Word: mcnamara
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...Voice of America. He signed a bill requiring warning labels on cigarette packages, met with a delegation from the A.M.A., discussed with former World Bank President Eugene Black the U.S.'s development program in Southeast Asia, cracked jokes about how he recently outbowled Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, had coffee with a group of newswomen, gave two background briefings to White House reporters, and warmly greeted an explorer scout who had bicycled 2,800 miles from Idaho to shake the presidential hand. Then he flew off to Harry Truman's library in Independence, Mo., to sign the medicare bill...
Back in Washington only two hours, McNamara got an 8 a.m. phone call from President Johnson, who wanted his impressions about "some of the more obvious questions about Viet Nam." The President told him to organize his notes and send them to the White House for a quick reading before the first of the war-council sessions, scheduled for later that morning...
...SIZE OF THE U.S. TROOP COMMITMENT IN VIET NAM. That it would be increased was taken for granted. Indeed, even before McNamara, Lodge and Wheeler left for Viet Nam, Johnson had told associates that troop increases "of substantial proportions" would be required. Still open to question was just how many men might be needed and, outside the Cabinet Room, guesses AP ranged from 150,000 to 250,000 by the end of this year...
Throughout the week, Johnson fired question after question-by actual count, more than 100 during a single two-hour period-at his advisers. He asked military men to comment on political questions and political advisers to comment on military matters. He was especially interested in finding out from McNamara about the Viet Cong guerrillas. What are they like? How is their morale? What kind of intelligence information is the U.S. getting from prisoners? Many times the President referred to maps and photographs showing damage both inflicted by and suffered by U.S. forces. The matter of casualties came up time...
...planners therefore proposed other possible landing sites, and the Bay of Pigs was chosen. Sorensen reports that the Joint Chiefs failed to inform "either Kennedy or McNamara that they still thought Trinidad preferable," while Schlesinger recalls that the Chiefs said they still preferred Trinidad-but said it "softly." At one point Dean Rusk suggested that the operation be launched from Guantanamo, thereby providing the invaders with an opportunity for retreat; but the Joint Chiefs rejected that idea, and Rusk later complained to Schlesinger that "the Pentagon people" were willing to risk "the President's head...