SAC U-2 OPERATIONS OVER NORTH VIETNAM FROM THE PHILIPPINES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R001400010003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 11, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: February 13, 1964
• Content Type: MF

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13 February 1964
mi;ML YORANDUM FOR. THE DIRECTOR
SECT: SAC U-Z Operations Over North Vietnam froM
Philippines
1. It is now possible to piece together partial inforaar:a
titan on the above subject as follows:
a. On 7 February CI CPA,C requested JCS to
provide -U-Z coverage on targets 41 and 48 for Op PIan
Tiger 34-A;
b. We have no knowledge in CIA of what actions
were taken within the Pentagon or at JCS level to con-
eider this matter. CIA was not informed or consulted;
c. CINCPA C was subsequently, inforn .ed by JCS tha
as underway. Admiral Felt thou asked why
a being serviced by aA.C rather than through normal
channel. (We first learned of this exchange of u essageas
on Tuesday, 11 February, just prior to the tin e ateakley
was calling on you.)
d. It would take a minlz>~un, of 46 hours, and more
likely 72. hours, to get the ~ C '?Z aircraft organized,.
airborne, and to the Philippines. It appears& therefore,
that action n.ust have been taken at least by Saturday
8 February, to crank up the mission.
e. Collateral Information iron clandestine. sources
indicates that there was some contact with Eastn an Kodak
for the Immediate shipment of control stock file; as well
as consideration of processing the filn in substandard
facilities at March Field.
f. Steakley would not tell us the name of the person
with,whom he coordinated the Vance memo in the State
Department. It was probably Joe 'Scott since Alexis
Johnson Is in Canada.
State, USAF, NRO reviews completed
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We do not know whether the Vance uuerno was .
ted at the White Hose,. Although there is xour~ e
that Mike Forrestai may have apprtaveu it for
In this connection, we understand that .Alexis
Johnson and Mac 5undy are both extrou.=ely upset about
dling of this matter and intend to take it up at
cial Group this Afternoon.
h., in the : ealwn e, however, we are inEorn;ed that
3teaktey is under the in pression that 3AC has full
uthority to run the operation from the Philippines as
soon as it can be done.
i. Arnbassacdor Stevenson, 'fin a very sedsitive xnea-
sage to cState on 12 Ysbruary, in reporting the arrival
of the three U-2 aircraft and seven crews, anticipated
that the Philippine Military Liaison Officer at Clark
'ieid would report the arrival of these aircraft to the
-lent of National Defense and possibly to the Foreign
Office, and pointed out that a press leakage was distxactly
passible, He stated that President Macapa,gal wags scheduled
to arrive there on the 13th, that he hoped to see air:, on the
14th, and requested instructions. We have no knowledge of..
any outgoing instruetic as.
You should bear in n.1axd that baassador Lodge ha.a.
recon Tended that the South Vietnamese broad area cover-
age, even though over friendly territory, be conducted
covertly insofar as the 3ough Vietnamese are concerned.
The operation has been approved on this basis.
2. For your private iuformatiou, the conclusions are
Inescapable -- we are nidentically the san, a situation as i went
through with Gilpatric on 12 October 1962, and as has been previ-
ously tried by SAC in the Taiwan Straits coverage 25
25X1
3. I recommend strongly that you hop all over this this
afternoon and get a clear-cut, unequivocal decision by 3peci4i Group
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that no, repeat no, v-pl erating actions for U.2 coverage will
be initiated without prior approval of pe i Group A"" that is
such approval the entire problems of overt or covert, cover
plans, t-irid country base facilities, etc-, be thoroughly spelled
out.
4. Attached to a blind tuemorandurrr, which could have
been prepared here or in rate or x i the White House or even in
an internally hostile element of the 1 eatagon, posing a number
of presently unanswered questions.
Marshall i. Carter
Lieutenant General, 433A
Deputy Director
1 A--
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12 February 1964
ORAN DU A". v,;"
.1 Yesterday afternoon Colonel 3teakle , (of JRC), oi:a
behalf of eputy Secretary Vie, circulate+ a m iem orandun
for .e Iber , $412 Board,.tiated,11 1`ebruaary~ 1964, signed by
Secretary Vance.
2. This morning =vashington received a r essage indf-
satin l that the An bassador aa4 General Maddu.yt, and other
U. authorities had no prior knowledge whatsoever of the
arrival of SAC Ur2 aircraft in the philippines. Grave concert
was expressed over the political aspects of this.
3. According to the Vance 11terizo, the Operations for
which these flights are stated, to be required are in support of a
plan that has bean in existence for u