RIPPLE SALVO… #225… “A GAMBLE WORTH TAKING.”…NYT… but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE of “THE ROLLING THUNDER DIARY”…
12 October 1966… WHAT THE HOME FOLKS ARE READING in the New York Times… A mostly sunny Wednesday…
Page 1: “President To Seek A 10% Benefit Rise In Social Security”…”President Johnson plans to ask Congress to raise Social Security payments to all 22 million beneficiaries by an average of at least 10 per cent…In a proposal to the new Congress opening in January, Mr. Johnson will also seek: Medicare coverage for one million disabled persons under the age of 65; minimum monthly payments of $100 for any worker who has contributed Social Security taxes for 25 years, $96 for those with 24 years, and so forth; a material increase in the total income allowed to persons who continue to work after reaching retirement age. The proposed package would cost $2.2 billion and may include an increase in the amount of earnings taxed for Social Security at $6,600 per year…” Page 1: “New Johnson Power On Reserves Vital”…”Congress voted today to give President Johnson authority that he never requested to summon reservists to active duty without declaring a national emergency.”… Page 1: “U.S.-Soviet Talks Raise New Hopes For Nuclear Pact”…” The United States and the Soviet Union have entered into new high level negotiations that American officials hope will break the long deadlock on a treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. As a result of long discussions some of the misunderstandings that have prevented a treaty have now been removed.”…
Page 1: “Regional Feuding Imperils Stability O Saigon Cabinet”…”The revival of feuding between Northerners and Southerners has been brought to a simmering crisis in South Vietnam’s cabinet that threatens Premier Ky’s 15 month record of stability. In the last week five cabinet ministers, Southerners from the Mekong delta region, have threatened to resign. Their chief complaint concerns the 24-hour arrest of Dr. Nguyen Tan Loc, Secretary of State for health and an outspoken Southern critic of Northerners and Northern dominance in the government. Both Premier Ky and Gen Nguyen Ngoc Loan, the national police director, are Northerners. Concessions have been made to squelch any public display of disunity during the visit of McNamara and U.S. visitors.”… Page 4: “33 of Foe Refuse To Yield And Die”…”Thirty-three of the enemy soldiers died on the marshy coastal plains of South Vietnam after having rejected an opportunity to surrender offered by a United States Army officer. The mix of North Vietnamese regulars and Vietcong guerrillas responded to the off with rifle fire. The thirty-three, in addition to fore more during the day, brought to 470 the number of enemy killed in the ongoing operation that began on 2 October.”… Page 4: “Foe Kills 12 Prisoners”…”U.S. Airmobile troops over ran an enemy jungle prison and found the bodies of 12 inmates chained and killed by North Vietnamese. They also found 7 prisoners who survived the massacre.” Page 4: “4,500 More Troops Arrive” and U.S. troop level is now at 325,000.”
Page 1: “Chinese Reds Begin Drive To Glorify Lin Piao”…”A campaign has been launched in China to glorify Lin Piao, the Defense Minister and underline his new role as heir apparent to Mao Tse-tung. This represents a significant shift in emphasis on the part of Peking.”… Page 1: “Crisis In Mid-East Worries Hussein”…”If it comes to fighting between Israel and Syria, Jordan will have to open a second front against Israel to relieve the pressure on Syria, said king Hussein of Jordan.”…
Page 2: Associated Press report that is a laugher. “Hanoi Called Fair To Captive Pilots”…”The United States now has some evidence that American pilots imprisoned in North Vietnam are receiving decent treatment. In a series of interviews United States officials concerned with prisoner of war problems described themselves ‘cautiously heartened’ by this information, but more determined than ever to find out first hand what conditions are like in the North Vietnamese camps for war prisoners. Although Unite States efforts to free the pilots are proceeding at a stepped up pace, ‘we spend an awful lot of time trying to square the circle–the immediate goal no longer is always the release of the pilots. The most important thing now is inspection. Somebody there to see if they’re treated decently. I’d give up anything to get that.’ Adding to the concern is the inevitable by-product of the heavier air war in North Vietnam–growing lists of pilots missing or suspected captured and growing number of anxious wives and parents. Some United States officials initially reluctant to discuss what they know about Hanoi’s treatment of prisoners, went ahead after explaining that his kind of information would raise morale of the families and captured pilots. I can say that there are indications that they aren’t being treated too badly. I know some of the four stars in this building were a little bit surprised that the pilots haven’t had too bad treatment.’ There is no indication of brutality or mistreatment. the group is headed by W. Averill Harriman. Many uniformed officers privately put the number of captured U.S. pilots at around 200. The government also lists about 140 men–most of them presumably fliers–as missing in North Vietnam.”…
12 October 1966… The President’s Daily Brief…CIA (TS sanitized)…South Vietnam: The latest cabinet crisis may be moving toward a solution. The six pro-southern ministers who submitted their resignations last week were Ky’s guests at dinner last night (blanked out) They may soon withdraw their resignations. Other men are urging the six to press on for more concessions from Ky, but so far with little apparent success.
12 OCTOBER 1966… THE ROLLING THUNDER DIARY… New York Times (13 Oct reporting 12 Oct ops) Page 2: “Marines In Fight Near Buffer Zone”…”United States troops and pilots engaged the North Vietnamese near the demilitarized zone today. A United States military spokesman disclosed today that marines digging in near the southern edge of the the demilitarized zone fought a five-hour battle with North Vietnamese troops. At least 18 North Vietnamese were killed before the Communists broke contact. American losses were listed as light, which means the lossed were not enough to impair the units ability to carry on. United States Air Force jets destroyed a large fuel and ammunition inside the six mile wide zone, where North Vietnamese forces were believed to be massing for a major monsoon season offensive. In the air action Air Force B-52 bombers keeping up the pressure on the DMZ hit a NorthVietnamese supply dump. Air Force and Navy raiding planes continued to hammer the southern portions of North Vietnam striking supply points and transportation facilities that could be used to feed material into or across the buffer zone. An Air Force F-100 was shot down while attacking a fortified Veitcong camp in the Mekong delta. Both crew were rescued…”
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Hobson) Pages 77-8 : Four fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 12 October 1966…
(1) LT ROBERT DEANE WOODS was flying an A-1H of the VA-25 “Fist of the Fleet” squadron embarked in USS CORAL SEA on a road reconnaissance mission following Route 15 about 25 miles southwest of Thanh Hoa when hit in the right wing by ground fire. The aircraft was ablaze as LT WOODS headed for the Gulf and a rescue. Unfortunately, he had to bail out before he reached the safety of the water. He was able to evade capture for two days. Two valiant attempts to rescue him and the rest of the story will be the subject of Ripple Salvo #226, 13 October.
(2) CAPTAIN J.H. BRADLEY and A1C T.TATNALL were flying a 2-seat F-100F of the 90th TFS and 3rd TFW out of Bien Hoa on a flight to obtain “publicity photos” and while in a strafing run on a Vietcong position on the banks of the Mekong River the aircraft was hit by ground fire. The two man crew was required to eject. Both were rescued… good story here: photo guy goes for a ride and gets an adventure…
(3) CAPTAIN W.C. HERSMAN was flying an F-100D of the 531st TFS and 3rd TFW out of Bien Hoa and was downed by ground fire on his fourth napalm run on Vietcong in the Mekong delta. CAPTAIN HERSMAN ejected safely and was rescued.
(4) LT FRANK CALLIHAN ELKINS was flying an A-4E of the VA-164 Ghost Riders embarked in USS Oriskany on a night road reconnaissance mission between Thanh Hoa and Vinh and became engaged with an SA-2 SAM. LT ELKINS was not heard from again and was listed as Missing in Action. His remains were returned to the United States in March 1990. LT FRANK ELKINS was Killed in Action.
The following is quoted from an October 9 “Mighty Thunder” entitled “A True Tale Well Told” by Brown Bear Schaffert…”LT Frank Elkins led a section into a hilly area southwest of Thanh Hoa searching for trucks in the black haze of a valley with a road running down it. They saw the fiery glow on a nearby hilltop as a SAM rose to meet them. His wingman could not be sure if Frank was hit by the SAM or if he flew into the side of the hill. His remains were returned in 1990; his wife published (Naval Institute) his incredible diary: “The Heart of a Man.” …”
Five Stars… Rest in peace Frank, as you have for the last fifty years… You left us a great book…
RIPPLE SALVO… #225… The following essay is from the editorial pages (46) of the New York Times on 11 October 1966 at the time the Secretary of Defense was in Saigon to “manage by walking around.”
Title: “Momentum in Vietnam”… I quote…
Secretary of Defense McNamara’s visit to South Vietnam will no doubt be followed by a decision to send more manpower and material to fight the war. This may be a mere coincidence but it does emphasize the dreary sense of fatality that has engulfed this most frustrating of all wars in which the United States has taken part.
It is as if the conflict has a momentum that is irresistible. One can argue that Hanoi can put an end to the escalation by agreeing to make some peace gestures on its part, and this is true enough. The issues, however, are not that simple. The Vietnam War is a very complex historic development, as was graphically demonstrated by Neil Sheehan in a Magazine Section article in last Sunday’s Times. After two long tours of war corresponding in South Vietnam, Mr. Sheehan ends with a disillusionment and a restrained sense of despair that have been typical of most American correspondents who have served in Vietnam in the past decade. This is especially true of the period since February of last year, when major escalation of the war began.
The positive factors in the picture are few and are far outweighed by the horrors that a massive war effort has brought to South Vietnam. United States intervention has substituted United States for Frenchmen in the eyes of the North Vietnamese rural population and brought more terror and destruction than France ever did. In the government and civil service as Mr. Sheehan writes, there are the same ‘mandarins drawn from the merchant and land owning families,’ now collaborating with the Americans as they did with the French in order to save their property and privileges.
It would be ironic, but it is only too possible that if the United States ‘wins’ this war, it will be for the old ruling classes, not the peasant masses of Vietnam. One of the most disturbing of Mr. Sheehan’s report is that land reform has never been carried out and very little has been done in the fields of education and low cost housing; and the same old graft, corruption and nepotism on a grand scale are all in evidence.
But it seems, the war is to grow bigger and so is the United States contributions to it. If kept up long enough, the end will be the destruction of all of North Vietnam and most of South Vietnam, then there will be peace. Before the ultimate price is paid–there is still a chance that de-escalation, especially a long halt in the bombing, may save what is left. The stakes are so high that the gamble is worth the taking….
And that’s how it was in October 1966–yet, more than six more years or war in Vietnam and more than 50,000 more warriors dead on a battlefield lie ahead for our country. It was a quagmire.
And now, fifty years later our country is mired in the “Graveyard of Empires” and in the 15th year of a another war that can’t be won. Another quagmire. Hey, America!!! It is time to redraw the line of our national interests and exit from where we cannot win. “The stakes are so high that the gamble is worth the taking.” The very survival of our nation is at stake. That’s where the Bear is in the buckwheat… where are you?
Lest we forget…. Bear ………. –30– ……….