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March 25, 1975 - Ford, South Vietnamese Officials
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March 25, 1975 - Ford, South Vietnamese Officials
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Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)
Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations
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File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
CONEIDENTIAL
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
Six South Vietnamese Parliamentarians
T ruong Quoc Buu, South Vietnamese Labor Leader
Amb. Tran Kim Phuong, South Vietnamese
Ambassador to the U.S.
President Ford
Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs
DATE AND TIME:
Tuesday, March 25, 1975
11:00 a. m.
PLACE:
The Oval Office
The White House
[The press was admitted briefly for photographs. ]
President: I am very pleased, Mr. Buu, to have the opportunity to greet
you and your associates from Vietnam.
Phuong: We are very honored that you have been willing to meet with the
Parliamentary delegation and Mr. Buu. I informed President Thieu last
night of your kindness. He asked me to tell you he appreciated your
kindness and your letter. He will write very shortly to explain the
situation. He expresses his deep appre ciation. He is aware of your
efforts with the Congress. Your kindness and understanding he appreci-
ates and anything you can do with the Congress.
We have had to withdraw from the Highlands in the face of massive illegal
attack from the north. Last night we also had to withdraw from Hue. The
road from the south is cut off so resupply by land and air is impossible.
There are three divisions attacking. The President says we will make a
stand in Danang.
R.
ERALD
FORD
CONFIDENTIAL
DECLASSIFIED
LIBRARY
E.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5
NSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Dept
fuldelizos
By ut
ARA, Date 1/20/00
CONFIDENTIAL
2
[He gets out a map. ] The President asked me to tell you what we will do
now. We will regroup in Danang as an enclave because two provinces
south already are overrun -- Quang Tin and Quang Ngai. We will defend
the coastal provinces [names them] and the two Highland provinces. We
will hold this line [he indicates] and MRs 3 and 4. During the last two
weeks there is the feeling we have drawn back but this area was indefensi-
ble. We could get three or four divisions chewed up or immobilized at
Hue. We can resupply Danang by ship but not Hue; it has no harbor,
and there are shifting sands.
President: Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Buu, Members of Parliament. I am
happy to have you visit here. I spent 25 years in our parliament and I
have a great understanding of your problems. I am disturbed as are the
American people that Hanoi has so flagrantly violated the Paris accords.
Please tell President Thieu that I am pleased to hear his plans for military
defense. It is important that it be successful. Tell President Thieu that
I will do everything I can to get the aid that South Vietnam needs.
I hope you all had a chance to discuss these problems with members of
Congress. I think there is a better spirit there now. I hope the Congress
will respond, and my Administration will do its best.
The news is bad, but if your government carries out this redeployment,
I wish you well.
I am sending General Weyand, our Chief of Staff, to Saigon tomorrow to
make an assessment and report to me. He is a friend of Vietnam and has
been directed to tell me what we can do to help.
Mr. Buu: I am very happy to be here. I thank you, Mr. President, for
your words of support. We send you the greetings of labor. We don't
agree with President Thieu on everything but we certainly do on fighting
the Communists. We have been affiliated with the CIO for 20 years.
Always before we could count on the U.S. But now, the statements being
made are more damaging than the bombs of the North. These comments
have encouraged the Communists to attack. The North Vietnamese are
being supported by the Chinese and the Soviet Union. If the U.S. doesn't
help us, who will? Millions of Vietnamese people's attention is focussed
on the U.S. to see what you will do.
A.
President: The AFL/CIO under George Meany has always supported
FORD
American actions in Vietnam. Some in labor haven't, but George Meany
GE
LIBRARY
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
3
and his associates have supported strength in Vietnam and elsewhere.
They know that labor has no voice under Communist regimes and that
in a democracy, labor does have a union. George Meany and I don't
always agree -- like you and Thieu -- but we agree that we must support
people who want to be free if they are willing to fight. The GVN is
fighting and standing strong and I will do everything possible to be
helpful.
Buu: Whatever you can do, do it quickly.
President: We will expedite military and economic assistance and we will
try to get the Congress to make additional funds available.
What was the reaction from the Congressmen you spoke to ?
Minh: On behalf of the delegation, I want to express my thanks and
express the feeling of the Vietnamese people. We thank you for your
help and understanding. We want peace but we must resist aggression.
We can't exercise self-determination without help. We have to thank you
for your help in our fight for survival and freedom. We have confidence
in the U.S. as the leader of the free world. We have met about 50 Con-
gressmen. Some are in agreement with us, some of the freshmen.
Before, they were reluctant but I think now it is better, since we are
here and your delegation went there.
President: I appreciate your help on the Hill. We will continue to work
for action.
Diep: It is a great honor to be here. Everybody is aware now that more
than one and a half million of our people are fleeing. I am speaking for
the people of North Vietnam and Hue. In 1968 half of my family was
killed in Hue, and now the other half are forced to flee.
Phuong: Over half of this delegation is from Hue. Since we will fight at
Danang, there is the problem of rescuing the refugees from Hue and
eventually out of Danang so we can fight. We can only move forty thousand
a month. [He shows on the map. ] We feel strongly about Hue, but we
can't sacrifice two divisions at Hue.
President: Danang has a good harbor?
A.
Phuong: Yes.
RALD
FORD
GE
LIBRARY
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
4
President: Are these lines easily defensible ?
Phuong: We have to defend along here. We intend to do it fiercely.
President: Let me just say again how strongly I support the government
and the Vietnamese people. This is an important area that the world
knows is a fight for freedom. We must continue to help, and to the extent
I can continue to do so, I will. Keep up the good fight, and please give to
President Thieu and the other leaders my best wishes for strength and
freedom in the years ahead.
CONFIDENTIAL
LIBRARY GERALD R. FORM
1763
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
CONFIDENTIAL
MEETING WITH SIX SOUTH VIETNAMESE
PARLIAMENTARIANS AND SOUTH VIETNAMESE
LABOR LEADER TRUONG QUOC BUU
Tuesday, March 25, 1975
11:00 a.m. (20 minutes)
The Oval Office
From: Henry A. Kissinger
I.
PURPOSE
To express your concern over developments in Indochina and
to demonstrate your support for Vietnam.
II. BACKGROUND, PARTICIPANTS & PRESS ARRANGEMENTS
A. Background: Truong Quoc Buu has been the principal
figure in the free labor movement of South Vietnam for
35 years. He is not fully a supporter of President Thicu,
but he is a staunch anti-Communist who clearly prefers
Thieu to a Communist regime. The AFL-CIO has requested
that you meet with Buu, who is their guest in this country.
The South Vietnamese parliamentarians are here on an
official mission to meet with members of the U.S. Congress
and to explain South Vietnamese needs for assistance.
B. Participants: South Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Kim
Phuong (PHUNG); Truong Quoc Buu (BOO), Head of the
South Vietnamese Labor Movement; Dinh Xuan Minh, First
Deputy Chairman of the Lower House; Dinh Van De (DAY),
Chairman of the Defense Committee; Pham Anh (ON),
Secretary General of the Lower House: (Mrs. ) Truong Thi
Bich Diep (DEEP), Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs
Committee; Nguyen Van Thuan (TWANG), Member of Foreign
LIBRARY RALD A. FORD
Affairs Committee: Huynh Ngoc Ang (ON), Member of
Foreign Affairs Committee; Brent Scowcroft.
C. Press Arrangements: Press photo session. Meeting to be
announced.
DECLASSIFIED
E.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5
NSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Dept. Guidelines
CONFINENTIAL
By
let
I NARA, Date 1/20/00
CONFIDENTIAL
2
III.
TALKING POINTS
1. It is a pleasure to receive you today. As a former Congress-
man, I am always delighted to meet fellow parliamentarians.
Mr. Buu, it is also an honor to meet you. I understand you
have had useful discussions with the leaders of our labor
organizations.
2. I am deeply disturbed by the reports of new fighting in South
Vietnam. I would like you to carry back to President Thieu
and to the Vietnamese people, my personal message of respect
and high admiration for the courage and determination they
are showing in their gallant defense against Hanoi's latest
offensive.
3. As you know, I have already requested supplementary assistance
for South Vietnam from the Congress. I will continue to push
hard to gain approval for these critically needed funds.
4. The United States condemns the blatant attacks carried out
by the North Vietnamese, and we will continue our efforts to
make clear internationally their flagrant violations of the
Paris accords.
5. I know that the recent losses suffered by your forces have
caused morale to suffer. That is why it is so important that
you convey the message that I am making a maximum effort
to obtain the assistance which your countrymen so desperately
need. I will not abandon them.
6. While you are here in the United States, I hope you will visit
as many different cities and areas of the country as possible.
It is very important that you convey the message to the
American people that your people are determined to remain
free.
7. I am sending General Weyand to South Vietnam to assess the
situation and make recommendations to me on what actions
the United States might take to be of assistance. This mission
will give me a better idea of what actions are required.
I will look forward to receiving his report.
R.
GERALD
FORD
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
WASHINGTON
DECLASSIFIED
E.O. 12356, Sec. 3.4.
MR91-16, #11 NSC 8/20/92
By KBH NARA, Date 9/25/92
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
President Ford
Truong Quoc Buu, South Vietnamese Labor Leader
and Six South Vietnamese Parliamentarians
Amb. Tran Kim Phuong, RVN Ambassador
Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs
DATE & TIME:
Tuesday - March 25, 1975
11:00 a. m.
PLACE:
The Cabinet Room
[There was a brief press photo opportunity.]
President: I am very pleased, Mr. Buu, to have the opportunity to greet
you and your associates from Vietnam.
Phuong: We are very honored that you have been willing to meet with the
Parliamentarian Delegation and Mr. Buu.
I informed President Thieu last night of your kindness in receiving us.
He asked me to tell you he appreciated your kindness and your letter.
He will write very shortly to explain the situation. He expresses his
deep appreciation. He is aware of your efforts with the Congress. Your
kindness and understanding he appreciates, and anything you can do with
the Congress. We have had to withdraw from the Highlands in the face of
the massive illegal attack from the North. Last night we also had to
withdraw from Hue. The road south is cut off, so resupply by land and air
is impossible. There are three divisions attacking. The President says
we will make a stand in Danang.
[He gets out a map. The President asked me to tell you what we will do
FORD & GERALD LIBRARY RALA
now. We will regroup in Danang as an enclave because two provinces to
EXEMPT FROM GENERAL DECLASSIFICATION
CLASSIFIED BY Henry A. Kissinger
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
SCHEDULE OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 11652
AUTOMATICALLY DECLASSIFIED ON Impto DeT.
EXEMPTION CATEGORY 5(b)(3)
SEGRET/NODIS/XGDS
- 2-
the south already overrun -- Kontum and Quang Nghai. We will defend the
Coastal provinces and the two Highland provinces. We will hold this line
[indicating] and MR-3 and MR -4. During the last two weeks there is a
feeling that we have drawn back, but this area is indefensible. We could
get three or four divisions chewed up or immobilized at Hue. We can
resupply Danang by ship, but not Hue. (There is no harbor, because of
shifting sands.)
President: Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Buu, members of the Parliament, I
am happy to have you. I spent 25 years in Parliament and have a great
understanding of your problems. I am disturbed, as are the American
people, that they have so flagrantly violated the Paris Accords. Please
tell President Thieu I am pleased to have a chance to see his plan for a
military defense. It is important that it be successful. Tell President
Thieu I will do everything I can to get the aid that South Vietnam needs.
I hope you all have a chance to discuss these with members of Congress --
I think there is a better spirit now. I hope the Congress will respond, and
my Administration will do its best.
The news is bad, but if your government carries out this deployment, I
wish you well.
I am sending General Weyand to Vietnam tomorrow to make an assessment
and report to me. He is a friend of Vietnam and has been directed to tell
me what we can do to help.
Buu: I am very happy to be here. Thank you for your words of support.
We send you the greetings of labor. We don't agree with President Thieu
on everything but we certainly do on fighting the Communists. I have been
affiliated with the CIO for 20 years. Always before, we could count on
United States. But now, the statements being made are more damaging than
the bombs of the North. These announcements have encouraged the Commun-
ists to attack. The North Vietnamese are being supported by the Chinese
and the Soviet Union. If the United States doesn't help us, who will?
Millions of the Vietnamese people's attention is focussed on the United
States to see what you will do.
President: The AFL/CIO under George Meany has always supported
American action in Vietnam. Some in the labor movement haven't, but
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
LIBRARY GERALD R. FORD
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
- 3 -
but George Meany and his associates have supported American strength
in Vietnam and elsewhere. They know that labor has no voice under a
Communist regime and that in a democracy labor does have a means to
achieve its goals. George Meany and I don't always agree -- like you and
President Thieu -- but we agree that we must support people who want to
be free if they are willing to fight. The Government of Vietnam is fighting
and standing strong and I will do everything possible to be helpful.
Buu: Whatever you can do, do it quickly.
President: We will expedite the military and economic assistance and
try to get Congress to make additional funds available.
Minh: On behalf of the delegation, I want to express my thanks and express
the feeling of the Vietnamese people. We thank you for your help and under-
standing.
We want peace but we must resist aggression. We can't exercise self-
determination without help. We have to thank you for your help in our
fight for survival and freedom. We have confidence in the United States
as the leader of the free world. We have met about 50 Congressmen.
Some of them are open with us, some of the freshmen. Before, they
were misinformed, but I think now it is better, since we are here and your
delegation went there.
President: l'appreciate your help on the Hill. We will continue to ask
for action.
Diep: It is a great honor to be here. Everybody is desperate; more than
1.5 million of our people are fleeing. I am speaking for the people of
North Vietnam and Hue. In 1968 half of my family was killed in Hue, and
now the other half are forced to flee.
Phuong: Over half of this delegation is from Hue. Since we will fight at
Danang, there is the problem of moving the refugees from Hue and eventually
out of Danang so we can fight. We can only move 40, 000 a month. [He
shows on the map. We feel strongly about Hue, but we can't sacrifice
two divisions at Hue.
President: Danang has a good harbor?
R.
RALD
FORD
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
GE
LIBRARY
SECRET/NODIS/XGDS
- 4 -
Phuong: Yes.
President: Are these new lines easily defensible?
Phuong: We have to defend along here. We intend to do it firmly.
President: Let me just say again how strongly I support the government
and the Vietnamese people. This is an important area the world views as
a fight for freedom. We must continue to help, and to the extent I can
continue to do so, I will. Keep up the good fight, and give to President
Thieu and the others my best wishes for strength and freedom in the years
ahead.
[The meeting ended.]
GE LIBRARY RALD R. FOXO
SEGRET/NODIS/XGDS
Pres/ints w/6 SVN Partia-
mentan ons, + SVN fabor Leader
(Pers photol
Truong Quoc Bru, 3/25 00
11 am
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to but you and Jane accounts Pere VN
Wean very humel that you here have
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in Brns 2 informal Their hast throught
from brindress He addred me to am you
he exprecented your hishess & your
litter. A wire white very thath to x plain
c sit. He steven his Aug
he is annie of your efforts w/c Cing. your
him & inchistanting Are oppresites
& any thing you can dow/c Cry. use
home had to w/chm from c
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but want Here (no harber, shipting pomb)
LIBRAY GERALD R. FORM
P m Chuh, Brnn, members f Hoppy
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8 home grent smokisting are of your prior.
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& knowl to hmr from for unit
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advise will dynts beat
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an disignments input me. christil H etc. a
friend of up and hm ham
tell me what my cands to help.
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affiliated us/ e,o for 20 yrs. always hopose
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an they supported by PRLTSU. If U dobat
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GE GERALD R. SHOP
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will do imm Theny
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in VYY & Trung know borth
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get Prug tannke additional for ls armobb.
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what noy centrer pose Cing your you to-
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help indistrially. use ant free n but
he not vaiot appression. we vunt
eperise self-deter us/ochnly ase for
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for smoked & feel m are have
impridunce in us ap Sender of his well,
w 1 hum met about 50 I'm jeconm-Sura
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thery mampuses but I think mer it
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and Great have to he her. E very have is
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R.
THE
GROP
use thrms / 1/2 within f me
perph from I and oferating for person
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family has kithd in Heal, & banc when
Amount Blurry Over hnlf the Wight is from H m.
have are found the
Since we will fight at Donang, there is -
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only mmr 4d 00 /no. (thans on may).
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year about
R. FORD I