This section compiles documents and records originating from the State Department during the aftermath of the deaths in Guyana. Even prior to Congressman Leo Ryan’s ill-fated trip to Jonestown in November 1978, the State Department maintained a vested interest in Peoples Temple, as it provided consular services to American citizens living in Jonestown and eventually responded to reports of poor conditions and the mistreatment of residents raised by concerned relatives. However, in the aftermath of the mass deaths in Jonestown, the State Department—and, particularly, the American Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana—found itself amid an unprecedented crisis; the agency was left to communicate with the Guyanese government, coordinate the recovery and repatriation of remains alongside the DOD, and address the needs of survivors in the days and weeks that followed.
The State Department records featured on this site largely consist of memoranda and cables regarding the repatriation of American citizens—across international and state borders—and the ensuing difficulty in identifying, documenting, and making arrangements for the interment of the deceased. A more comprehensive selection of State Department cables—prior to and after November 18, 1978—may be accessed here.
An index of military and diplomatic abbreviations referenced in these documents can be accessed here.
The managers of this site thank Dr. Nick Miller for his invaluable assistance in transcribing these documents.
Editor’s Note: For usage and/or citation of these documents, please credit: [Original author]/Military Response to Jonestown. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: This set of documents was retrieved from the State Department’s online FOIA Reading Room (accessed July, 2025).
| Cable ID | Date | Sender | Summary | Text | |
| 1989 | N/A (Likely between 11/19/1978 and 11/24/1978) | State Department | Reports of mass suicide in Jonestown; plans to repatriate survivors; concerns about the limitations of the Guyanese Government and the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown. | Text | |
| 1735 | N/A | State Department | A War Powers Act report was unnecessary following U.S. military involvement in Jonestown. | Text | |
| 1775 | November 21, 1978 | State Department | DOD is continuing humanitarian support for Jonestown mission; 250 DOD personnel deployed; supply requests from the Guyanese government. | Text | |
| 340 | November 26, 1978, 8:00 p.m. UTC (3:00 p.m. EST) | JTF | Removal of bodies from Jonsetown completed; redeployment underway. | Text | |
| 1780 | November 29, 1978 | State Department | Concerns over the identification and legal disposition of unidentified Jonestown victims at Dover AFB; opposition from Delaware officials and residents to local burial; and consideration of temporary military interment. | Text | |
| 1785 | November 30, 1978 | U.S. Senate | Senator Jesse Helms questions the legal authority and cost of the repatriation of Jonestown victims. | Text | |
| 2390 | December 4, 1978 | DOJ | DOJ request for FBI access to records recovered from Jonestown. | Text | |
| 1803 | December 5, 1978 | General Accounting Office | GAO requests a report on costs and reimbursement prospects associated with repatriation; inquiries over the potential liabilities of survivors, estates, or Peoples Temple assets. | Text | |
| 2393 | At least after December 9, 1978 | State Department | Discussions between federal and Delaware officials over the disposition of remains. | Text | |
| 2019 | December 11, 1978 | State of Delaware DHSS | Delaware authorities request clarification on Guyanese death certificates. | Text | |
| 1824 | December 11, 1978 | DOD | Estimated costs for U.S. Military mission in Guyana. | Text | |
| 2022 | December 13, 1978 | State of Delaware | Delaware governor requests removal of bodies from Dover AFB. | Text | |
| 1888 | December 14, 1978 | State of Delaware | Delaware governor requests President Carter’s assistance for the removal of remains from Dover AFB. | Text | |
| 2026 | December 20, 1978 | State Department | Military aircraft are unable to transport remains from Delaware to California. | Text | |
| 2024 | December 20, 1978 | State Department | Identification of five more persons. | Text | |
| 2025 | December 21, 1978 | State Department | Identification of Peter Holmes Jr. | Text | |
| 2392 | December 21, 1978 | State Department | Discussions between federal and Delaware officials over the disposition of remains. | Text | |
| 1920 | December 29, 1978 | State Department | Correspondence between State Department and Delaware officials regarding the disposition of remains. | Text | |
| 2031 | January 2, 1979 | State of New Jersey | New Jersey outlines conditions for the disposition of remains; assurances regarding death certificates and public safety. | Text | |
| 2033 | January 5, 1979 | State Department | Discussions of legal requirements for the burial or cremation of remains; all bodies have been embalmed; GOG to send death certificates. | Text | |
| 2032 | January 5, 1979 | State Department | Duplicate of State 2033. | Text | |
| 2039 | January 16, 1979 | Delaware House of Representatives | Resolution of the Delaware House of Representatives urging the federal government to not bury unclaimed Jonestown victims within the state. | Text | |
| 2040 | January 16, 1979 | State of New Jersey | New Jersey officials review the unauthorized cremation of 29 Jonestown victims by Delaware funeral directors. | Text | |
| 2044 | January 18, 1979 | State of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania officials determine that Guyanese death certificates are sufficient to permit the burial or cremation of Jonestown victims. | Text | |
| 2045 | January 20, 1979 | Dover AFB | After-action report on Jonestown mission; includes dozens of press clippings. | Report PDF(Guyana Mortuary Report Attachment)(Press Clippings) | Text |
| 1938 | January 23, 1979 | State Department | AID funds will be used to reimburse DOD for the costs incurred by the Jonestown mission. | Text | |
| 1943 | January 25, 1979 | State Department | State Department officials debate federal disposition of unclaimed remains after a California court gave a religious relief committee time to propose a burial plan funded by Peoples Temple assets; memorandum highlights concerns over additional government expenditures and pressures from Delaware officials. | Text | |
| 1990 | January 25, 1979 | State of Delaware Legislature | Statement from a State Department official defending the federal response to Jonestown; no mass burials will occur in Delaware. | Text | |
| 2048 | January 30, 1979 | State of Pennsylvania | Jonestown remains could be buried or cremated in Pennsylvania. | Text | |
| 2050 | January 31, 1979 | State Department | Status report on the disposition of Jonestown remains; negotiations continue with neighboring states over burial and cremation; pressure to remove remains from Dover AFB. | Text | |
| 2399 | January 31, 1979 | State Department | State Department evaluates options for disposing of unclaimed remains; proposal to transfer responsibility of remains to the Guyana Emergency Relief Committee in California. | Text | |
| 2052 | February 1, 1979 | State Department | Outline of federal and court-sanctioned plans for the disposition of remains; Guyana Emergency Relief Committee will assist with interment plans. | Text | |
| 2053 | February 2, 1979 | State Department | State Department transmits documentation accompanying Jonestown victims released from Dover AFB; considers New Jersey as a place of burial. | Text | |
| 2056 | February 7, 1979 | State Department | Interpretation of Delaware burial and cremation laws. | Text | |
| 2057 | February 7, 1979 | State Department | State Department seeks clarification on Maryland burial and cremation requirements. | Text | |
| 2058 | February 8, 1979 | State of Virginia | Virginia Attorney General’s office outlines state requirements for the burial and cremation of remains. | Text | |
| 2060 | February 13, 1979 | State Department | Guyana Emergency Relief Committee planning document outlines legal, logistical, and financial considerations for the transportation and disposition of unclaimed and unidentified Jonestown victims; recommends ground burial over cremation or burial at sea; and proposes financing the effort through Peoples Temple assets under court supervision. | Text | |
| 2400 | February 21, 1979 | State Department | State Department reviews proposed plans for interment of bodies. | Text | |
| 2405 | February 28, 1979 | State Department | State Department provides the California Superior Court with updated statistics on the remaining victims at Dover AFB; reports that most identified and unidentified decedents, as well as their next-of-kin, are connected to California. | Text | |
| 2406 | March 1, 1979 | State Department | State Department updates officials on the disposition of remains and cost recovery efforts; congressional concerns over using foreign assistance funds to cover Jonestown expenses; notes progress toward court approval of the Emergency Relief Committee’s plan to transport and bury remaining victims using Peoples Temple assets. | Text | |
| 2321 | March 7, 1979 | State Department | State Department responds to a Rockland County resolution urging reimbursement of expenses by the Peoples Temple. | Text | |
| 2351 | April 26, 1979 | State Department | AID authorizes funding to reimburse the DOD for most Jonestown-related expenses. | Text |