RIPPLE SALVO… #557… 61st Annual TAILHOOK Convention… 7-10 September 2017…Four thumbs UP, one thumb DOWN… but first…
Good Morning: Day FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY-SEVEN of a return to the years of the greatest concentration of carrier air and firepower in the history of the world…Yankee Station 1965-1968…it was called OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…. Lest we forget… and most have…
14 SEPTEMBER 1967… Head Lines from The New York Times on a fair Thursday in the Empire State…
SUMMER IN AMERICA 1967…Page 1: “Insurance Groups To Invest Billion In Slum Property–Most of First Funds Will be Directed Toward Housing in High Risk Areas–President is Jubilant–Hails Private Capital Aid for Cities and Sees New Hope For Rent Subsidies”....”The nation’s major insurance companies reported to the President today that they were ready to invest $1-billion in ghetto real estate, mostly housing at the start. The companies will divert this capital from their normal stream of investments, now running at $16-billion per year…for projects in rundown urban areas…investment available now for immediate commitment.”… Page 1: Senate Votes Defense Bill–Curb n British Arms Accepted”... “The Senate passed and sent to the White House today a $70-billion defense money bill–the largest single appropriation bill in the nation’s history–with an amendment that could wreck a major arms deal with the British… that all naval vessels will be built in the United States shipyards.”… Page 1: “Archbishop Backs Milwaukee Priest–Says Racial Equality, Which the Church Supports Has Split the City’s Catholics”…”…supports Reverend James Groppi’s controversial campaign for open housing.”... Page 1: “New Flaws Beset Work on F-111 Jet–Senators Told the Navy’s New Plane Requires Excessive Wind for Launch”... “Significant new short comings of the F-111 swing-wing airplane were disclosed here today…The F-111B now requires a 19-knot wind moving fore to aft down the carrier deck to launch. This compares to a -8 knots originally specified. Rear Admiral W.E. Sweeney, head of the Navy’s F-111 program admitted in Senate hearings that the aircraft is now 16,000 pounds heavier than originally planned.“… Page 1: “Justice Order Teachers in New York Back To Work, Union is Defiant–More Pupils Out–Absenteeism Exceeds 60%–Both Sides Turn Down Proposal by Court for Arbitration”… “The State Supreme Court ordered teachers to end their illegal strike, but the teachers immediately announced they will continue their three-day old walkout…More than 60% of the one million students remain absent and only 21% of the city’s 58,000 teachers reported to teach.”… Page 39: “Senators Report a Severe Shortage of Combat Pilots”… “…due to the demands of Vietnam combat; failure to call up the reserves; absence of a cushion for wartime needs (pilot attrition); a significant increase in pilot resignations and retirements; and inadequate authorization for programs to produce more pilots…. Senator Stennis stated that all services have met their combat commitments by stringent management, increased workloads, and reductions in pilots assigned to forces not engaged.”…
VIETNAM: Page 1: “Discord On Policy On Raids Is Denied–White House Says Johnson and McNamara Concur on Targets In North Vietnam”...”The White House insisted today that there was ‘general agreement in the Administration on what targets should be bombed in North Vietnam’… The question of differences arose because of the seeming disparity between Mr. McNamara’s testimony before the Senate Preparedness Investigation Sub-Committee August 25 and the air strikes on the port of Cam Pha on Sunday (10th) and Haiphong on Monday (11th)...The Los Angeles Times had reported that President Johnson had approved the port targets despite Mr. McNamara’s ‘strong objections.’ ..The Pentagon denied the report that the President had authorized the round-the-clock bombing of Haiphong as long as there are no third country ships in there. The Pentagon said: ‘No authority has been given to attack the port facilities of Haiphong.”… Page 15: “North Vietnamese Denounce Haiphong and Cam Pha Raids”…“The North Vietnamese Foreign Ministry today ‘vigorously denounced the United States bombing of Haiphong on Monday and Cam Pha on Sunday: ‘During their new and savage attack on September 11 against Haiphong U.S. aircraft indiscriminately loosed bombs on the inhabited quarters and the economic installations in the city center and on adjacent villages.’ “…
HUMBLE HOST Insert: On 13 September Secretary of State Dean Rusk provided a full explanation of our 10 and 11 September bombing operations to the Embassy in Paris for the information of Henry Kissinger, who was involved in super secret conversations with the North Vietnamese (Foreign Minister Bo) attempting to get peace negotiations started (Code: Pennsylvania). The Rolling Thunder ops of 10 and 11 September put those discussions at risk. The formerly TS telegram from the State Department to the Embassy in Paris on 13 September is a good read for a clear understanding of just how critical our bombing ops were to what was happening on the diplomacy side. Read at:
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v05/d323
Vietnam: Page 14: “Enemy Near Demilitarized Zone Raids Marine Outpost and Shells Three Others”… “A reinforced North Vietnamese company of 200 men struck before dawn today at the key Marine outpost of Conthien, south of the DMZ, while enemy artillery fire hit three other Marine bases in the area… the enemy pulled back after a brisk 45-minute fight. Conthien defenders suffered 4 dead and 10 wounded… The attack probed the Marine defenses… Coordinated artillery fire hit the artillery bases that normally support the Conthien outpost… a pattern likely to be followed in the future. A Marine commander said: ‘They are crowding us. We are being very prudent in sweeps through the area now. Their rockets and artillery fire on Conthien are increasing. We got 950-rounds in the first nine days of September. That’s more than we got in all of August.’ Other Marine units in the area reported casualties in exchanges with North Vietnamese of 2 Marines KIA and 29 wounded. Coupled with bitter fighting south of Danang in the Queson Valley, Marines in I-Corps are under unrelenting and heavy pressure.” …American Infantry in the Mekong Delta were engaged in an 11-hour battle that left 7 Americans dead and 21 wounded. Enemy dead were reported as 69 guerrillas.”… (Humble Host add: the outpost at Conthien was atop a 580-foot hill with sight-lines to “expected invasion routes”… the Marines will pay a continuing high price to hold it.)
14 September 1967…The President’s TS Daily CIA Brief… NORTH VIETNAM: Barge Shortage. The North Vietnamese have been losing barges to air strikes faster than they can build them. To cover the deficit, Hanoi has ordered some 200 barges from Communist countries for delivery in 1967. At lest 90 barges had been delivered by the end of July. the barges ordered by North Vietnam are for use on the inland waterways as well as for lightering cargo from freighters in port… Haiphong Bombings. Hanoi reacted predictably to the recent raids on Haiphong. The foreign Minister issued a statement condemning the raids as escalation and charging they put the lie to the US search for peace….
14 SEPTEMBER 1967… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…The New York Times: nary a mention of the air war in the North…
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There was one fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 14 September 1967…
(1) CAPTAIN GARDNER BREWER was flying an 0-2A of the 20th TASS and 504th TASG out of Danang and returning from a FAC mission when hit by ground fire near Quang Ngai and subsequently crashed killing CAPTAIN BREWER. The young warrior is remembered on this day 50 years after he died serving our country. He rests in peace, apparently where he fell…left behind???
RIPPLE SALVO… #557… The Tailhook Association’s 61st muster was a world-class convention that was well planned and executed by the tireless worker bees of the association and equally well hosted by the Nugget in Sparks. Together they put on an annual event that just gets better and more enjoyable every year. An incomparable event for all us old drones looking for an opportunity to relive a little of our happy past in the company of warriors, young and old. An opportunity to renew respect and appreciation for our partners in industry, who enable Naval Aviation and aircraft carriers to hold a favored position in the nation’s arsenal of weapons.
Tailhook ’17 highlights for me were the Nugget’s top-notch cuisine; singing the National Anthem in the company of about 1,000 Americans who love and serve our country; the informative and entertaining speech by Admiral Harry Harris; having my son and grandson with me to share my visit to my other roots–carrier aviation; and, the priceless moments of renewal with old friends and mates from my 36 years of cruising and flying as a strike-fighting light attack tailhooker. Four Thumbs UP…..
And, One Thumb DOWN from Humble Host. Why? The 50th anniversary of OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER, as great a page in Naval Aviation history as there is, rolls on, virtually unnoticed… Maybe next year…
RTR Quote for 14 September: LEO BUSCAGLIA: “It is a wasted day if you don’t love, laugh and learn.”…
There were no wasted days at Tailhook ’17…
Lest we forget… Bear