RIPPLE SALVO… #319… “…Senator Dirksen sat on the President’s bed. The President was standing, in stocking feet, as he completed dressing for dinner.” … but first…
Good Morning: Day THREE HUNDRED NINETEEN of a return to the 1000 days of Rolling Thunder, an air war fought 50 years ago…
18 January 1967… THE NEW YORK TIMES front page and headlines on a cold and partly cloudy Wednesday in NYC…
Page 1: Harrison Salisbury Reporting: “A Turning Point in the War is Seen by Hanoi Visitor”… “Nearly two years after the United States began bombing North Vietnam, the war appears to be entering a new phase–one that may lead to eventual settlement or to a sudden and extreme escalation. Two weeks of on-the-ground inspection of North Vietnam, dozens of talks with Hanoi officials, including very high officials, and discussions with leaders of the National Liberation Front, the political arm of the Vietcong guerrillas, and with informed neutral Communist and Western diplomats indicate the long war reached a turning point. Although both Hanoi and Washington suggest in public statements that their positions have not changed, there appears to be signs of below-the-surface movement that could lead in that direction…the alternative to a successful negotiated settlement looms on the horizon, a deadlier, vastly escalated war. Both the United States and North Vietnam, it seems clear, are prepared for such escalation. Premier Pham Van Dong made plain that it is within the power of North Vietnam to call in ‘volunteers’ that are waiting in the Communist states of the world. The country where they stand nearest and in greatest numbers is Communist China, who is perhaps eagerly awaiting the call…’another major U.S. escalation step, China will be called’–the results of such a step would be explosive… One other impression: in spite of all the harsh language that each side has used against the other, in spite of the desperate fighting, the death and destruction, and cruelty, if the war could be ended the North Vietnamese and the Americans could well end up excellent friends. It would not, for one thing, require much actual contact with Hanoi for Washington to come to a clear understanding that whatever else they may be the North Vietnamese leaders are never going to be stooges for Peking, Moscow–or, for that matter, the United States. They think –or think they have– fought all comers to a standstill for nearly 2,000 years. That is one reason the thought of ending the present war will come as a shock and surprise to some youthful North Vietnamese. ‘End the war?’ one said recently. ‘End the war? What would we do with ourselves without the war?’…”
Page 1: “Saigon Proposes Talks With Hanoi to Extend Truce”…”The South Vietnamese Government offered today to meet with representatives of North Vietnam to arrange, on a ‘properly agreed and supervised basis,’ an extension of the truce proposed for the Lunar New Year celebration next month. The truce will be a 96-hour period of cease-fire from 7AM February 8 (6PM Feb 7 in NY) to 7AM February 12 (6PM Feb 11 in NY). South Vietnam wants to discuss a cease-fire that would extend this to seven days, or even longer.”… Page 1: “Johnson Affirms $73-Billion Total for Defense ’68″… “President Johnson said today that the defense budget for the next fiscal year would be about $73-billion, up from expenditures in the current year. The figure would represent the third highest defense budget in history (only 1944 and 1945 were higher). Mr Johnson asked for a supplemental appropriation of $9.4-billion to finance additional military expenditures in the current fiscal year which ends June 30.”… Page 1: “Governor Rockefeller Requests $39.9-Million Rise in Medicaid Fund”… “The Governor asked the New York legislature today for a $39.9-million deficiency appropriation because costs of the state’s controversial Medicaid program was higher than foreseen… In addition, next years budget will be increased to account for major new gains in the state’s program to care for the mentally disabled.”…
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM… LIEUTENANT EDWARD ANDREW DICKSON, U.S.N.
“The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the NAVY CROSS (Posthumously) to Edward Andrew Dickson, Lieutenant, U.S.Navy (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism on 7 February 1965 while serving as a jet attack Pilot with Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE (VA-155), aboard the U.S.S. Coral Sea (CVA-43), during a retaliatory air strike against the Dong Hoi army barracks and staging area in North Vietnam. When his aircraft was struck by intense enemy antiaircraft fire on the low-level run-in to the target area burst into flame, Lieutenant Dickson elected to remain with his burning aircraft until he had released his bombs on the target area. Following the attack, he headed toward the sea where he ejected from his flaming aircraft. By his inspiring and courageous devotion to duty, Lieutenant Dickson upheld the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”
18 January 1967… Operation Rolling Thunder… New York Times… (19 Jan reporting 18 Jan ops) Page 3: “In the air over the North American fighter-bombers took advantage of continuing good weather today to bomb rail centers and routes for the third consecutive day. Four flights of Air Force F-105 Thunderchiefs attacked the Phuduc railroad yard 45 miles northwest of Hanoi. Pilots returning from the raid said their 750-pound bombs landed in the center of the yard despite the heavy anti-aircraft fire…four other Thunderchief flights used 750 and 300-pound bombs to destroy rails in the center section of the Thachson railroad yards 41 miles northwest of Hanoi…Other Thunderhiefs hit and destroyed two bridges 20 and 40 miles northeast of the city. Carrier based Navy planes hit the Thienlin-dong railroad bridge 10 miles southwest of Thanh Hoa touching off three secondaries.”
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Hobson) One fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 18 January 1967…
(1) LTJG MARLOW ERLING MADSEN was flying an A-1H of the VA-52 Knightriders embarked in USS Ticonderoga on an armed reconnaissance mission and had completed his mission and the delivery of his weapons but experienced difficulty at landing speed and after an unsuccessful attempt to land the aircraft aboard Ticonderoga the aircraft was seen to go nose high and plunge into the sea killing the pilot. LTJG MADSEN was Killed in Action fifty years ago today and rests in peace where he fell…
RIPPLE SALVO… #319… The President’s Tuesday Lunch meeting at the White House led the President to call another meeting on the evening of 17 January 1967 to discuss the possibility that Hanoi was serious about wanting to get peace negotiations going. The President wanted to share with a tight group the “most important communication he had received since becoming President.” You will find this “Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson at:
http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v05/d19
However, this is a fun read, and a really unusual document, so I am posting the whole thing for the RTR record… I quote the memorandum dated: Washington, January 18, 1967…
About 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, January 17, 1967, the President called into his bedroom Senators Mansfield and Dirksen. They were in the living room of the Mansion at the President’s invitation before the dinner given in honor of the Vice President, Speaker McCormack, and Chief Justice Warren. Others present were Mr. Marvin Watson and Mr. Walt Rostow.
Senator Mansfield sat on a chair in a far corner of the room; Senator Dirksen sat on the edge of the President’s bed. The President was standing, in stocking feet, as he completed dressing for dinner.
The President said that he had asked them to join him so that they might share perhaps the most important communication he had received since becoming President. He needed their understanding and commitment. He asked whether they were willing to receive this communication on the understanding that not another soul would hear from them what he was about to say. The President then listed those who were at the lunch earlier in the day, who knew of the matter. (Rusk, McNamara, Rostow and Christian)…
The two Senators agreed to receive the communication on those terms.
The President then explained that we had been receiving a large number of hints and suggestions about negotiation an end of the war in Viet Nam. These came from many directions: Poles, Italians, Russians, Indians, etc. These had come to nothing.
We concluded that perhaps the best way of moving forward was direct communication with Hanoi. The President had considered addressing a direct letter to Ho Chi Minh. It had been decided, however, first to go directly to a representative of Hanoi in a certain capital. We had initiated this approach. We now had a reply which might be important. There was a certain hope.
This fragile hope could be destroyed by two things: first, by a loss of secrecy; second by public statements or actions which were too soft or too hard. If Hanoi believed that, in fact, we would stop bombing without any compensating move on their side, they might persist with the war. They listen carefully to what is said by Senators and Congressman. They read the newspapers and see the advertisements against our policy. Equally the chance could be destroyed if we acted too toughly, as if to put special pressure on them during a negotiation. The President cited the alleged effect of a statement by an unknown Admiral at a critical time moment in a certain probe that was aborted.
Therefore, the President was resisting the addition of major targets in the Hanoi-Haiphong area at this time. He had today turned recommendations that steel and concrete plants be attacked.
The President then read a modified version of a memorandum sent to him earlier in the day by the National Security Staff. After reading the memorandum, the President said: “I want nothing to happen to disturb this possibility between now and, say, mid-February. I would hope the public hearings on foreign policy and Viet Nam could be held in abeyance until we see what we can do. Give me two or three weeks to run this out.”
The President then asked: Will Fulbright and Hickenlooper give us this little chance? Public hearings can do us no good at all at this moment, only harm. Can the Senate hold off? The President indicated he had no problem with continuing hearings in secret. Senator Dirksen then said: “You must call them down. They have big egos. It is not good enough if we ask them to stand down. They must hear from the President and directly know the reason. Senator Mansfield strongly asserted the same position.
The President probed further as to whether there was any possibility of “gaining a little running room” without having fully to take anyone beyond the Majority and Minority leaders into his confidence in this matter. Senators Dirksen and Mansfield stated again strongly that there was no other way than to bring them in. It was then decided that the President would invite for meeting in the Cabinet room at 9:30 a.m., January 18, Senators Dirksen, Mansfield, Hickenlooper, Russell, Smith and Aiken.
The President then read to Senator Mansfield and Dirksen a draft resolution on Viet Nam. He said that he could not carry the burden of the war alone. He needed reaffirmation by the Congress. Senator Mansfield immediately said: “This is the worst thing you could do. It is exactly what you don’t want to happen–a public debate questioning the foundations of our Viet Nam policy. Your opponents would have a field day.” Senator Dirksen agreed. He said these are only words on a paper. “You must pursue your course.” Senator Mansfield said any talk of a resolution reminds them of the Tonkin Gulf resolution and “rubs the wrong way on both sides.”
The President then said that Secretary Rusk felt it might be useful (responding to a suggestion of Senator Fulbright) to have hearings next week on the Consular Treaty with the Soviet Union. Senator Mansfield asked if Mr. Hoover was now agreeable. The President said he could not control Mr. Hoover’s view.
Senator Mansfield then asked if it would be helpful if he made a speech on the East-West trade bill and the Consular Treaty early next week. The President said this would be helpful. Mr. Rostow agreed to supply Senator Mansfield by 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 18, a full listing of agreements made with the Soviet Union during President Johnson’s administration.
The President and the two Senators joined the party in the Oval Room at 8:15 p.m. end quote
When Rostow delivered this memo to the President he attached a covering memo that read: “You asked me to take notes of last night’s remarkable bedroon session. Here they are–for the historical record only; and if you’ve got a tight enough safe.” On January 18 the President and Rostow met with Mansfield, Dirksen, Hickenlooper, Russell and Aiken for a 65-minute off-the-record session. No record of the meeting has been found.
And now we know why Rolling Thunder wasn’t in January and February 1967…
CAG’s QUOTES for January 18: NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI: “A prince should therefore have no other aim or thought, nor take up any other thing for his study, but war and its organization and discipline.”….. PATTON: “The more I see of people, the more I regret I survived the war.”…
Lest we forget… Bear