Across the Wing-Stories of Navy Carrier Combat Squadrons in the Vietnam Theatre



ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED 23 FEBRUARY 1968

RIPPLE SALVO… #719… NEW YORK TIMES, 23-FEB-68, Page 1: “U.S. KILLED-IN-ACTION IN LAST WEEK 543, A RECORD–TOLL IN 1968 –48 DAYS– RISES TO 2,442″… AFGHANISTAN (2001-2018=17 YEARS=1,954 KIA)… but first…

Good Morning: Day SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY recalling a history lesson called Quagmire 101–The Vietnam War… Failure of this history lesson leads to Quagmire 201– AFGHANISTAN…

23 FEBRUARY 1968… HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a sunny, windy cold Friday in the Empire State…

GROUND WAR (“War is a killing business”): Page 1: “U.S. MARINES GAIN A HUE OBJECTIVE BUT FOE FIGHTS ON–AMERICANS REACH SOUTH WALL OF CITADEL AS ENEMY PUSHES SOUTH VIETNAMESE BACK–THIRD OF AREA CLEARED– But A Final Drive On Inner Royal Palace Is Expected To Be Costly”... “United States Marines ran crouching up a stone staircase and reached the south wall of the Hue Citadel today to close an important phase of the battle to control South Vietnam’s second most important city. By taking a part of the south wall of the rectangular walled city within a city, the marines finished their current assignment of clearing a third of the Citadel of North Vietnamese and Vietcong troops who occupied Hue 23 days ago. The battle, however, is not over. Enemy troops still hold the southwest corner of the Citadel, which lies on the north Bank of the Huaong River. They also hold  crescent-shaped area inside the western wall. At almost the same time the American marines were reaching their objective, enemy troops counterattacked against the Fourth Regiment of the First South Vietnamese Division. The attack drove the South Vietnamese back about 200 yards before the line could be stabilized near a small airstrip that roughly bisects the northern part of the walled town. Enemy forces were also in complete control of the Imperial City, a walled royal city within the walled Citadel. The eventual assault against this beautiful seat of Annamese emperors may be costly. The cost to the First Battalion of the Fiftieth United States Marine Regiment in taking a third of the Citadel has also been high… Marine casualties are estimated at 50 dead and 200 seriously wounded… one company of about 205 men was withdrawn from the line today only 61 men left.”… Page 4: “Spotter Plane Over Hue Looks Into Muzzles Of Foes Guns”… “The little gray spotter plane skimmed under the clouds covering Vietnam’s embattled old imperial capital today, twisting and skidding away from enemy gunfire, ‘They’re gonna’ shoot you right out of the air,’ an American soldier on the ground radioed the pilot. ‘We’ve got beaucoup VC here. If you can gain some altitude, I suggest you do.”…

Page 1: “KHESANH: WHY U.S. IS MAKING A STAND”...”At Khesanh in the northwest corner of South Vietnam, 5,000 to 6,000 United States Marines sit in sandbagged bunkers and wait for an attack by an enemy force estimated at 20,000 men. About 100 marines have been killed there since January 2. The airstrip in the mountain valley, the garrison’s lifeline, is under such constant shellfire that planes do not dare to come to a full stop while unloading men and supplies.”… “The Defense Department explanation for the defense of Khesanh is that the American fortress there blocks five avenues of infiltration for the enemy from Laos into South Vietnam. If Khesanh were abandoned, the explanation goes, entire North Vietnamese divisions could pour down Route 9 and four other natural approaches through the valleys and could overrun a chain of Marine positions, the Rockpile, Conthien, Dongha and Pyubal to the east.”… Page 5: “Foe Giving Warfare Lesson With Simple Mortar”… Page 6: General Mark Clark Declares Bombing and Blockade Will Speed Talks”… Page 6: Prince Sihanouk Says North Vietnam Has 40,000 Men In Cambodia”… Page 6: “Churches Warn on War Prospects”… Page 1: “PENTAGON STUDIES PLAN TO CALL-UP 40,000 RESERVES–PROPOSAL WOULD ALSO INCLUDE SPECIAL ALERT FOR 130,000–General Wheeler, Chairman JCS Is In Vietnam”…

Page 9: “JOHNSON’S MESSAGE: THE CRISIS OF THE CITIES–MESSAGE TO CONGRESS 22-FEB-68″… “Housing And Urban Development Act of 1968″… Page 32: Opinion Editorial: “CRISIS IN THE CITIES”… Page 67: TV “Dr. King Reportedly In Pact On Rally–Militants Said To Agree To Keep Protests Non-Violent”…

23 FEBRUARY 1968… President’s Daily Brief…VIETNAM: Several Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units have moved closer to Saigon, possibly in preparation for new attacks on the city…LAOS: The anticipated Communist attack on Saravane appears to have begun this morning... NORTH KOREA: ...there have been no major changes in Korean military dispositions….The Pueblo was not seen, but the area in which it had been anchored at the time of the last photography on 26 January was cloud-covered.

23 FEBRUARY 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times…No coverage of the air war in the North… “Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were three fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 23 February 1968…

(1) and (2) 1LT R.V. SMITH, USMC, and an unidentified right-seater were flying an A-6A of the VMA(AW)-533 Nighthawks and MAG-12 out of Chu Lai on a strike mission and collided mid-air with CAPTAIN GEORGE LAWRENCE HUBLER, USMC, flying an F-8E of the VMF(AW)-235 Death Angels and MAG-11 out of Danang on a non-combat mission at sea a few miles east of Danang. The A-6A Intruder twosome ejected and were rescued, CAPTAIN HUBLER perished in the accident and rests this day where he fell in the service of our country fifty years ago.

(3) MAJOR LAIRD GUTTERSEN and 1LT MYRON LEE DONALD were flying an F-4D of the 497th TFS and 8th TFW out of Ubon on a CAP mission supporting wing strike operations in North Vietnam northeast of Hanoi. They were exiting toward the Gulf of Tonkin after the strike was complete when they were jumped by several MIG-21s and hit by an air-to-air missile. They were unable to reach the relative safety of the Gulf and were forced to eject about 10 miles north of Hon Gai. MAJOR GUTTERSEN evaded the enemy searchers for ten hours before being captured and interned, along with 1LT DONALD, for the duration of the war as POWs. They were returned to the States in 1973. MAJOR GUTTERSEN flew B-25s in World War II before flying 60 combat missions in P-51s and F-86s in Korea. He flew 30 Vietnam missions in the C-130 before transitioning to the Phantom. He was downed by ground fire on 15 December 1967 on a mission reported in my RTR 17 December 1967 postCOLONEL GUTTERSON’s “last flight” was in June 2008… Among his military awards were the Silver Star, two Legion of Merit medals with Valor “Vs”, Two DFCs, a Bronze Star with V device and four Purple Hearts…

From the Compilation: “34 TFS/F-105 History” by Howie Plunkett: 23-Feb-68: “Major Kenneth W. Mays from the 34 TFS at Korat flew his final combat mission int North Vietnam. ‘I finished my 100 missions on 23 Feb 1968 with a Sky Spot to a target near Yen Bai. They were mad. When we finished our drop the sky was filled with 85. I am sure they wanted to let me know they appreciated what I had done for them over the past 7 months. I decided it was time to head home and celebrate with those who cared.’

‘The following day our DO, James Stewart (who I had known for many years) (Col. James L. Stewart, the 388th TFW Deputy Commander for Operations) called me in and asked me to stay for a while longer and fly a few more missions as Korat was short of experience. He also said he needed an executive officer.

‘I went and talked to Bob Smith (Lt Col Robert W. Smith, the 34 TFS Commander who had replaced Major George Clausen on 1 December 1967) who told me to go get off base and be on my way, that I had flown my 100 missions. I immediately left for Bangkok by taxi and thanks to Don Hodge, my roommate, the balance of my personal items were shipped home. Thanks Bob for having the courage to put the welfare of his men first.That decision probably saved my life. Thanks, Robert W. smith.

‘What a great group of people to serve with. They gave so much to have our Washington leadership let it slip away. My thanks to all who helped me get home safe.'”

23-Feb-68… Major Sam Armstrong flew his 73rd combat mission. “I was the super spare today and was very lucky to get airborne. the original #2 had tank feeding troubles and I took his place. We went over to Laos about 20 miles south of the Mu Gia Pass and dropped on some VC gun positions. We got one secondary fire started. After that we went over into Pack I looking for a hole in the clouds.”…

RIPPLE SALVO… #720… The New York Times, 23-Feb-68, Page 1: Dateline: Saigon, South Vietnam, By-line Tom Buckley… Head Line:  “U.S. DEAD AT 543 IN A WEEK –Toll In ’68 Rises to 2,242” ……

“The United States command announced yesterday that the death toll of American troops for the week ended last Saturday (17th) was 543, by far the highest of the war. The toll for the week before was 400, and the week before that, 416, then the highest of the war. Last week’s toll brought the total of Americans killed since the first of the year to 2,242. About 9,000 Americans were killed in action in 1967 and about 5,000 in 1966. American wounded were put at 2,547 for the week. Of those, 1,247 required hospitalization….”

BATTLE DEATHS:

PRE- 9/11 VETS: WWII… 201,557; KOREA…33,739; VIETNAM…47,434

POST- 9/11 VETS: DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM… 148; GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR… 5,794

Humble Host has specifically high-lighted these casualty numbers to make a point. A few years ago the Congress and the President, with the help of active senior military officers, created a two-tier Veteran’s Benefit schedule: one for those serving post-9/11 and one for those retiring before September 11, 2001. Affordability precluded the inclusion of the older veterans, and their spouses, in the generous alterations made to the full range of veteran’s benefits. Do the math. The 9/11 date was chosen to specifically deny World War II, Korean and Vietnam Veteran’s the new benefits. Their service and sacrifices were of the highest in our nation’s history. To sell them short is, of course, is unconscionable.

Battle deaths is just one convenient measure of the value of their service. All a reasonable man has to do to conclude something is rotten with this two-tier schedule is to compare combat casualty rates for the WWII, Korean and Vietnam veterans with those from the post 9/11 wars. Life is not fair, and by and large, the old veterans have learned to grin and bear the slight by our country. We toughened our hides fifty years ago. But if anybody really wanted to thank the WWII, Korean and Vietnam veterans for their service, they would recognize this wrong and work to make it right. That’s my opinion, what’s yours?…

RTR Quote for 23 February: NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST: “War means fighting and fighting means killing.”…

Lest we forget…       Bear

 

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