17,
"logicalDate": "1975-03-17",
"month": 3,
"year": 1975
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 2,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/3674/7367436/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/032400077-001_Page_2.jpg",
"mediaId": "8d385c566f3629e3",
"ocrText": "Digitized from Box 19 of the NSA. Presidential Country Files: East Asia and the Pacific at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\n34\nMEMORANDUM\n1651\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nURGENT INFORMATION\nSECRET\nFORD\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nTHE PRESIDENT\nown) A\nFROM:\nBRENT SCOWCROFT\nSUBJECT:\nSaigon CIA Station Chief's Assessment of\nthe Current Military Situation in South Vietnam\nThe CIA Station Chief in Saigon has just completed an appraisal of\nthe current military situation there following the outbreak of North\nVietnamese attacks on March 10.\nThe key points in this analysis are as follows:\n-- Developments of the past two weeks in South Vietnam leave no\ndoubt that the Government (GVN) is facing a \"general offensive\" as\ntraditionally defined to include coordinated, countrywide attacks by\ndivisional-sized units aimed at bringing about a decisive change in the\nmilitary and political situation.\n-- Elements of two strategic reserve divisions recently have moved\nfrom North Vietnam into the South and possibly other elements are on\nthe way.\n-- The GVN as a result of U.S. aid cutbacks is in the position of\nhaving to defend itself with far fewer resources than ever before, a\nproblem which has been seriously exacerbated by the latest round of\nfighting.\n--\nThe drawdown on GVN ammunition and POL stocks will soon be\nstaggering.\n-- In their own guidance documents and briefings the Communists\nare describing 1975 as the year of decision in which large scale military\nactivity will bring about decisive changes in the military=political balance.\nDECLASSIFIED\nSECRET\nE.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5\nNSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Dept. Guidelines, CIA Review\nBy KBH NARA, Date 2/9/00"
}