EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
VIETNAM & FOREIGN POLICY
Embedded Files
American involvement in the Vietnam War has long been debated. The records in the LBJ Library archives shed light on the information that was available to Lyndon B. Johnson and the decisions that his administration made.
Handwritten Notes on Glassboro Summit (June 25, 1967)
Lyndon Johnson took these notes during the 1967 Glassboro Summit in New Jersey. The purpose of the meeting between the American and Soviet governments was to address the Arab-Israeli Six Day War crisis.
Did you know? In early June 1967, Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin was in New York to address the United Nations. A neutral site was needed for a meeting between the Soviet Premier and President Johnson’s administration, so Johnson asked New Jersey Governor Richard Hughes to suggest a site for the meeting. Hughes suggested Glassboro, New Jersey since it is about halfway between New York and Washington, D.C.
Phone Call with Situation Room (4:47 AM, February 15, 1966)
President Johnson receives an early morning report from an unknown aide in the White House Situation Room about military action in Vietnam.
Did you know? The White House Situation Room was created during John F. Kennedy presidency. President Johnson frequented the room so often during the Vietnam War that he left his Oval Office chair there.
LBJ Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto [A4250-17]
Letter from Merriman Smith (February 19, 1966)
In this letter to President Johnson, Merriman Smith explains that his son, a soldier in Vietnam, died neither for his president nor his family. He died fighting for a people who were “pushed around.”
Did you know? Albert Merriman Smith served as White House correspondent for United Press International and ended each presidential news conference with “Thank You, Mr. President,” which he later titled his best-selling book.
Memo from McGeorge Bundy (September 23, 1964)
In this memo, Special Assistant McGeorge Bundy urges the president to reconsider his decision that commanders must seek direct approval from the president to use nuclear weapons in emergency conditions.
Did you know? President Johnson believed that if the world could never be free of war, at least outer space could be. In 1967, President Johnson signed the Outer Space Treaty, keeping weapons of mass destruction from “contaminating space.”
McGeorge Bundy in the Situation Room, 1965
LBJ Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto [A987-8A]
LBJ Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto [A987-8A]
Vietnam Casualty Report (April 22, 1966)
As this report reveals, the United States military suffered over 3,000 casualties in Vietnam since 1961, with over 16,000 men wounded. During the same time period, an estimated 120,815 Viet Cong were killed.
Did you know? Up to that point, the Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular war in American history, resulting in nearly 60,000 American deaths and an estimated 2 million Vietnamese deaths.
Asian Odyssey Video Clip (October 26, 1966)
This video clip from a film titled, “Asian Odyssey,” shows President Johnson making an unscheduled visit to a U.S. military base in South Vietnam.
Did you know? This film also highlights moments from President Johnson’s visits to Hawaii, Australia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea. You can watch the film in its entirety with audio, and more films, on our YouTube channel.
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