RIPPLE SALVO… #111… “THEY WERE OUR FATHERS”… but first…
Good Morning–HAPPY FATHER’S DAY and day ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN on the long look back to Father’s Day in Southeast Asia 50 years ago…
19 JUNE 1966… (NYT)… A fair and warm Sunday in New York City…
Page 1: “Raborn Replaced As CIA Director By A Career Man”… Admiral Raborn stepped down and his Deputy, Richard Helms moved up to Direct the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency. Admiral Raborn had only been in the post for 13-months. While the President accepted the admiral’s resignation “with regret,” the event came as no surprise since the Admiral’s performance had been the subject of widespread criticism. The charge was that he had “not shown any aptitude for either intelligence work or foreign affairs, fields in which he had no previous experience.” Helm’s performance as Deputy, on the other hand, was applauded throughout the CIA.”
Page 1: “President Hints Intensified War Effort”…”President Johnson called on North Vietnam and the Vietcong to abandon aggression and he held out the prospect of an intensified air and ground war if they did not. The statement was one of the toughest on the war since the President assumed the office two and a half years ago.” The President: “I must frankly tell you that our intelligence indicates that the aggressor presently bases his hopes more on political differences in Saigon and Washington than on his military capacity in South Vietnam. While we have differences and divisions, I want our men in the field and our people at home to know that our course is resolute; that our conviction is firm; and we shall not be diverted from doing whatever is necessary in the nation’s interest and the cause of freedom.” The President said, “I believe that our people are determined to see this through.”…
Page 1: “Ky Feels Junta Over The Hump In Crises”…Talking to correspondents in Saigon on the eve of Armed Forces Day, he said the Buddhist leaders did not have any public support, his government is built on sound foundations for future progress. He reviewed the work of his government–social, political and economic and effort to pacify Vietcong dominated countryside….Page 1: “Troops Control All Of Hue'”… Loyal marines, paratroopers and combat policemen occupied the Dieu De Pagoda and the area around it and later pushed into the old wall city. This morning they moved into the residential neighborhood surrounding the Tu Dam Pagoda with the goal of reasserting government authority. As the Buddhists did not fight and no blood was shed, the goal was considered achieved… Page 1: “Lin’s Rank As No.2 Cleared In China”… The emergence of Lin Piao, the Defense Minister of Communist China, as apparently the most powerful figure in the country next to Mao Tse-Tung was underlined publicly in Peking today. Piao called for further study of Mao’s work. “It is essential to imbue workers and peasants with Chairman Mao’s ideas, through loving study and application of his works.”…
Page 3: President: “In recent primaries not one candidate was able to make opposition to the resistance of aggression in South Vietnam a successful position. A minority of our people are willing to pull out. Another minority are prepared to see us use our total power, including nuclear power. The rest of us, while we may debate this or that dimension of policy, are determined that this nation honor its responsibilities and commitment to help Vietnam turn back aggression from the north. We must go forward as nations and men have always gone forward in dark moments confident that when they are right, they will prevail. I am confident that we shall gain an honorable peace in South Vietnam.” This statement was read by the President in his Oval Office to members of the press who were then granted a short Q&A session. One response: “To those few governments who do not want peace in Vietnam I would say this: There is honor in making peace. Let’s stop the killing.”
No record of a PRESIDENT’s DAILY BRIEFING for 19 JUNE 1966… Father’s Day…
19 JUNE 1966…ROLLING THUNDER OPERATIONS…NYT…Page 3:…In air action United States pilots flew 70 missions over North Vietnam concentrating mostly in the panhandle. Navy planes from the Ranger and Hancock flew 27 of the missions and damaged or destroyed bridges, barges, buildings and trucks. Air Force flew the other 43 missions, mostly to like targets… “Vietnam: Air Losses”… there were no losses on Father’s Day 1966.
RIPPLE SALVO…#111… To all you Dads and Granddads —Happy Father’s Day… To all you Mothers and Grandmothers— thanks for being there when we menkind were cruising, deploying, flying, doing 70-hour weeks in the Pentagon, and standing watches. Your lives of double duty has earned you the respect , admiration and appreciation of all of us Dads who served one of the toughest of task masters–Uncle Sam…
Both Rolling Thunder and Mighty Thunder posts today encourage readers to call up and read a wonderful and appropriate Father’s Day article that appears today in the Pensacola, Florida free, independent weekly newspaper (InWeekly) entitled “They Were Our Fathers.” Thanks, Bruce Herman, for the steer.
Note: Original article no longer available. However, there is a powerful YouTube video of the same name.
A sad note to conclude the week. A really great Naval Officer and Naval Aviator, Captain Bill Zipperer passed away today without regaining consciousness after two weeks in a coma. Zip was mortally wounded laying down his motorcycle to avoid hitting a Florida whitetail. He was 82… Bill was a light attack tailhooker and squadron mate in VA-12 in 1961-62 and later commanded the VA-105 Gunslingers in a busy combat cruise at Yankee Station in the 1971-72 time frame…. Four DFCs among his two dozen medals for valor and gallantry as a brave and bold warrior leader… We served together again on Saratoga in 1976-77, he was XO and I was CAG… He subsequently commanded a service force deep draft USS San Diego, before retiring as Captain, USN… Bill was a highly educated and smart gentleman who exhibited the finest social qualities when in coat and tie. And when he donned his flight gear he became the epitome of an intense, precise and aggressive leader of men of war.
Nobody was in better physical shape than Zip, and when he laid his bike down to spare a deer, I am sure he expected to bounce back up and carry on. Instead, he has gone west to rest in peace… My heart aches for his family…
Lest we forget…. Bear ………. –30– ……….