ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED 17 JULY 1968

THE QUESTION OF EARLY RELEASE — the “repatriation proposition”– for American POWs of the North Vietnamese…

RIPPLE SALVO… #864… AVIATORS LIVE IN THE LAND OF “WHAT IF?” THEY ARE TRAINED TO “BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING.” EVERY MINUTE OF THEIR LIVES– FLYING, DRIVING, PARTYING, YOU NAME IT– THEY ARE WEIGHING THEIR OPTIONS. ALTERNATIVES. This was especially the case for Rolling Thunder aviators. Their lives were lived in harm’s way on the edge of life every day. One such decision or choice point was mentioned earlier this week. If you had the choice of dying rather than to be captured which way would you go? Another was the question, if I was a POW and offered an early release to go home would I take it? Of the more than 600 American POWs imprisoned in North Vietnam’s beastly prison system in the Hanoi environs, twelve came home early after accepting North Vietnamese conditions thereby providing useful propaganda fodder for the enemy. These twelve “early releases” made the choice to cooperate and go home. Humble Host puts the choice to you. What would you do?   On 17 July 1968 the North Vietnamese announced the names of three American pilot POWs who were to be released on 18 July. (A transportation hang-up delayed actual release until 2 August 1968)…

BULLETIN: Paris (AP) Jul 17–North Vietnam  informed the United States at the Paris peace talks today of the names of three captured American airmen who are to be released shortly. The decision to release them had been announced two weeks ago. The U.S. delegation have the names as follows: Maj. James Frederick Low, 43, captured Dec. 16, 1967. Maj. Fred Neale Thompson, 32, captured last March 20. Capt. Joe Victor Carpenter, 37, captured last Feb. 15.”

GOOD MORNING… Day EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR of a remembrance of the service and sacrifice of the participants in the air war called Rolling Thunder in the classified documents…In the real world it was called “Up north.”… or “Downtown”…

17 JULY 1968… THE WORD WAS OUT… And on 18 July the OGDEN STANDARD-EXAMINER carried the full story on page 1:

“REDS FREE THREE U.S. FLIERS SHOT DOWN OVER NORTH”… Tokyo (AP)– “North Vietnam released three captured fliers today to an American antiwar committee in Hanoi, the North Vietnamese radio reported. The Americans are expected to leave for Vientiane, the Laotian capital, Friday night. The Hanoi broadcast called it ‘ very significant action taken when the U.S. government is intensifying its criminal war of aggression against the Vietnamese people. The pilots are Maj. James Frederick Low, 43-year-old Korean War ace from Sausalito, Calif.; Maj. Fred Neal Thompson, 32, of Taylors, N.C; and Capt. Joe Victor Carpenter, 37, at Victorville, Calif.

THREE OTHERS

“They had been in captivity from four to seven months after being shot down over North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese said earlier ‘the pilots were being released for humanitarian reasons. Three others were released last February. Radio Hanoi said the airmen were turned over to Anne Scheer, wife of Ramparts magazine editor Robert Scheer, Vernon Grizzard, an antiwar organizer in the Boston area, and Stewart Meacham, peace secretary of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization. The committee flew from Vientiane, capital of Laos, to Hanoi last Friday on an International Control Commission airplane.

“The broadcast said the three pilots expressed gratitude for the ‘humane and lenient policy toward them’ and promised that when they return to the United States they would try to make the American people understand the great determination of the Vietnamese people to resist aggression.’ The broadcast did not quote any of the pilots directly.

THANK YOU SPEECH

“Later Hanoi broadcast a tape recording of what it said was a thank you speech by Carpenter. “My emotions this day are inexpressible by words,’ said the voice. ‘I owe this deep gratitude to the people and the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and to the general political department of the people’s army. I have been able to observe the determination and unity of the Vietnamese people…I hope that by my efforts upon my return home I will be able to relay to the American people this feeling of determination…’

“The broadcast also quoted Carpenter as saying there is ‘a strong bond between the Vietnamese people and the ‘American people stemming from the revolutions of both countries. Through my efforts I hope I can strengthen this bond in the future,’ said the voice. ‘I hope that in the near future you (Vietnamese people) will realize your most precious ambition, the independence, freedom, and reunification of your country.’

ARRIVED IN HANOI

“Immediately after I was shot down I was captured by a group of people and militia. From that moment until three weeks later when I arrived in Hanoi, I had many opportunities to understand the humane treatment that I was later introduced to.’ The arrival of the three fliers in Vientiane may touch off a new dispute over the insistence of the U.S. Government that the released prisoners be interrogated before they leave Southeast Asia. American antiwar campaigners contend that this policy is endangering the release of more fliers. Before going to Hanoi last week, the three escorts talked with Americans and North Vietnamese officials in Paris and Vientiane.

SHARP DIFFERENCES

“Their discussions with American negotiator W. Averell Harriman in Paris and U.S. Ambassador William A. Sullivan in Vientiane disclosed  sharp difference of opinion over how the freed airman should return home. Harriman and Sullivan said plans have been made to take the men directly from Vientiane airport in the U.S. military attache’s plane to the U.S. base at Udorn, Thailand, as was done last February with the first three released POWs.

“Udorn is only a half hour flight from Vientiane. American intelligence officers there can debrief the men oly a few hours after their  release, when details of what they saww in the North, information on prison camps and fellow prisoners left behind and other valuable data are still fresh in their minds.

OBJECTION TO PROCEDURE

“In February, North Vietnamese spokesman and the two American peace campaigners who escorted the prisoners then strongly objected to this procedure and said the men should have returned to the United States without having contact with the American military in Southeast Asia. Newsmen asked Meacham whether he might try to evade the whole problem by taking the three airmen out through Peking. ‘What?’ he exclaimed. ‘Go through China? That would be turning three prisoners into six.’ “…  End news article…

IF YOU WERE A POW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? …What’s your choice of torture?  Humble Host extracts a few paragraphs from the premier book on the Vietnam POWs: HONOR BOUND (Rochester & Kiley)…

“The most troublesome problem… was the ‘early release’ matter. Although Stratton, Hegdahl, McCain, and a number of other prime prospects (for early release) were courted by the Vietnamese had summarily rejected the repatriation proposition and were successful in either repulsing or stalling the enemy’s solicitations, there were comrades–weaker of will or body, or simply insensitive to the principle involved–who were proving to be more susceptible to the offer. Their staged liberation, leaders on both sides knew, not only would give an immense boost to Hanoi’s propaganda campaign but also would have a profoundly unsettling impact internally on prisoner morale and cohesion. Stratton had encouraged Hegdahl alone to accept early release but he was concerned enough about the implication of the practice generally that he and his communication partners had made frantic attempts to contact the other parole candidates and get them to quit the bandwagon….”

“Stratton’s worst fears were realized when on 16 February 1968, coincident with the Tet offensive, the enemy released three of the Plantation POWs into the custody of peace activists Davis Berrigan and Howard Zinn. The three were Air Force Captain Jon Black, a fall 1967 shootdown whose conduct, regarded by companions as craven and selfish, alienated fellow prisoners as it must have endeared him to the captor…; Navy Ensign David Matheny, a 24-year old pilot whose greenness and worry about untended infection left him easy prey for Cat’s coaching; and Major Norris Overly, who had taken Hegdahl’s place when the later continued to balk. the inclusion of Overly struck Stockman as ‘intriguing,’ given his ministrations to fervent resistors Day and McCain. Overly maintained he had made no special concessions to gain his freedom, but Stoneface (guard) mentioned to Overly’s cellmates that the major had shown a ‘good attitude’ and Day himself ws skeptical of Overly’s toughness. It is possible he was chosen merely because he was reasonably good health and the Vietnamese may have thought the McCain connection would yield publicity dividends. At a congressional hearing in 1971 Overly attributed his selection to a confluence of factors: He ‘hadn’t been there very long and therefore couldn’t tell the whole story…I was in relatively good physical condition. I had been in a cell with two men who had received medical aid, therefore I could honestly come home and say in all truthfulness I saw medical aid being administered.’

“The Vietnamese gave the trio a red-carpet sendoff, handing them over to their pacifist escorts in front of a pack of foreign newsmen, party officials, and distinguished guests at a battery of cameras and taping devices recorded the proceedings. their mates were tipped off to the timing of the event when Hegdahl saw a prepared news bulletin and Arv Chauncey was told to sweep the courtyard ‘cleaner than usual.’… The rest…would hear broadcasts of the ceremonies and follow-up press conference on camp radio over the next several days, including taped statements of contrition the parolees were require to make as a condition of their release…. At Plantation, the releasees were referred to as ‘M-O-B’ or ‘Mob’… contempt for the trio was mingled with envy and testy debate over whether they had actually violated the Code of Conduct, which explicitly forbade ‘parole’ but was vague on the broader issue of selective release. Most of their fellow prisoners believed they had transgressed. Alcatraz ‘s small band of hardliners ws ‘shocked’ to her the farewell messaged, Stockdale recalled, and decided that the men had clearly broken faith and ranks and accepted what amounted to a grant of amnesty in exchange for collaboration. The Alcatraz Gang labeled the tactic the “Fink Release Program’ and denounced its beneficiaries as ‘slimes,’ terms that would soon gather currency at the other camps. Denton later commented that ‘some in Alcatraz would have happily cut the throats of the speakers…

“OTHERS WERE MORE CHARITABLE. AS JERRY COFFEE, IN VEGAS  AT THE TIME OF THE RELEASE OF THE ‘M-O-B’ IN FEBRUARY 1968, OPINED…

My reflection on that event–the early release–probably mirrored those of every other man in Stardust. I envisioned myself going home, the reunion with my family, and an end to the mental an physical abuse and the mind-crumbling harassment. Yet we knew these men were disgraced… And surely no amount of rationalization on their part could obscure this fact from them. What bittersweet return awaited them, the boundless joy and relief of reunion overshadowed by the thoughts of comrades in arms left fermenting in the Communist prison of North Vietnam. But I might have faced the choice myself. Had I been standing at the airport in my newly tailored clothes, suitcase in hand, and certain release waiting with but a signature on a letter of amnesty to go–literally, perhaps a life-and-death decision–would I have been able to resist th short-term relief for the long-term peace of mind and self-esteem? I was glad it hadn’t come to that. It would have been a different dimension of torture.”

Less than five months later three more POWs– Thompson, Low and Carpenter– opted for the early release –repatriation proposition– reported on 17-18 July 1968 by Hanoi radio…

Jerry Coffee framed the alternatives. We know what Thompson, Low and Carpenter decided. If you had had to make the choice, what would you have done?…

(Webmaster note: A total of twelve POWs accepted early release—four groups of three men. Only one of them, Seaman Doug Hegdahl, was authorized by senior POW officers (his is a fascinating story I highly recommend you read). The eleven others, whether deceased or living, will have to reconcile their actions with their conscience, their God, and the fellow American prisoners they left behind)

Back to the usual RTR format tomorrow…

Lest we forget…    Bear..