RIPPLE SALVO… #284… A BAD DAY AT YANKEE STATION… but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR of a return of fifty years to Operation Rolling Thunder…
11 December 1966: HEAD LINES IN HOME TOWN PAPERS from the NYT on a rainy Sunday on the EAst Coast…
Page 1: “Reagan Rules Out Any Revolt in ’68, promises full support to G.O.P. choice, and denies reservations on Governor Romney. ‘For the next four years I have a contract with the people of California,’ said the newly elected Governor.”… Page 1: “Post Office May Ask Rise in Rates to Meet Deficit”… “The Johnson Administration is considering asking Congress next year for an increase in postal rates. Cites need to upgrade and replace old and inadequate facilities and equipment.”… Page 1: “Widow Mrs. John F. Kennedy Dismayed by William Manchester’s Forthcoming Book, ‘Death of a President”… “Expressed upset by author’s use of some personal material obtained in 10 hours of taped interviews with him and contends Mr. Manchester should have obtained permission from her for inclusion of the personal material. Publication date already delayed to accommodate some revisions.” … Page 1: “U.S. Aid To Thais Remains Limited contending that Red Front activity is minor and American role is small. subversion in northeastern Thailand is increasing but the Red front is not the Vietcong.” … Page 1: “Vietcong Step-up Terrorist and Harassment in Area of Saigon” …”Concerted campaign seems to encompass broad arc around the capital and include wide range of targets. South Vietnamese units hit hard and 11 killed and 26 wounded…in another incident, 16 Americans are killed by errant U.S. bombs as USMC aircraft dropped two 250-pound bombs into the midst of a Marine company near the demilitarized zone.” … Page 2: “Four Dissenters On U.S. China Policy Named as Advisors of the State Department’s new advisory board on China. Appointments of the dissenters has been interpreted as a reflection of Washington’s desire to take advantage of new thinking and to display new flexibility in its China policy. The State Department declined to say whether it’s selection was a move toward a ‘two China’s policy.’ “… Page 3: “Peking Bids Army Mix With Masses and officers to gather news of common people. “…High ranking army officials must renew their identification with the masses by going to lowest levels of the army to talk politics. The army might be asked to play a greater role in the cultural revolution in China.”
11 DECEMBER 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times: devoid of any mention of air war activities in the North… “Vietnam: Air Losses”(Hobson) Two fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 11 December 1966…
(1) CAPTAIN GERALD E. WOOLCOCK and 1LT GERALD OAKS ALFRED were flying an F-4C of the 480th TFS and 366th TFW out of Danang on a night road reconnaissance mission in route Pack One about 15 north of the demilitarized zone…Their F-4C was hit by ground fire and CAPTAIN WOOLCOCK turned east and the two airmen ejected about 15 miles at sea and were rescued by a Navy Destroyer…
(2) CAPTAIN A. E. BELFORD was flying an F-100D of the 90th TFS and 3rd TFW out of Bien Hoa on a close air support mission 35 miles northeast of Bien Hoa when hit by ground fire. CAPTAIN BELFORD turned west and was able to eject to be rescued by an Air Force helicopter…
RIPPLE SALVO… #284… NATIONAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER MONTH continues with the recognition of the disastrously shortened appearance of USS Forrestal on Yankee Station in July 1967 to participate in Operation Rolling Thunder. Humble Host suggests that a occasional reading of the Wikipedia account of the Forrestal’s catastrophic fire of 29 July 1966 is a good reinforcer of the inherent dangers of carrier operations. In addition, a periodic reading reminds how tough our carriers are. As John Cameron Swayze intoned as he sold Timex watches: “takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” In the Forrestal case the fire and explosions that killed 134 officers and men, and injured another 62 personnel while consuming 21 fully armed aircraft parked on the fight deck, did not end the Fighting Forrestal’s life as a capital ship of the line. She was out of action for 207 days but returned to make several more deployments. Here is the brief summary of her five days of combat operations in support of Rolling Thunder…
ATTACK CARRIER USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59) with Carrier Air Wing SEVENTEEN embarked departed her home port of Norfolk, Virginia on 6 June 1967 and returned on 14 September 1967 (3 months) to begin a long yard period to repair the damage from her disastrous fire. Days on the line: 5. Combat Losses: 0. Operational Losses: 0. Losses associated with the 29 July 1967 fire: 21 aircraft lost (7 F-4Bs; 11 A-4Es; and, 3 RA-5Cs) and 134 officers and men (killed or missing), whose names are forever engraved in the Vietnam Memorial Wall on the Washington Mall…
So many, so young, so sad to contemplate, but that is what remembering is all about… For in our memories the fallen live on… For me, one of the fallen on Forrestal was a fine young pilot named Denny Barton, a squadron mate in VA-12 in the early sixties… Denny has been gone for nearly fifty years, but he has not been forgotten…
Lest we forget… Bear -30-