LETTER TO TED GITTINGER FROM J. KENNETH MCDONALD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP01-00569R000100090040-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: August 15, 1984
• Content Type: LETTER

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/18: CIA-RDPO1-00569R000100090040-9
15 August 1984
Mr. Ted Gi tti nger
Oral History
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation
2313 Red River Street
Austin, Texas 78705
I did make inquiries about your wish to locate and interview Agency
people who might know about activities in Southeast Asia in the late
1960s. After this long delay, I'm sorry to have to report that I seem to
have produced more questions than answers from the offices involved, and
I'm not at all sure that we'll be able to give you much help. For this
reason I think that the best course might for me to outline the Agency's
concerns so that you can, if you wish, send me a letter describing what you
have in mind doing and the specific help that CIA might provide.
My colleagues have reminded me that the U.S. Government does not
officially confirm CIA's presence anywhere abroad (although there has been,
limited official acknowledgement of a CIA presence in Saigon during the
Vietnam War). Moreover, the Agency's duty to protect sources and methods
makes us worry about discussions of possible relationships with other
friendly intelligence services, at any time or place.
In light of these concerns, these are some points that you might treat
if you send along a proposal:
Your official status, and the official character and purpose of
the interviews.
The use you plan to make of the transcripts and how they will be
handled: if unclassified, who will have access to them; what
kind of publications will come out of them.
The topics you would like to ask people about: the time periods,
places, people, organizations and issues involved.
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As we discussed, the Agency has helped the Department of State's
History Office in their interviews of retired officers for the forthcoming
Vietnam volumes in the Foreign Relations of the United States series.
After State had identified the retired officers--six or eight, as I
recall--that they wished to interview, the Agency's Executive Director
wrote each to encourage him to cooperate, within the terms of his secrecy
agreements. The interviews, however, were principally for background
information, and as the enclosed copy of the Executive Director's form
letter explains, State will submit anything that they propose actually to
use in the FRUS volumes to CIA for review. State treats the tapes and
transcripts of these interviews as potentially classified, which is to say
that neither State nor the officer interviewed can divulge or use the
material without prior CIA review and approval.
I'm afraid that all of this is not very encouraging, but if you sew
a proposal I'll be glad to see what I can arrange. Give me a call-
if I can answer any questions.
With all good wishes,
Sincerely,
/5/
J. Kenneth McDonald
Chief Historian
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee w/att
1 - C/HS w/att
'Y- HS Chrono w/att
1 - Subject File w/att
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/18: CIA-RDP01-00569R000100090040-9
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Central Intelligence Agency
STAT
STAT
STAT
particular information, I would ask that you contacttbe
Directorate of Operations Information Review Officer
for further guidance at
Sincerely,
Charles A. Briggs
Executive Director
The Office of the Historian of the Department of State
currently is engaged in the preparation of the official record
of the diplomacy of the Vietnam War for publication in the
Department of State's documentary series Foreign Relations of
the United States. The present focus is on the 1961-1963
period. In connection with that project, the Office of the
Historian -is planning to interview a number of former ' CAA
employees who had served in Vietnam in order to fill in
possible gaps in the official documentation. In addition to
the interview, the office also would be interested in any
personal papers that might relate to the individual's duties in
Vietnam.
Your name was submitted to the Agency as one of the
persons of interest to the Department of State for an
interview. Theintervie w will be conducted sometime in early
1984 by official historians and other personnel of the Office
of the Historian who hold Top Secret and other appropriate
security clearances. Prior to the publication of each Foreign
Relations volume it will undergo a full clearance and
declassification procedure which includes its review and
approval by CIA ofiany information relating to the Agency's
activities
Should you be contacted by the Office of the Historian, I
would ask that you give them your full cooperation. Although I
am sure that you understand that your pledge of secrecy remains
effective regarding Agency operations, you should feel free to
discuss any matter in that time period that would not reveal
specific Agency activities. Should you have any questions
whether or not you may discuss a particular topic or disclose
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/18: CIA-RDP01-00569R000100090040-9