President's Daily Diary, December 23, 1967
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P),,t,, , 23 December 1967 Korat. Royal Thai AF Base, Thailand Day Saturday , . Activity (include visited by ) The President was up and dressed by 5:00 a. m. —in khaki shirt and pants and battle jacket. Wait Rostow and Wm Bundy came in the trailer briefly, and the President greeted them and then suggested they eave and find a way to get him into Karachi without the press finding out prior to arrival. w/ General Manager y*yw/ General Momyer The President to his car and departed trailed in which he had spent the night . The President had been quartered in a series of trailers — his trailer was number one. The trailer had two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. The President's large double bed filled one of the small bedrooms. Arrive hanger speech site — in the dark of early morn The President Went immediately to the stage where he decorated Capt. William Crieger, 355th TFW -- Silver Star Capt. Donald F. Miles. 432nd TRW.--Silver Star Major Myron L. Savage. 355th TFW, --Distinguished Flying Cross (10LC) Major Wintford L. Bazzell, 388th TFW,-- Distinguished Flying Cross Major James R. Bassett, 388th TFW, Distinguished Flying Cross Mjor Lloyd W. Boothby, 8th TFW -- Distinguished Flying Cross 1st Lt. John C. Putnam, 355th TFW -- Distinguished Flying Cross 1st: Lt. George H. McKinney, Jr., 8th TFW -- Distinguished Cross and made REMARKS Depart speech site On the airplane in Presidential compartmert w/ General William W. Momyer Depty Cdr. for Air Ops & Cdr 7th AF Date 2 3 December 1967 Karat. Roya l Tha i Air Force Base, Thailandpa y Saturda y Expendi- Activity (includ e visite d by ) tur e Code Takeoff fro m Kora t RTAFB , Thailan d During this flight, th e Presiden t was briefed by General Momyer — who came aboard prepared w/ charts an d pointer t o discuss his activities i n th e DMZ. BREAKFAST Walt W. rosto w joined Aboard AF On e 8697 0 from Korat. RTAFB . wer e the following : The President Mr. W . Marvi n Watson. Specia l Asst to the President Mr. Georg e Christian, Pres s Secretary Mr. Wal t Rostow, S p Asst to the Presiden t Mr. Jame s Jones , Presidentia l Ass t Dr. Georg e Burkley , President' s personal physician Col. Jame s U . Cross , Arme d Force s Aid e to the President Mr. Rufu s Youngblood , Deput y Director, U S Secret Service Mrk - ValentiJac , President , Motio n Picture Associatio n o f Americ a Mr. C. W. Eng elhard Mrs. C.Eng W elhard Mr. Clinto n Hill, SAIC , U S Secret Service Miss Marie Fehmer, Presidentia l Secretar y —Mrs. Mar y Beck, Presidentia l Secretar y —Mrs. Nel l Yates, Secretar y Miss Evelyn Ferguson, Press Offic e Secretar y LCdr . To m Atkins , "Whit e House Photographer Mr. Yoich i Okamoto , Whit e House Photographer Miss Ruby Nivens. , Secretar y Chief Thoma s Mills, corpsma n M.Sgt- Pau l Glynn , Presidentia l valet . M. Sgt . Marshall K. Gaddis , Presidentia l vale t M^—^.VMM^^—^MIII—IHBM^H^^^^^^—VBB^—^VVHBB^^B^—«»^^^—B«M_^^^_B^_^H^_B ^^W^.,^_^ VV^H^ Date 23 December 1967 Korat. Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand Day Saturday E Activity (include visited by) Sgt. Jack Cliff, baggage handler SD 1 Cecilio C. HH Pontanilla, Jr. steward Mr. Charles Maguire, Presidential Assistant Mr. Horace Busby Hon. Harry McPherson, Special Counsel to the PResident General Momyer _ The P esident to the rear of the plane talking with ^^ Harry McPherson and inviting him to join . Back to the Presidentialcompartment Marvin Watson Walt Rostow . Gen Wm Momyer Jack Valenti —Harry McPherson —Horace Busby George Christian Mr. Engelhard Charles Maguire _ The President came to the back of the plane from time to time to speak privately with Walt Rostow, then the two would return to the compartm^nt with the rest of the gentlemen. _ ForOther this support flight, andthere escort were planestwo escort were planes at hand, flying but off not each in wingevidence. tip. THE WmiE HousE Dxtf 23 December 1967 PREStDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON DAtLY D!ARY The President began his day at (Place) Korat, Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand p^ Saturday Time Telephon e Entry i or t -^ 1 1 Activity (inc)ude visited by) In Out Lo LD ^3a VietNam time AF One 86970 touched down. Cam H-^Ranh Bay. ^H^ Republic of Viet Nam ThiS iS the PreSident'S The President was met byVice y^^- President )^^,^;^ Nguyen Caokey ^^y^^^^(^ second visit to Cam Ranh— x^r^ General < ^-William ,^^^:&,^^ Westmoreland ^^^^y^^^ Bay, ^^^^-^^--^-^-^^ty Ambassador Ellsworth ^^^{^^-^^^ Bunker ^^^.^A^y " ^"^Connell.^ M ^ -^^-^^ i-*t/ L i^ -_advanced and departed by motorcade Ted Remarks to Senior Unit Commanders ^^ ^H^ n^t^ 23 December 1967 * ^ ,Korat , Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand Day Saturday Expendi- Activity (inctude visited by) ture Code ^L^2^^*Visited hosptial %^^4^^5L^ and wounded <&*t^ *t^i^%^^.^^^ therein awarded ^/&^^-U?^/. <^2^</-^>t^<L^-^^ '-^t^^^Lmedals -6^, ^dZ&<^t^Went to briefing ^& '-^^^^4^-^ room ^T^d-3^1^ The President arrived the speech site , and posed for pictures immediately outside his car with Hon. Ellsworth Bunker American Ambassador to Vietnam Amb. Robert Komer Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky of RVM General William Westmoreland General Creighton Abrams Datf* 23 December 1967 Korat, Royal Thai Air & Force Base, Thailand Day Saturday Expx Activity (include visited by) tu Cc The President and Gen. Westmoreland led a group of dignitaries to the stage. "Hail to the Chief" was played. General Westmoreland escorted the President in REVIEW of the TROOPS in an open jeep. Returned to the stage. National anthem of VietNam U.S. Nationia l Anthem The President then decorated a large number of AirForce, Army, Marine, and Navy- enlisted men and officers. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS: Spec 4 Paul D. Charles, USA Lt. Col. Ralph Puckett, Jr. , USA 1 st Lt. Leon Mack Wessel, Jr. USA Sgt. William C. Thomas, USA NAVY CROSS: LCdr. Francis Eugene Rh Rhodes. USN Gunnery Sgt. John Sherman Green. USMC Gy Sgt. Leroy Nick Poulson, USMC AIR FORCE CROSS: Col. Robert M. White, USAF SILVER STAR: Capt. Paul Nagle Gray, USN Lt., (jg).*x&^)CRH^5a^ Samuel Allen Mies, USN Engineman 3d Class Michael Lee Meeks, USN Capt. Jerald W. Ellington, USAF Date23 December 1967^ Korat Royal $xhk Thai AF Base, Thailand p^ Saturday Activity (include visited by) Capt. Stewart R. Byrne, USAF PFC Edward Dale Davis, USMC Sgt, gxs*. Gerald Vernand Young, USMC SSgt. Cornell Johnson, Jr. , USA Spec 4 Charles W. Page, USA PURPLE HEART: 1st Lt. Leo J. Lemoine, USAF Cpl. Roger W. VanTatenhove. USMC Cpl. David G. Bailey, USMC LCdr. Harold E. Phillips, USN Cpl. James J. Murphy, USMC LCpl. David J. Francis, USMC Lt. Col. Robert M. Rufsvold, USA 2d Lt. Benjamin S. Fordham, USMC PFC Joseph Sanders, USMC Lt. Phillip D. Allum, USMC LCpt. Robert E. Fisher, USMC HM3 Paul L. Labonte. USN LCpt. James L. Luthman, USMC PFC Thomas W. Gaskey, USMC PFC David A. Dupuy, USMC PFC James R. Ezzell. USMC Cpl. Leo Giddings, Jr. , USMC Spec 4 William M. Freeman, Jr. , USA LCpl. Terry M. Whitmore, USMC 2nd Lt. Robert W. "HiRBag Thompson, USMC Datf 23 December 1967y ^lace) Korat RTAFB. Thailand Day Saturday phone, - or t Expendi- -] Activity (include visited by) ture LD Cocie Then Gen. Westmoreland Said at the request of the Commander-in-Chief, would the troops fall out and ^HHHH^^^^come to the base of the stage beneath the President. As the troops paused uncertainly, the l^m President rose and raised his arms in a beckoning motion. The troops then ran and squeezed in the area, around the stage. General Westmoreland then told them to remove their head covers. REMARKS by the President Upon finishing his remarks, the President paused a moment, then asked the troops gathered to indulge him. while he paid tribute to their leaders.—The President awarded:— General William Westmoreland — an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Service Medal he already earned. (Cdr US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) General Cratgh Creightonjrams , (Deputy Cdr. US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) Lt. General Bruce Palmer, Jr. (Deputy CG, US Army, Vietnam) General William Momyer, USAF , (Deputy Cdr for Air Ops USMACV, Cdr 7th AF ) Lt. General Robert HaH^aHHH Cushman, USMC , (CG III Marine Amphibious Force, USMACV) Vice Admiral Kenneth Vieth , (Commander US Naval Forces, Vietnam) Vice Admiral "Bush" Bringle William F. ), Commander 7th Fleet The President then presented civilian awards to! Hon. Ellsworth Bunker, Amb to VietNam — his second Medal of Freedom Hon. Eugene Locke, Depty Amb (not present) --Medal of Freedom Hon. Robert Komer Medal of Freedom for his work in pacification Following these awards the troops gave three cheers for the President. General Westmoreland on behalf of all troops in VietNam wished the President and the First Lady a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, thanked the President for coming, SEE TR and wished him God speed --"'"'--"''' ----- t?rm "Tt? A\/i?T Ar^^rT\/T^rv rat?e I\o.: Date 2 3 December 1967 Korat RTAFB, Thailand Day Saturday Expendi- Activity (inc!ude visited by) ture Code AF One 86970 departed Cam Ranh Bay, Republic of VietNam with the following aboard: The President and all on the flight from Korat to Cam Ranh with the deletion of General Momyer and the addition to the manifest at Cam Ranh of Mr. William Bundy. The President was in his compartment with Mr. & Mrs. Charles Engelhard Harry McPherson Jack Valenti Marvin Watson Mrs. Johnson in Washington The President visited with the Englehards' -- looked at the opal cufflinks he had purchased in Australia for Pat and Chuck -- and conferred with various advisers between receiving cables.