RIPPLE SALVO… #139… AND TAKING IT EASY… but first…
Good Morning: Day ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-NINE of a look back at our country in 1966 both at home and at war with North Vietnam…
18 JULY 1966…PAGE ONE OF THE HOME TOWN NEWS…New York Times… A hot and sunny Monday with clouds moving in tonight…
Page 1: “Hanoi Says Many Respond To Call To Serve In War“…”Many officers and men of North Vietnam’s military reserves have applied to rejoin the armed forces following a partial mobilization ordered issued by Ho Chi Minh, the Hanoi Radio reported today…Hanoi residents took part in rallies and parades today to express their determination to continue fighting ‘even if the capital is destroyed by United States bombs.’ Workers and government officials attending meetings in the capital pledged to contribute crops to the state and to produce industrial goods with efficiency…’ In ordering partial mobilization Ho Chi Minh seemed to shatter immediate hope for peace in Vietnam. He predicted that the war could go on for ’20 years or longer,’ and declared that North Vietnam would win. Ho Chi Minh’s speech gave no indication whether American prisoners of war would be placed on trial as war criminals. There had been speculation that the address, which had been publicized in advance would announce such trials.”…
Page 1: “B-52s Aid Battle Near DMZ”…”Waves of USAF B-52 bombers dropped tons of bombs this morning on a patch of jungle three and a half miles south of the belt of neutral territory separating North and South Vietnam. The bombers were aiming at elements of a North Vietnamese army division that has infiltrated into South Vietnam’s northern province of Quang tri. The attack was the fourth in five days by the giant jets from Guam in support of an estimated total of 10,000 Marines and South Vietnamese troops sweeping the area. The men were operating in a 300 square-mile crescent of jungle running along the DMZ from the sea to about 20 miles inland. Troops have killed 118 North Vietnamese army troops since the operation was announced.”…Page 1: “Air Force Shortages Laid To Pentagon”…”Senate Preparedness Committee charged today that Defense Department shortsightedness and delays in meeting Vietnam demands had reduced the Tactical Air command to a role of training rather than combat. Testimony by the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Joseph McConnell on May 9 and 10: “The shortage of crews would be a more serious problem were it not for s shortage of aircraft. Why? Decisions to step up aircraft procurement, increase the program, and take other remedial measures involving long lead times were deferred too long…we avoided taking prompt action to solve problems which clearly loomed upon the horizon in the apparent hope the problem would somehow disappear.”… (Humble Host adds: WOW!!! and now think about this… The Tactical Air Forces of our once great nation have been allowed to age and decrease in numbers to historic lows … the lesson of Vietnam and before that World War II… meant nothing and mean nothing… shame on us…)…
Page 1: “Guard Patrol Is Cut In Chicago Ghetto; City Buys 10 Pools”…”Guardsmen patrolled the West Side Negro ghetto here for the third consecutive night tonight to prevent a recurrence of violence. But the number of troops of few streets of the four square miles of the sprawling slum was reduced from 2,200 last night to 1,200. The rest of the 4,200 soldiers called out Friday stood by at five armories around the city…the city meanwhile rushed post riot plans to improve living conditions in the ghetto where some 300,000 Negroes are jammed into 800 square blocks.”… The improvements included “ten swimming pools”...Page 1: “Jim Ryun Sets Record For Mile At 3:51.3″… “…a 19 year old freshman at the University of Kansas clipped almost 2 and a half seconds off the world record for the mile at the All-American track and field invitational meet yesterday at Berkeley, California. The record was held by Michael Jazy of France of 3:53.6.”…. Page 1: “Gemini 10 Ready For Today’s Flight,”…Commander john Young and Major Michael Collins workload for the mission will include 14 scientific experiments and a change in orbit from 185 mile high orbit to a 238 mile orbit to rendezvous with Agena 8.”…
18 JULY 1966… ROLLING THUNDER OPs…New York Times (19 July reporting 18 July ops)… Page 2: “Air Raids In North Deal Heavy Blows”…”United States fighter-bombers striking North Vietnam have had an unusual level of success in recent days. In the four days from last Thursday through yesterday (18th) United States Air Force and Navy planes destroyed 58 trucks and damaged 104, destroyed 19 bridge and damaged 42, and destroyed 24 railroad cars and damaged 27. However, two more Air Force planes were lost over North Vietnam yesterday afternoon, although all three airmen were rescued.” (These are the same F-105D and F-4C reported down yesterday in 17 July RTR)…”The air war continued at a high level yesterday. Air Force pilots flew 66 missions of several aircraft and the Navy flew 42. All of the announced strikes were flown in the southern panhandle. There was no explanation of why more northerly targets were apparently avoided. Air Force pilots bombed a POL storage area at Badon, 29 miles northwest of Don hoi.”...”Vietnam: Air Losses,” reported no fixed wing losses for this date in Southeast Asia…..
RIPPLE SALVO… #139… Ephesians 6 is my guide this Sunday evening… “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”…. “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
On Sunday, 17 July 1966, 50 years ago today, the Reverend Dr. Robert J. McCracken delivered a sermon in Riverside, New York that was published in the New York Times on 18 July 1966 under the headline, “Impact of Christ Said to Weaken.” His point in July 1966 is more true in 2016, he said:
“Jesus Christ is not making an impact on modern society. Ours is a society relying heavily and finally on force, on military might and on nuclear superiority. Christ’s teaching in this regard runs counter to our accepted and established practice. He repudiates force, advocates non-resistance to evil, bids us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us and pray for those who despitefully hate us. This is unpopular teaching and its practically is questioned by our society. It is looked upon as a kind of poetry, a Utopian dream, idealistic, but too high and too hard for ordinary humanity and out of touch with realities of the every day world. Showing infinite Christian love to Communists it has been said is like stroking a tiger on the head and saying “poor pus.” This is the attitude of thousands who attend church and have their names on membership roles. The idea of applying the principle of the Sermon on the Mount to international politics– though they may not put their feelings into words or even think the issue over very deeply– does not seem workable.
“Jesus Christ is not making a universal appeal today because of his moral austerity. Right down the line Christ gives offense by His moral authority. He rebukes our acquisitive society. He rebukes our comfort loving, take it easy philosophy. He rebukes our moral laxity. He rebukes our reliance on force and rejection of love as the royal way of life. Ours is a comfort loving society. On parting one another we say ‘take it easy.’ We equate comfort with civilization. For the pioneer psychology, we have substituted a philosophy of soft living. Collective security bids fair to take the place of individual initiative. The demand is for wares that are conducive to effortless living. Few things are prized quite so highly.”
The Reverend’s conclusion that our American culture had shifted from one of a pioneering, individual responsibility philosophy to one of collective security and greater dependence on government for the good life of soft living was well founded. As a consequence, the “impact of God” on human behavior in the United States that was in decline in 1966 has continued unabated for the last 50 years. A century ago we were a Christian-Judeo country that has now donned a cloak of secularism that has indeed reduced the role of the Father of All Mercies in guiding the collective behavior of our society.
“Jesus Christ is not making an impact on modern society,” spoken in July 1966, applies in 2016.
“Our comfort loving, take it easy” country, has lost its way. There is no question in my mind why this has occurred and continues. Is there in yours?
Lest we forget… Bear ………. –30– ……….