RIPPLE SALVO… #298… with LIGHT ATTACK SQUADRON 113–“A BAND OF BROTHERS”… but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT of memories and historic events from fifty years ago In ROLLING THUNDER…
24 DECEMBER 1966… HEADLINES AT HOME SWEET HOME from the New York Times on a snowy Saturday in NYC…
Page 1: “U.S. Keeps Forces on Alert as Truce Begins in Vietnam”… “A 48-hour Christmas cease-fire in the Vietnam War went into effect at 7AM (6PM Friday in NYC). By noon today allied military spokesmen reported four instances of enemy offensive action. Despite the death of three South Vietnamese troops in one of the actions, the spokesmen refused to declare that the cease-fire had been violated. All military action during the cease-fire will be reported as ‘truce incidents’…General Westmoreland said, before the truce began, ‘We will be very much on the alert immediately prior to the truce because we suspect that the Vietcong may attempt some major initiatives and then our reaction might be stopped by the truce.’ As the cease-fire approached yesterday a North Vietnamese shore battery scored the first solid hits of the war on a United States Navy destroyer and some of the sharper ground fighting in South Vietnam tapered to sporadic shooting. The allied forces will maintain a defensive position throughout the 48-hour period. General Westmoreland has said: ‘I would see no military advantage to extending the truce this year.’ ” (as it was in 1965 to 5-weeks)… Page 1: “G.I.s Now Assigned to Aid in Defense of Saigon Area”… “American troops have been assigned for the first time to the defense of the Giadinh province, which surrounds the Saigon capital district. Each of the several battalions of about 800 men is operating in close cooperation with a battalion of South Vietnamese Rangers and paratroopers to the mission by Premier Nguyen Cao Ky from the reserve of elite troops stationed in the capital. An increasing number of terrorist incidents on the outskirts of Saigon and almost nightly attacks on the capital’s airport Tan So Nhut precipitated the reorganization of the defense of Saigon. An informed American source said: ‘We know we can’t stop terrorism and harassment completely, but we can no longer tolerate platoons and companies of main force Vietcong moving freely through the area.’ “…
Page 1: “Mao Foes Arrested In China”… “A former army chief of staff in Communist China has been arrested, indicating that the dominant faction in the Communist party is about to deal decisive blows to its remaining high ranking foes, Tanying said today. The former army chief of staff, Lo Jui-ching, has been ‘taken away.’ “… “page 1: “Israel’s Christians Cross Into Jordan at Jerusalem Line”… “More than 5,000 Christian residents of Israel crossed to participate in Christmas reunions with friends and relatives. Some wept with joy.” … Page 1: “Jordan Shuffles Key Cabinet Posts” …”Jordan named a tough Jordanian yesterday as Interior Minister and an amiable professional diplomat as Foreign Minister to cope with this country’s unruly western areas and unfriendly Arab neighbors. The moves mean that King Hussein…is bent on maintaining a hard line against dissident Palestinians in Western Jordan, who have rioted in recent months demanding stronger defenses against Israel and calling for a republican government in Jordan.” … “U.S. To Send Grain to Help Pakistan Meet Food Needs” … “United States announced today an allocation of 500,000 tons of grain to help Pakistan. This allocation follows yesterday’s report of an allocation of 900,000 tons of grin for India…”…
24 DECEMBER 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… 48-hour truce… New York Times: devoid of report on air war activity over the north. “Vietnam: Aircraft Losses”(Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft losses in Southeast Asia on 24 December 1966. oohrah!
RIPPLE SALVO… #298… A “BAND OF BROTHERS”– Many “Bands of Brothers.” On Christmas Eve, 1966 there were three attack carriers of Task Force 77, the Fast Carrier Striking Force of the Pacific Fleet (CTF-77), on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin: USS Coral Sea, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Enterprise. All was quiet. The carriers were steaming separately, each in company with the ships of their respective Carrier Divisions. All was quiet, but all were alert. On each deck several aircraft were on five and fifteen minute alert and in each of the cockpits of the five minute alert birds sat a warrior ready to go. They sat and watched the low clouds and intermittent rain on that Christmas Eve add to the gloom of their bad luck. For in each of their respective pilot ready rooms, all 27 of them on the 3 carriers on station, their brother warriors were engaged in celebrating Christmas. The ready rooms weren’t where any of more than 500 Naval Aviators wanted to be on Christmas Eve– home and family is where they wanted to be. But in the absence of being home with the family, squadron brothers-in-arms will do. And how!
That night 50-years ago, there were 27 “Bands of Brothers” gathered in their ready rooms to share and care together. Presents –gag and real–were exchanged. Surprises from wives and girl friends on the home front were delivered. Reserves of holiday breads, sweets and drink were broken out, and in each haven, a movie was rolled. In many of the ready rooms a poet laureate would call for order and lead his brothers in a round of Christmas songs. Such was the case in Ready Room 5 on Enterprise that was the “home” of the VA-113 Stingers and where LCDR TOM “HOOK” SCOTT did the honors. Here are two of his re-lyriced carols that were given voice by the twenty brothers of VA-113 (Pictured on the RTR Home Page “rolling art gallery” as they appeared on Christmas Eve 1966)… These are purloined from Tom’s book titled: “The Stories of One-Shot Scott”…
Vietnam Christmas 1966…USS Enterprise (CVAN-65)…VA-113…
Carols for the Christmas Bombing Stand Down
(1) GREEN WEENIE (Sung to the tune of “White Christmas”) (A “green weenie” is jargon for the prestigious NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL, which when adorned with a “Combat V” for Valor, is emblematic of heroic achievement and is worn with great and justified pride) … GREEN WEENIE…
I’m dreaming of a Green Weenie
Just so my chest won’t be bare,
With combat “V” and a “DFC”
To show all the boys that I’ve been there.
Oh, how I’d like all “Steel Tigers”
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where control is by FAC,
And there’s no FLAK
And SAM warnings never go..
May I never again go North,
But only to Laos, back and forth.
(2) CHRISTMAS DAY (Sung to the tune of “Noel”)…
Oha well, oha well,
The C. O. did say,
Why don’t we spend Chistmas far far away?
So we sailed o’er the seas,
All the King’s little bees, (Stingers)
And hurled our young bodies
At the V-Cs trees.
Oha, Skip, Oha Skip,
What was it you said?
If you call this Christmas
Then GOD must be dead!
There was no warrior in any of those 27 ready rooms at Yankee Station on Christmas Eve 1966 who is alive today that does not vividly remember that day spent with great compatriots of brave heart embarked together as a “band of brothers.” Among those cherished memories are the moments shared with dear comrades who would perish in the fight. A fight fought together, closely bound as warriors alike, to “flee forward” as one to do their duty: to meet the enemy in his homeland and destroy his ability and will to continue the fight. Or to die trying.
Merry Christmas, Stingers… and all … “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”
Lest we forget…. Bear -30-