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Rusk EEE, U. Alexis Johnson, Part 2, March 1985

Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia
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00:00:04 - Operations center

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Partial Transcript: But then there are bits and pieces here and it's a matter of putting together those pieces.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the creation of an operations room to optimize communication between various governmental bodies. He specifically talks about Dean Rusk's involvement in its creation and other similar projects.

Keywords: Central Intelligence Agency; John F. Kennedy Conference Room; National Military Command Center; State Department; White House Situation Room

00:05:11 - Rusk's interpersonal relationships as Secretary of State

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Partial Transcript: What about other aspects of his performance

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about Rusk's preference for personal communication with other government officials. Johnson also discusses Rusk's relationship with Chester Bowles and Soapy Williams and the effect Rusk's reticence had on various policies.

Keywords: Assistant Secretary of African Affairs; Cuban Missile Crisis; Secretary of State; State Department; Under Secretary of State; United States diplomatic relations; Vietnam War; dual accreditation

00:10:37 - The Executive Committee of the National Security Council

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Partial Transcript: We had the ExComm.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the meetings and operations of the ExComm (the Executive Committee of the National Security Council) which was convened to advise President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Keywords: Bay of Pigs; Bobby Kennedy; Dean Acheson; Dean Rusk; George Ball; National Security Action Memorandum; Robert F. Kennedy; Robert McNamara; The Executive Committee of the National Security Council

00:15:58 - Blockade of Cuba / President Kennedy's United Nations speech

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Partial Transcript: Do you remember him being assertive on the blockade option?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses the plan to blockade Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He then talks about President Kennedy's speech to the U.N. and the diplomatic meetings that Dean Rusk and others conducted with world leaders that night.

Keywords: Bear bomber plane; Cold War; Fidel Castro; George Ball; Nikita Khrushchev; OAS; Paul Nitze; Soviet Russia; State Department; The Organization of American States; The Pentagon; United Nations; nuclear warheads; operations center

00:24:07 - Nuclear evacuation plan / Critique of Dean Rusk as Secretary of State

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Partial Transcript: Were you part of the evacuation plan?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about the evacuation plan formed during the Cold War. Later, Johnson discusses Dean Rusk's reputation as Secretary of State, listing his one major flaw as being his lack of assertiveness. He analyzes the reasons for this trait.

Keywords: Bay of Pigs; Chet Bowles; Soviet bomber aircraft; State Department; The Cabinet; White House; nuclear attack; nuclear weapons

00:32:35 - Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam

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Partial Transcript: We were discussing Alexis Johnson's involvement with Vietnam decision making, his role in 1964, 1965...

Segment Synopsis: Johnson describes being appointed Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam to work alongside the Ambassador Maxwell D.Taylor.

Keywords: Foreign Service Career Ambassador; JFK; Joint Chiefs of Staff; LBJ; Pat Tillman Johnson; President John F. Kennedy; President Lyndon B. Johnson; Vietnam War; the Bottle Club

00:39:22 - Increasing American forces in Vietnam

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Partial Transcript: Let me follow up on your comment that you had doubts about that conflict and it did go back quite early.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses his and Maxwell D.Taylor's initial views on bringing American ground troops into Vietnam. He also talks about the problem that led to the introduction of American marines into Vietnam.

Keywords: American combat units; Army of the Republic of Vietnam; MEF; Marine expeditionary force; North Vietnam; Saigon; Vietnam War escalation; Vietnam ground security; anti-aircraft; bombing