RIPPLE SALVO… #200… CONSTITUTION DAY 2016… OOHRAH…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED of a thousand reflections on OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER–1965-1968
17 SEPTEMBER 1966… FRONT PAGE NEWS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES… A fair and sunny Saturday…
Page 1: “Peking Charges New Raid By U.S. On Border Area”…Peking charged today that two American planes attacked Chinese territory a week ago and wounded three peasants. One of the raiders was damaged in a battle with Chinese aircraft, according to Peking. Strongly protesting the alleged attack, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman denounced it as ‘a frantic act of war provocation’ by the United States. Secretary of State Dean Rusk said the United States had no information to confirm the Chinese charge. The reported attacks come at a time when the situation in China is extremely tense due to the continuing purge and maneuvering for power in the Chinese Communist party. Despite the anti-American hysteria that similar incidents have produced in the past, Peking appeared reluctant to take any retaliatory action that might involve it directly in the Vietnam War or in a large scale confrontation with the United States. The planes that made the September 9 attack were F-105s that ‘brazenly intruded into China’s territorial airspace…and wantonly strafed Chinese villages and commune members who were working there. It is by no means accidental that U.S. imperialism is so reckless and repeatedly intrusive into our territorial airspace and carrying out wanton bombing and strafing. It is another serious war provocation staged by the U.S. imperialism against the Chinese people while it is speeding up the expansion of it’s aggressive war in Vietnam. We solemnly and sternly warn the U.S. aggressors: The heroic Chinese people are armed with the great thought of Mao Tse-tung and fear no war threats of any kind. We are in full battle array. If you must a test of strength, then come on! The iron fists of the 700 million Chinese will definitely crush all aggressors to pieces.’…”…Page 9: “On September 9 American planes encountered MIGs 30 miles south of the Chinese border, according to a statement by Secretary of State Rusk, ‘We will look further to see if there has been a mistake.’…”
Page 1: “Soviet Denounces China’s Red Guard”…”The Soviet Communists warned today that the Red Guards of Communist China were intent on spreading their extreme and dogmatic theories of Communism outside China’s borders. Pravda, the Communist party paper gave its readers a detailed and candid account of vandalism and civil strife in cities across China…To Soviet readers the language used to describe China’s political turmoil was alarming and ominous. After citing many incidents and violence the article asked editorially: ‘In the name of what ? was it found necessary to take over the functions of the constitution and the elementary principles of law? What is behind the calls to carry through far reaching reform of our socialist system?’… The Red Guards have now declared that they are intent on spreading the cultural revolution beyond China. They are saying: ‘We are not only stirring up a revolutionary storm in China, we shall also spread it all over the world.’…”…Page 9: “Bonn Retiring 14 Top Officers Ending Link To Old Wehrmacht”…”The West German Defense Minister announced today the most sweeping changes in high ranking military leadership since the nation’s armed forces were built nearly a decade ago. A ministry spokesman said that 14 generals and admirals of the Bundeswehr, or armed forces, many in key positions, would retire on October 1. Six are army generals, two admirals, four air force generals and two medical generals. The underlying issue in the resignations was the generals objections to the extent of the military’s subordination to the civilians section of the Defense Ministry.”
17 September 1966… The President’s Daily Brief…CIA (TS sanitized)… North Vietnam: The Communist build-up in northernmost South Vietnam and the Demilitarized Zone raises the possibility of important changes in North Vietnamese strategy. (the rest is blacked out)…
17 SEPTEMBER 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… NYT (18 September reporting 17 September)…Page 6: “2 More U.S. Jets Downed In North”… “Two more American fighter-bombers crashed in North Vietnam yesterday bringing to 375 the number of planes lost there in the air war. Two lieutenants flying one of the planes, an Air Force FG-4C Phantom, were rescued, but the crew of the second plane also an F-4C was listed as missing. The two lieutenants parachuted into the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Vietnam after enemy anti-aircraft fire had ripped into their jet during a strike in the panhandle. Where the second F-4 crashed was not disclosed. One of the pilots was recovered for the third time( Lt Henry Knoch) and the other (LT Bernard Giere) for the second time. In a series of raids in central North Vietnam on three trains, isolated to the north and south of Thanh Hoa by earlier attacks on bridges and railroad tracks. Navy pilots reported having wrecked 80 trucks and 35 boxcars. The pilots have bombed one of the trains two days in a row. Other Air Force pilots attacking the principal railroad and highway leading northeast into China and the bridges along route 45 miles above Hanoi, reported having seen 14 MIGs and having shot down one of them. It was the 19th MIG downed by American pilots over North Vietnam.”… “Vietnam: Air Losses” (Hobson) five fixed wing aircraft downed in Southeast Asia on 17 September 1966…
(1) CAPTAIN DAREL DEAN LEETUM was flying an F-105D of the 469 TFS and 388th TFW out of Korat on a strike on a bridge near Kep and was hit by intense AAA as he approached roll-in. CAPTAIN LEETUM did not eject and died in the crash near the target. There is no record of where his remains lie fifty years later. CAPT LEETUM died a warriors death with the enemy in his isghts. He was Killed in Action. Left behind???
(2) CAPTAIN ALLEN R. RUTHERFORD was flying an F-105 of the 13th TFS and 388th TFW out of Korat on a strike north of Hanoi near the buffer along the China border when hit by an 85mm shell. CAPTAIN RUTHERFORD was able to fly his aircraft east and then south toward Danang, but east of Hue over the Gulf he was forced to eject. He was rescued by a Jolly Green Giant HH-3E that landed at sea to make the pickup. A first…
(3) LTJG R.A. HEGSTROM was flying an A-4C of the VA-22 Flying Redcocks embarked in USS CORAL SEA on a strike on the railroad yards at Nih binh. As the strike group approached the target atrea they were met by a volley of SAMs and in the maneuvering to avoid the missiles LTJG HEGSTROM’s A-4 was hit by ground fire. He was able to fly the aircraft back to sea and eject ten miles off the coast. He was rescued by a Navy helicopter.
(4) and (5) Two F-4Cs of the 558th TFS and 12th TFW out of Cam Ranh Bay had a midair collision on a night strike mission that was aborted due to foul weather. The accident occurred near Cam Ranh Bay and the survivor, CAPTAIN D.G. BROWNING was rescued by the base HH-43. The other aviators were Killed in Action in the mid-air: CAPTAIN EDWARD DEAN McCann, CAPTAIN ROBERT EDWARD ROCKY, and 1LT MICHAEL EDWARD SURWALD perished in the service of our country 50 years ago this day. With this accident the Air Force had lost five Phantoms and six aviators in accidents in South Vietnam and Thailand within five days. The accident rate in Southeast Asia was a constant concern for the Air Force, for while it was accepted that accident rates in wartime are going to be higher than those in peacetime, the cost in terms of aircraft and lives sometimes became difficult to bear.” (Hobson)
RIPPLE SALVO… #200… THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA… “We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
THE HAPPINESS FORMULA… Get a good cause, work at it every day, and while you are at it, do something nice for somebody else.
The oath of allegiance “to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic” is a great cause. The opportunities to repeat that oath are many in a life of public service and proud moments they are as the oath is renewed countless times in a career in the military. The Constitution, as many of the great institutions of our country are, is under constant challenge and attack by legions of “agents of change” who are very unhappy with our country as it is, has been, and will be– with constant vigilance. Never in my years have I been more ready, willing and able to support and defend our constitution than I am now. Why? Because the attacks on our Constitution have become insidious and the attacks of most concern are those that are coming from within. The Cause–to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic–has never been more urgent.
Happy days are easy: Get up early, work hard on The Cause, which is something very nice for all Americans, and Happiness is in the bag. Happy Constitution Day (Weekend)… fight’s on…
Lest we forget… Bear ……… –30– ………..