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April 11, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger, General Brown, Rumsfeld, Buchen, Marsh
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1553020
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April 11, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger, General Brown, Rumsfeld, Buchen, Marsh
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Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)
Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations
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Cambodia
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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1975-04-11
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1975
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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
ONFIDENTIAL
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
President Gerald Ford
Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State,
and Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs
Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense
General George S. Brown, USAF, Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Donald Rumsfeld, Chief of Staff, White House
Phillip W. Buchen, Counsel to the President
John O. Marsh, Counsellor to the President
Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs
DATE AND TIME:
Friday, April 11, 1975
4:30 p.m.
PLACE:
The Oval Office
The White House
SUBJECT:
"Eagle Pull" -- Phnom Penh Evacuation
President: I would like to be brought up to date on where we are and what
we are going to do. We will restrict ourselves to Cambodia. I am
optimistic and I think we will make it.
Schlesinger: "Eagle Pull" will commence at 0900 local. They will be on
the ground one hour and 20 minutes total. It will be completed by 11:30 p.m.
our time if all goes well.
There be 33 helicopters, including three for search and rescue. The
first twelve will hold 346 Marines.
President: Will Long Boret go?
RALD GE R. FORD CIBRARY
Kissinger: "Eagle Pull" will collapse the Government. Even if Long Boret
doesn't, enough of his people will go that it will collapse.
DECLASSIFIED
CONFIDENTIAL
E.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5
JOP SECRET - XGDS (3)
NSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Date Dept. 1/20/00 Guide ines CLASSIFIED BY: HENRY A. KISSINGER
By let
CONFIDENTAL
2.
President: Do we know if there will be much fighting? There will be a
crowd gathering, but there is a better than 50% chance of getting out
without fighting.
Brown: There will be air cover but it will only return fire if fire is
directed on the evacuation and only to protect the evacuation. The heli-
copters will come in a stream from the Carrier UBON and peel off from
hold points. We can do it all in one lift unless there are too many Khmer.
Schlesinger: We must do it all in one lift.
Brown: The Khmer have quite a lift capability of their own.
Kissinger: Do the Khmer think it is over or is this an American decision?
Brown: It is a U.S. decision. Our intelligence thinks tomorrow will be
the last day, but probably it would come on the 13th, an auspicious time.
President: There will be air cover?
Buchen: Yes. They will be under positive control all the time and under
FAC.
President: By what authority is this being done?
Schlesinger: The rescue operation is to protect American lives, any fire
is to protect American lives and Khmer evacuation is incidental to the
American evacuation.
Buchen: Yes. The Khmer evacuation is incidental.
Marsh: We would use the same force anyway, wouldn't we?
Schlesinger: If we had gotten it down to 50 Americans, we would have used
a much smaller force and got them out in 10 minutes.
Kissinger: I think we should say we are stretching the law so we don't run
counter to the President's request of last night.
Rumsfeld: Don't use "incidental" -- because there are five times as many
Khmers and it will be seen as a subterfuge.
A.
FORD
CONFIDENTIAL
GERALD
LIBRARY
CONF
IDENTIAL
3.
Schlesinger: The original list contained 50 Khmer. That has swollen to
1, 100. It is there we might be vulnerable.
President: I would think there would be a crowd gathered.
Schlesinger: We can use Red Cross agents. And they have C130's.
Buchen: Why do we take them out then?
Schlesinger: Ask State.
Kissinger: It was assumed that the airfield would be unuseable. We didn't
want to pull the plug by talking to them about evacuation.
[The statements to be read and given to Congress were reviewed.
]
President: There is no connection between this and the Vietnam evacuation.
There is no connection at all. This is a unique situation.
Brown: Unless we give orders, the Marine Commander may load up with
Khmer and leave the Marines, thus necessitating a second flight.
President: I agree. The Commander should be told that all Americans
must be aboard the last chopper.
LIBRARY GERALD P: FORD
CONF IDENTIAL
1346
1809
(Eagle Pmg
11 apr 25
P
I would who to he brought my t date on where
we case v what and are you & Iv. W & will
custrict miselves to Combolia run
optimist and I trick are will whole it
S
Engle E Publ will Charness at 0900 loved.
an ground 1:20 tental. w ill ln completed
11:30 pm am time if ill you well.
33 helps (3 for St R)
letiz hold 346
P
will hong But go?
K
If Eagle Pull will collapse C Gost, Earn
if But dmout, beef of his people will chat
it will collage
P
Down Know there will be smich frunting
Then will be a crawd gathering, but birth
thmn 50 To chance of getting ant w/o fighting
Bann Then will bean cruh but it will only
return fine if directed on brone and only to
protect c evon Through halps will came
in a stram from Canier Whom & peal
Jf from hold parnts. We can do it all in
I lift unless too every Khrus
{ hls
We must do it allin and lift.
Borwer
The K hundr have prite a tap let cry ability
of there are
K
Do the Khune think it is chah or is this an Amison
driver
Burn
sta US chiesin Withing Om intel. thinks
townson C last dry, tot potably it world
it
GERALD
Cruc on C 13th an asspicions trins
P
There will he an crun?
B
yes. They will he under positive control art
uni & under FAC,
P
By what anthority is This his dow?
Schools
Process ofm to partict us him, any firs is I
protect us hive + Khunn line is increductal
of US whe
Buch
Yes. The K hims evaniment is invidental
marbh
w 1 would use c smms/oree angeny wouldn't we?
Schles
of we had getter it dones to 50 US, we would
have used much smaller form and yet them
out in 10 minutes
K 2 think we should Any we stritching C law
so un don't run crimiter to C Pupperty last impo
Kinspell Don't use incidental because then ans time
as usary R hower - it is a
Schler
The difind lift critaried 50 Khwer That has
sumber 00, It is thre we impat he milnhath.
P
I would think there world he a crand yather
Schles
we can use RC agents and they ham C-130's
Bnhen
why do the tahn them ant Then.
Shks
ask State
K
It was that C airprild world he unus oth,
Cal chenot wont to pull C plug by Cothing te ther
about duamation
(Statements to he Mailt given to every)
P
There is no connection het this a a
GE GERALD R. SHOR
VN evacuation There is no commition at
all, This is a impired detration.
Bronse
Unliso are give cruws, the marine Cdr may
load up w/Khner + have e marines, thus
recessitating a second fight.
P
I agill. The ca shoul lh trial him all
americans must be arrand c last chapper.
FORD A. LIBRARY