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{
    "localId": "6037279",
    "label": "Letter From President John F. Kennedy to General Lauris Norstad",
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{
    "id": "6037279",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6037279",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letter From President John F. Kennedy to General Lauris Norstad",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6037279",
    "collections": [
        "Robert S. McNamara Papers",
        "Records Relating to the Defense Program and Operations"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1989"
    ],
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 21,
            "logicalDate": "1961-07-21",
            "month": 7,
            "year": 1961
        }
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    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/79/372/6037279/content/arcmedia/research/1961-berlin-crisis/932006-3-4-11/Kennedy-to-Norstad-001.jpg",
    "mediaId": "8a773aabeb975318",
    "ocrText": "1961 JUL 21 18 40\nOFF SECY OF DEFENSE\nEYES ONLY\nJuly 21, 1961\nSECRET\nDear General Norstad:\nI enjoyed reading your recent telegram regarding Berlin (ALO 565)\nto the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I agree thoroughly\nwith you on the need for a position of great flexibility in preparing\nfor a Berlin crisis. Your comment on the desirability of arranging\nour preparations so as to avoid stimulating counterproductive Soviet\nreactions seema to me very well taken. You can be sure that your\nsuggestions will be taken fully into account in our preparations for\na Berlin crisis.\nI wanted, in this connection, to write you my views concerning the\nrelation to that crisis of the military planning which NATO will be\ndiscussing and undertaking in the months ahead.\n1 am anxious that this discussion and planning be geared, insofar\nas feasible, to needs which will be particularly important in the\nlight of the Berlin crisis recognizing that this crisis may last\nfor a very considerable period, on an on-again off-again basis.\nThis would mean, I should think, focusing particularly on efforts\n(i) to fulfill approved (MC-70) NATO force goals, particularly on\nthe Central Front; and (ii) to agree on the need to improve the\nmobility, equipment, training, and manning levels of these forces,\nas you have recommended in your 1966 goals -- beginning with units\nwhich are in existence or can be created fairly quickly.\nI hope that the Alliance can concentrate on this in the months ahead\nand that allied agreement and action on these programs will not be\ndelayed in an attempt to secure agreement on more long-term pro-\nposals, notably those for nuclear programs additional to MC-70.\nI understand the military considerations that have prompted you to\nseek MRBM's as part of your 1966 force requirements, in order to\nfulfill the nuclear strike functions now performed by your strike\nairerait. I also understand the long lead time necessarily involved\nin any such program.\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958, Sec. 3.6\nnon 932006\nSecDef Cont. No. 1425\ncy 2.\nBy mRlej\nDate 3/13/96"
}