RIPPLE SALVO… #552… Continuing the Summary Report of the August 1967 Stennis hearings on the air war over North Vietnam…posted from Tailhook ’17… but first…
Good Morning from “the Nugget in Sparks”: Day FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE of a return to the unfriendly skies of North Vietnam and a bit of fifty-year old history…
9 September 1967… HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a cloudy Saturday in New York with rain in the offing…
VIETNAM: Page 6: “Chaplain From Staten Island Killed Praying On Battlefield”...Tamky, South Vietnam, 8 September 1967: “In the dusty tents and bunkers of a marine outpost here, the death of a 38-year old chaplain from New York has stirred grief and shock. The chaplain, Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno, United States Navy, of New York was killed last Monday afternoon (August 28) by North Vietnamese fire during a clash near Tamky. According to witnesses Lieutenant Capodanno, who was the Roman Catholic chaplain of the Third Battalion, fifth Marine Regiment, was severely wounded but continued praying until fatally hit. As word of his death spread on Hill 63, headquarters of the regiment, 12 miles northwest of Tanky, several marines wept…a memorial service on Tuesday was packed with officers and enlisted men and Catholics and non-Catholics. For more than a year the chaplain, a Naval officer, had served with the Marine Corps in the northern provinces of South Vietnam…he became known as the enlisted men’s chaplain. Ross Nutera, a 20-year old corporal from Buffalo, said: ‘Somehow he just seemed to act the way a man of God should act.’ ” (Humble Host adds: LT CAPODANNO was awarded the MEDAL OF HONOR and a destroyer of the U.S.Navy bears his name…oohrah)…
Page 1: “Debate Continues On Value of a Barrier Line”... “Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara’s decision to develop a 15-mile long anti-infiltration barrier south of the demilitarized zone has not ended the undercover debate between top officials over the ‘static’ or ‘mobile defense.’ Mr. McNamara has pushed the barrier idea over the opposition of many military men including a less than enthusiastic General William Westmoreland and Marines who prefer ‘thrust and parry’ to sitting behind the barrier.” … Page 1: “Fighting Resumes Near Buffer Zone–20 Marines Die in Clashes–Air Attacks on North Limited ‘By Storms”... “Renewed fighting flared near the demilitarized yesterday pushing Marine casualties in the northern provinces of South Vietnam to a total of 134 killed in action and 397 wounded since Monday…North Vietnam losses in the four clashed that took the livesoof20 Marines were put at 479 killed.“… Page 3: Picture with caption: ‘Taking Out Their Dead’... “Marines carrying the body of a comrade to an evacuation point Thursday near Tanky, south of Danang and the demilitarized zone. More than 500 Marines have been killed or wounded this week in heavy fighting this week in this area.”… Page 2: “British Say Saigon Will Seek Peace Talks Soon–Reported Plan Includes Role of Vietcong and Suspension of U.S. Bombing of North.”… “South Vietnam will take the initiative in accordance with recent announcement of General Nguyen Van Thieu…”
VIETNAM: Page 1: “RUSK CONCEDES THAT RED CHINA MIGHT ENTER WAR–DECLARES HE CAN OFFER NO ‘GOLD-PLATED GUARANTEES’ PEKING WILL STAY OUT–U.S. PRUDENCE STRESSED–SECRETARY ASSERTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE THAT ENTRY WILL BE ‘ILL-ADVISED’ “… “Secretary of State Dean Rusk…said at a morning news conference that the Johnson Administration has pursued the war ‘with the prudence that would minimize the risks of Chinese intervention.’ He also advised China’s rulers they would be ‘ill-advised’ to enter the war. His remarks were the most pointed recent public warning by the Administration to Peking, and the most explicit acknowledgement of the risks of Chinese intervention in the Vietnam war.”…( Humble Host notes that at this time: Page 1: “Peking Plotters Imperil Mao Rule, An aide Asserts–He Says False Maoists, Not Yet All Identified Try to Split Party and Army”… “Mao is being threatened by an underground conspiracy in Peking.”… My question is: Why wasn’t this Cultural Revolution in China a factor in the strategy we employed in our war with North Vietnam?… Opportunity bypassed??? You can bet our 21st century adversaries will be taking every advantage of the incredibly divided state of the American “union.”… A nation divided against itself, as Communist China was in the 1960s, and the UnitedStates is in 2017, is an invitation for attack. Always has been and always will be. It is the nature of man. Attack weakness.)…
SUMMER IN AMERICA 1967: Page 1: “Strike at Ford Expected to Raise ’68 Car Prices–Shortage of Autos Feared, Particularly After An Increase in Summer Sales–Shut Plants Distribute Paychecks”… Page 20: “H. Rap Brown Denies Breaking Gun Law–Free On Bail”… “March By Mothers To Milwaukee City Hall rebuffed By Mayor”… “Mothers went to city hall to tell the Mayor that part of the blame for Milwaukee’s continuing racial disorders rested on him. The Mayor’s response: ‘Take your lip and go home, please.’ “…
9 September 1967…The President’s Daily Brief… YGTBSM… After 50 years, 6 of 9 pages are still classified, redacted, blanked out…
9 SEPTEMBER 1967… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…New York Times (10 Sept reporting 8 and 9 Sept ops)… U.S. JETS RENEW RAIDS NEAR CHINA; STRIKE RAIL YARD–BOMB 50 CARS ON SIDING”….. “United States planes bombed a railroad siding jammed with boxcars 30 miles from the Chinese border yesterday (8th) as clearing weather permitted limited strikes north of Hanoi for the first time in three days. Air Force Thunderchiefs attacked the Langdang railroad siding 64 miles northeast of Hanoi…numerous explosions and smoke precluded assessment of the damage. The siding was one of three struck during the day along the northeast rail link between Hanoi and China.
(OPS 9 SEPT: “Three enemy MIG jets were destroyed on the ground as American fighter-bombers struck the airfield at Kep, 38 miles northeast of Hanoi. Air Forc4e pilots also attacked the Bacgiang railway and highway bridge 27 miles northeast of Hanoi and the Catnung railway bridge 55 miles northeast of the capital. No aircraft were lost on 9 September raids.)
“Colonel Lawerence J. Pickett, Jr. of Las Cruces, NM was one of the pilots on the Bacgiang bridge attack. ‘As I pulled off I saw the bridge completely engulfed in smoke and flames and debris falling into the water.’ Thunderchief pilots also bombed the Kepha army barracks 40 miles north of Hanoi.
“Marine A-6 pilots from Danang air base attacked the Champhuong railway yard 70 miles northwest of Hanoi and Intruder pilots from Chu Lai hit the Cotrai railroad bridge 15 miles south of Hanoi. because of the poor weather following passage of Tropical storm Patsy, Navy carrier pilots concentrate3d on targets in the panhandle striking bridges and storage areas. Pilots reported seeing eight North Vietnamese MIGs during strikes north of Hanoi, but the MIGs had not challenged any American planes. A Marine F-4 Phantom jet was shot down in South Vietnam, 8 miles south of the city of Quangtri, while providing close air support to Marine grunts. The two pilots ejected over the Gulf of Tonkin and were rescued.”
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were two fixed wing aircraft downed in Southeast Asia on 9 September 1967…
(1) LT J. STILLMAN and MAJOR IVAN DALE APPLEBY were flying an F-4D of the 435th TFS and 8th TFW and suffered a flameout over Thailand. The crew was forced to eject and survived to fly and fight again. MAJOR APPLEBY was Killed in Action on a strike near Hanoi on 7 October…
(2) An F-4C of the 480th TFS and 366th TFW out of Danang blew a tire ( or tyre as Chris Hobson spells it) on takeoff and after aborting the aircraft left the runway and was a strike damage. The crew rode it out and survived to fly and fight again.
RIPPLE SALVO… #552… Stennis Senate hearings of August 1967 Summary, VII of IX: Impact of Previous Bombing…
“Despite the restrictions and controls placed on our air campaign, it has had a substantial impact on North Vietnam, particularly in the last several months. During this latter period our aviation forces have been able to achieve a level of effort not previously possible. The growing weight of our efforts has brought an extensive destruction or disruption of North Vietnam’s war-supporting resources.
“The constant attacks on rail lines, truck routes, railroad rolling stock, and ocean barges have eroded the country’s transportation capabilities. As a result, the air campaign held down the infiltration of men and materiel into South Vietnam and significantly restricted the level of enemy forces that can be sustained there, it is important to emphasize that a complete stoppage of the infiltration was never anticipated. However, it is clear that the bombing campaign has reduced the level of infiltration–especially of material, well below that which would be possible if the traffic had been left unimpeded. This has served to reduce the enemy’s ability to conduct major sustained operations in South Vietnam and, thus, has resulted in the reduction of American casualties.
“Members of the Joint Chiefs told us that if the air campaign in the North had not been initiated, the scope of the ground war in South Vietnam might have been greatly expanded. General McConnell said that Hanoi had the potential manpower to build the combined Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam to nearly double what they are today. He pointed out that coping with such a buildup and capability would have required a large increase in our ground force commitment, ‘perhaps more than 800,000 additional US troops at a cost of $11-Billion over what we have already spent.’
“In addition, as Secretary McNamara himself testified the North Vietnamese have had to divert over 500,000 people to maintaining and repairing the lines of communication such as roads, rail networks, etc.–not an insignificant number in a country totaling 18.5 million. What they could have done in South Vietnam with 500,000 men freed from shackles of maintaining lines of communication is not pleasant to contemplate.
“Thus, weighted against the situation which would have existed had the air campaign not been mounted, it is clear that the air effort against North Vietnam has borne substantial fruits and has been as effective as might be expected considering the restrictions and inhibitions placed upon our airpower by civilian authorities i Washington. that greater results have not been achieved is attributable in our judgement to these restrictions rather than a lack of skillor ability of our aviation forces or of ingenuity, courage, and dedication of our soldiers, sailOrs, and airmen.
“We believe the air campaign has been crucial and vital in saving many American and alli8ed lives in South Vietnam. We believe also that the enemy has been hurt in his homeland and, while he is thus hurt, the pressure should be increased and not reduced, to persuade him that his continued support of the war in South Vietnam is definitely not in his best interests. The propaganda campaign from Hanoi designed to stop the bombing is strong evidence that the enemy is paying a price he does not wish to pay.”
Tomorrow: VIII of IX: “Necessity for Continuing and Making the Air War More Effective…
RTR QUOTE for 9 September: BISMARCK, speech, 1862: “It is not by speeches and resolutions that the great questions of the time are decided…but by iron and blood.”…
Lest we forget… Bear
Chaplain Capodanno’s (The Grunt Padre) Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Chaplain of the 3d Battalion, in connection with operations against enemy forces. In response to reports that the 2d Platoon of M Company was in danger of being overrun by a massed enemy assaulting force, Lt. Capodanno left the relative safety of the company command post and ran through an open area raked with fire, directly to the beleaguered platoon. Disregarding the intense enemy small-arms, automatic-weapons, and mortar fire, he moved about the battlefield administering last rites to the dying and giving medical aid to the wounded. When an exploding mortar round inflicted painful multiple wounds to his arms and legs, and severed a portion of his right hand, he steadfastly refused all medical aid. Instead, he directed the corpsmen to help their wounded comrades and, with calm vigor, continued to move about the battlefield as he provided encouragement by voice and example to the valiant marines. Upon encountering a wounded corpsman in the direct line of fire of an enemy machine gunner positioned approximately 15 yards away, Lt. Capodanno rushed a daring attempt to aid and assist the mortally wounded corpsman. At that instant, only inches from his goal, he was struck down by a burst of machine gun fire. By his heroic conduct on the battlefield, and his inspiring example, Lt. Capodanno upheld the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the cause of freedom.
Father Capodanno, a missionary from Staten Island, N.Y., perished as a result of no fewer than 27 bullet wounds on a bloody hillside in Vietnam’s Que Son Valley, where outnumbered U.S. Marines fought for their lives, pinned down under ambush by North Vietnamese regulars in “fixed bayonet” combat.
In his book The Grunt Padre, Father Daniel Mode paints a vivid scene of the attack, quoting survivor accounts of Father Capodanno moving fearlessly around the battlefield, consoling and anointing those in agony and hauling the suffering to safety.
Pfc. Julio Rodriguez recalls the moment he first spotted the chaplain. “He was carrying a wounded Marine,” Rodriguez says. “After he brought him to the relative safety of our perimeter, he continued to go back and forth, giving last rites to dying men and bringing in wounded Marines. He made many trips, telling us to ‘Stay cool; don’t panic.’”
Lieutenant Capodanno was also the recipient of the Navy Bronze Star medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and the Purple Heart Medal. Soon after his death, the first chapel bearing his name was dedicated on Hill 51 in Que Son Valley, Vietnam; Chaplain Capodanno had helped build this simple place of prayer and peace that was constructed of thatched palms and bamboo. On February 1968, within five months of his death, the chapel at the Navy Chaplains School at Newport, RI, was dedicated the Capodanno Memorial Chapel. Other military chapels and commemorations are located in Oakland, CA, Camp Pendleton, CA, Fort Wadsworth, NY, Iwakuni, Japan, and Thiankou, Taiwan, the last of which honors the missionary who began his work in that country.
A significantly prestigious memorial was the naming of the USS CAPPODANNO, a ship whose motto “Duty with Honor” exemplified the chaplain service of Father Capodanno. During its 20 years of operational service, it was further distinguished as the first ship in the US Fleet to receive a Papal Blessing while docked in Naples. Further military buildings bearing his name include the Vincent Robert Capodanno Naval Clinic in Gaeta, Italy, Capodanno Hall, a bachelor officers’ quarters at the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard and the Capodanno Research Facility at the Navy personnel offices in Millington, TN. Other tributes, geographic reminders preserving his name are: Capodanno Boulevard in Staten Island, NY, and Capodanno Street at the Naval Base, Newport, RI. Father Capodanno’s name appears on many other veteran memorials throughout the United States honoring individual servicemen and certain designated groups such as the Freedom Foundation in Valley, Forge, PA; the Catholic Chaplains Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery; the Veterans Memorial, in Kokomo, IN; and the Vietnam Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC, as well as the Chaplain Vincent R. Capodanno Shelter for Homeless Veterans, in Boston, MA.