National Security Action Memorandum 273
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National Security Action Memorandum 273 (NSAM-273) was approved by new United States President Lyndon Johnson on November 26, 1963, one day after former President John F. Kennedy's funeral. NSAM-273 resulted from the need to reassess U.S. policy toward the Vietnam War following the overthrow and assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem. The first draft of NSAM-273, completed before Kennedy's death, was approved with minor changes by President Johnson.
As the initial statement – top secret at the time – of U.S. policy in the Vietnam War of the Johnson presidency, NSAM-273 has been studied carefully to determine if it changed policies toward Vietnam from those of the Kennedy presidency. NSAM-273 and previous NSAMs were based on an optimistic view of progress in the Vietnam War. The strategy outlined in NSAM-273 was quickly overtaken by events and more realistic appraisals of the situation in South Vietnam. U.S. policy makers became more pessimistic and this led to escalation of U.S. military activity in Vietnam on March 8, 1965.