RIPPLE SALVO…#107… BONNIE DICK ON TARGET…but first…

Good Morning: Day ONE HUNDRED EIGHT of a day by day review of Operation rolling Thunder…fifty years ago…

15 JUNE 1966… ON THE HOME FRONT… A fair and pleasant Wednesday in the Big Apple….

Page 1: “House Challenges McNamara Stand On Nuclear Ships”…and orders the building of two nuclear powered frigates for the Navy. “Underlying this controversial military question was a deeper constitutional issue was whether congress or the executive branch has the responsibility for determining the composition of the military. The House emphatically claimed the right by this action by a vote of 358-2 by authorizing the expenditure of $17.8 in military research and military procurement for the two ships.”… Page 1: “Ky’s Regime Bars Any Wider Power For Charter Unit”… and asserts elected assembly won’t be allowed to shift into law making body. The decision could prolong Ky’s military regime for at least three and probably six months. In other developments in South Vietnam, the demonstrating Buddhists have been “thrown back” in Saigon and draft age youth on the streets are being rounded up for induction. Hundreds of demonstrators in Hue’ have begun a fast….Page 2: “Army Ends Options for Reenlistments” by suspending the regulation that has given troopers the option to select a base of choice. In addition, new enlistees are no longer guaranteed assignments of choice…. Page 3: “Allies Warned By Rusk On Arms”… In a speech to the rotary international in Denver the Secretary of State urged a strong NATO and cautioned the Western Alliance today against a repetition of the tragic error of the past through one-sided defense cuts inspired by a reduced fear of war.” Rusk concluded with: “The surest way to lose the peace, is to destroy or weaken the instruments that are preserving the peace.” 

Page 25: “Humphrey Urges Negro Self-Help” and asks Young Black Executives to seek the rich talent deposit among the poor and frustrated Negro students. The Vice President applauded the Task Force For Youth Motivation and the visits to 70 Negro colleges and 330 major corporations. “You have the chance to go out and lift them out of their doldrums and get them onto high ground. The worst kind of poverty is not economic, but the poverty of the spirit–the feeling of not wanting to play a role in normal society. Your task is to get people to understand, who have been told for a hundred years they can only go so far and stop, that they can go as far as they want to go. For generations Negroes have been told to get to the back of the bus. Now they can sit in the front seat, drive it, own it, park it, stop it and start it– if they have the ability, and if they will it, and if they prepare themselves for it. There has been such a long period of isolation between social groups in this country that it is difficult to break through and establish mutual trust.”

OpEd Page: James Reston’s Washington Column: “Johnson’s Foreign Policy Technique”…”President Johnson’s technique for conducting foreign policy is highly personal and unpredictable, and even his principal aides in the field are not sure that they can define it accurately. Vietnam policy however, which could use a little objective analysis by professionals uncommitted to past mistakes is held closely within State and Defense Departments. The President asks, almost every visitor about it, but primarily his advisors in this field are Secretaries Rusk ands McNamara.”

15 JUNE 1966 President’s Daily Briefing: South Vietnam: Today, for the third straight day, the police in Saigon dispersed militant Buddhist-led demonstrators. The Buddhist Institute is now calling for a three-day general strike in Saigon to begin Friday. It is becoming clear that the monks now in control of the Institute have repudiated the relatively moderate Tam Chou. He is no longer in Saigon, and there is some question as to whether he remains chairman of the Institute. One Saigon monk assured a US Embassy officer today that the Buddhists continue to follow a nonviolent policy. He implied that this would not impede them from trying to provoke the police into violent reprisals in order to demonstrate the brutality of the government. In Hue’ the clandestine Buddhists radio was seeking today to encourage the strugglers by passing word that demonstrations had started up again in Saigon after a ten day break for rest and recuperation. Nonviolent resistance continues unabated in the city. Colonel Loan who was forceful figure in the restoration of government authority in DaNang a month ago, is still using quiet and un-dramatic tactics in Hue’…North Vietnam: still classified fifty years after the fact.

15 JUNE 1966 ROLLING THUNDER OPERATIONS… NYT (15 June reported 16 June) Page 2: “In the air war over North Vietnam, United States Navy fighter-bombers struck a missile guiding radar installation eight miles south of Haiphong…this raid, one of 64 American missions during the day, was two miles closer to the port city than any other previous attack in the area. Haiphong itself and its port facilities remain off limits to United states raiders by orders that give immunity also to Hanoi. United States headquarters announced that a Navy twin jet Skywarrior on a night photo reconnaissance mission was shot down by communist ground fire approximately 40 miles southeast of Vinh. The three crew members are listed as MIA…”Vietnam Air Losses” pg62…

(1) LT C.W. BENNETT and ENS D.W. VERMILYEA were flying an F-4B of the VF-143 squadron abo9ard USS Ranger were on a coastal reconnaissance mission and were hit by AAA near DU Cat Ba island east of Haiphong several times disabling one engine and holing a wing to disable adequate fuel to return to the Ranger. Both aviators ejected about 45 miles south of Haiphong and were rescued by the northern SAR helicopter.

(2) 1LT P.J. KELLY was flying an F-105Dfrom the 333TFS of the 355TFW out of Takhli was hit by ground fire a few miles north of the DMZ and his aircraft was set afire. Three minutes and 20 miles later, 1LT KELLY ejected and was rescued by an air force helicopter.

(3) LCDR THEODORE FRANK KOPFMAN was flying an A-4E of the VA-55 squadron aboard USS Ranger was a part of a large strike group executing a major strike in the Nam Dinh area. He was leading an Iron Hand section and was flying ahead and above the strike group and was beginning his second attack on a SAM site 10 miles southwest of Nam Dinh when hit by ground fire. He flew his burning aircraft but not far enough to escape capture after ejecting over North Vietnam. LCDR KOPHMAN would serve seven years as a POW before returning on 12 February 1973. LCDR Kopfman was awarded the Silver Star for his intrepid actions on this flight…oohrah…attaboy Ted…

RIPPLE SALVO…#107… Tonight I am leaping ahead to tell a flying story from July 1967 when our war had moved into the Red River Valley and the very Heartland of our enemy. This is the story of a trip downtown to take out the last 18 buildings in a heavily defended Military Storage Area 8 miles from downtown Hanoi.

On 19 July 1967 the skipper of Attack Squadron 212, the Rampant Raiders, assigned to Air Wing 21 on the USS Bon Homme Richard led a major air wing strike on the Nhat Tuu military storage area located 8 miles south of Hanoi. COMMANDER MARV QUAID, already recommended for the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and three Distinguished Flying Crosses, was joined by wingmen LTJG STEVE GRAY and LTJG DAVE WOLF. LCDR DICK THOMAS led the second division with LTJG BERNIE SMITH on his wing. LT JOHN GRAHAM, JR. was a section lead and his wingman was LTJG TERRY REIDER. The target was 18 buildings defended by the usual mix of 37/57/87mm AAA, several SAM sites, some manned some not, and the MIGs were never far away. What made this gauntlet on this day so tough was the location– near and dear to Ho Chi Minh’s residence and the very heart of the enemy. There are no easy days in the Red river Valley, but some are more dangerous than others. SKIPPER QUAID planned the route to the target to cut exposure time to the array of SAMs near Hanoi. Every aspect of the mission was carefully planned and briefed by the experienced leader. The strike group was launched, rendezvoused over the Gulf and proceeded inbound on the circuitous route chosen by CDR QUAID to minimize exposure to both the SAMs and the enemy radar. This involved a route through the low mountains west of Hanoi to attack from the west. Leaving the mountains behind, the flight was headed into the teeth of the NVN defenses and in short order two enemy missiles were headed at the group. The Skipper maneuvered to successfully avoid the volley. However, the evasive maneuver required a regrouping orbit to regain attack formation. Done. CDR QUAID and LTJG GRAY and LTJG WOLF formed up in a cruise formation as did LCDR THOMAS and his three wingmen, LTJG SMITH, LT GRAHAM and LTJG REIDER. The attack was executed with precision and skill reflecting the lessons of scores of major strikes by these proven warriors and their 42 bombs found their targets. Twelve of the 18 buildings were gone and the other 6 were damaged beyond repair, as evidenced by post strike BDA photography. While on target and during the retirement from the area the flight was under continuous 37 and 57 mm radar controlled antiaircraft fire. Nevertheless the indomitable Rampant Raiders successfully evaded the flak and cleared the target area to the relative safety of the mountains from which they had launched their attack fifteen minutes before.

  In the summer of  1967 Air Wing 21 and Bonnie Dick were flying three alpha strikes every day and led the CTF-77 carriers in total alphas, the tough major strikes that matched our best with the enemy’s best. Nobody did a better job of taking the fight to the enemy than the VA-212 and VA-76 light attackers from  Bon Homme Richard. For really great tales from that cruise I most strongly recommend an evening of come alive flying prose in Steve Gray’s captivating journal entitled “Rampant Raider.” (Naval Institute Press, 2007)

Lest we forget……       Bear          ……….  –30–  ………..