What did the declassified documents reveal?

Top‑Secret Commander‑in‑Chief Pacific Command History, Volume One, nineteen‑seventy‑nine, prepared by the Command History Branch, Office of the Joint Secretary, Headquarters C‑I‑N‑C‑P‑A‑C, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii, dated fourteen November nineteen‑eighty. This record is notable because it documents U.S. intelligence assessments of the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and the broader security implications for Southeast Asia during the late‑1970s, and it was released to the public through The Black Vault archive. The document was made available by The Black Vault as part of its online declassification collection. The release does not cite a specific Freedom of Information Act case number, but it is presented as a fully declassified record, with the declassification authority indicated as the original issuing agency, the United States Pacific Command. The PDF and text versions are hosted at the archive.org URL that accompanies the entry. The Command History begins with a formal classification statement. It reads: “Top‑Secret. Not releasable to foreign nationals. Formerly Restricted Data. Unauthorized disclosure subject to administrative and criminal sanctions. Handle as Restricted Data in foreign dissemination per Section one‑four‑four‑b, Atomic Energy Act, nineteen‑fifty‑four. Regraded Unclassified upon removal of enclosures. To: Distribution List. Subject: C‑I‑N‑C‑P‑A‑C Command History nineteen‑seventy‑nine; promulgation of enclosures: (1) Volume I, C‑I‑N‑C‑P‑A‑C Command History nineteen‑seventy‑nine; (2) Volume II, C‑I‑N‑C‑P‑A‑C Command History nineteen‑seventy‑nine; (3) Appendix I, Taiwan Wrap‑Up. The C‑I‑N‑C‑P‑A‑C Command History nineteen‑seventy‑nine is promulgated in response to the direction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This document contains information affecting the security of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title eighteen, United States Code, Sections seven‑nine‑three and seven‑nine‑four. Transmission or revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. The classified material contained within this document is to be treated with the utmost discretion. Under no circumstances shall possession thereof be transferred, or the information contained therein be imparted, to personnel other than those whose duties specifically require knowledge thereof. The overall classification of the Command History is Top Secret—Not Releasable To Foreign Nations—Formerly Restricted Data. The security classification indicated for each page of this document is according to the highest classification of any paragraph thereon. All titles, headings, and captions in this history are unclassified. Section J‑II—Southeast Asia. The SRV Threat (U U). On twenty‑five December nineteen‑seventy‑eight the Socialist Republic of Vietnam invaded Cambodia. By seven January nineteen‑seventy‑nine the SRV had captured the capital city of Phnom Penh and Kompong Som. Reports indicated that the People’s Republic of…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

CIA Top‑secret Commander‑in‑chief Pacific Command History, Volume One

◆ BLUF — The short version

Top‑Secret Commander‑in‑Chief Pacific Command History, Volume One, nineteen‑seventy‑nine, prepared by the Command History Branch, Office of the Joint Secretary, Headquarters C‑I‑N‑C‑P‑A‑C, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii, dated fourteen November nineteen‑eighty. S.

Date: AUG 3 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was CIA Top‑secret Commander‑in‑chief Pacific Command History, Volume One about?: Top‑Secret Commander‑in‑Chief Pacific Command History, Volume One, nineteen‑seventy‑nine, prepared by the Command History Branch, Office of the Joint Secretary, Headquarters C‑I‑N‑C‑P‑A‑C, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii, dated fourteen November nineteen‑eighty. S.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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