RIPPLE SALVO…#112… BE CAREFUL OUT THERE… but first…
Good Morning: Day ONE HUNDRED TWELVE of a review of Operation Rolling Thunder, the “air war” with North Vietnam…
20 JUNE 1966…ON THE HOME FRONT…(NYT)… An unseasonably warm and humid Monday in NYC…
Page 1: “Campus Protests Are Tied To Reds By Senate Panel”… “The Senate Internal Security Sub-committee charged tonight that communists had played a key role in organizing campus demonstrations against the war in Vietnam. “The Communist Party U.S.A. brand may be found upon every phase of the rallies,” the subcommittee said in a report of hearings held 13 months ago, “from planning to the final effort to proselytize young people.” Seventy pages of previously secret testimony made public with the report dealt with the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley, California and the WEB Dubois Club. The report concluded that the protests were not spontaneous and required detailed planning… Page 1: “Kennedy Says He Favors Johnson Re-election In ’68”and declared he has no plans to run for anything other than U.S. Senate in 1970. The statement was made by Kennedy upon his return from a 15-day trip to Africa, Athens, and Rome… Page 3: “Army Chief Is Glad He Was Overruled”… “General Harold K. Johnson, Army Chief of Staff has disclosed that he recommended three times last year that the Army call-up its reserves for the Vietnam War. Such a move would have sent shivers and tremors throughout the world. The General said in testimony to the Senate Readiness Sub-committee, “But looking back over the last year the course of action that was followed was the one that was in the national interest.” As for current needs General Johnson testified that “we have now passed our low point, and we are on a rapidly rising scale, so that the period in which the Reserves would have been most useful has passed….
Page 5: “Arabs Press Attack On Hussein For Opposition To Refugee Army”… ” King Hussein of Jordan is coming under increasing propaganda pressure from radical Arab states for having refused to permit the Arab refugee army to form military units in his country. Five days ago the King criticized the Palestinian Liberation Organization and it’s army after the groups leader announced plans to send recruits to Vietnam to fight with the Vietcong. The king also warned of the dangers of communism in the Middle East.”… Page 20: “Marchers Ranks Expand to 1200″…”Hundreds of winging and shouting plantation workers joined the civil rights march through Mississippi today and formed the longest marching column yet in the 13-day journey to Jackson.” The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee representative, Willie Ricks said, “If Negroes are not represented in the capitol building, in the state house building, and in the court house building, we are going to tear them down.”…
20 June 1966…President’s Daily Briefing…CIA (TS sanitized)… South Vietnam: The government continues to gain in its drive to dominate the dissidents. Except for the Vietcong hit-and-run attack near Hue’ today, the city has returned to something approaching normalcy. Many residents are clearly relieved over the restoration of law and order. There was a flare up of violence in Danang today, but the authorities apparently gained the upper hand rather quickly. Saigon was quiet again today, and the Buddhist Institute remains tightly sealed off. Tam Chau has received formal support for his firm stand against the Buddhist militants from representatives of Buddhists of Cambodia origin, who are numerous in South Vietnam’s delta region…. North Vietnam: entire briefing is still classified after 50 years…
20 JUNE 1966…ROLLING THUNDER OPERATIONS… No coverage in the New York Times…”Vietnam: Air Losses”… four aircraft down…
(1) 1LT PAUL L. CLANTON, 1LT STEVEN A. AIGER and SSGT ELIJAH R. WINSTEAD from the 315th ACW Detachment at Tan Son Nhut were flying a UC-123B Ranch Hand aerial spray flight along the coast between Chu Lai and Danang when hit be ground fire and suffered subsequent engine fire requiring the pilot to crash land the aircraft in a rice patty. Fire destroyed the aircraft as the crew escaped to be rescued by Marine helicopters amid a spirited fire fight with Vietcong at the crash site. The three man crew survived, the pilot with serious injuries… There is a good story in this incident… anybody know it???
(2) LCDR JOHN WALLACE TUNNELL was launching at night on a strike mission from USS Ranger in a VA-145 A-1H and flew into the water due to vertigo or instrument failure. LCDR TUNNELL was not recovered and was reported as Killed in Action… Fifty years ago today… He is remembered and commended on this day and every day for his courageous service to our country…He rests in peace where he fell…
(3) LT JOHN RICHARD McDONOUGH and two crewmen were manning a VAW-113 EA-1F on a night launch from USS Hancock. The catapult bridle failed on the cat shot and the aircraft went into the water ahead of the ship. The two crewmen were able to escape from the sinking aircraft and were rescued, LT McDONOUGH was not and he rests tonight where he fell fifty years ago. He is remembered and commended for his heroic service to our country… He rests in peace…
(4) An A-4E from MAG-12 at Chu Lai was destroyed by fire when a fueling hose ruptured and the plume of fuel was ignited… no injuries…
RIPPLE SALVO… #112… WE ARE COMING… RTR for 19 June 1966 carried a few quotes from the President that were intended to let the North Vietnamese that he was running out of patience…He said: “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 best interest and the cause of freedom. I believe the people are determined to see this through.” Our diplomats had spent two months playing all their cards in an attempt to get the North Vietnamese to a negotiation of some, any, sort…No dice.. The President had been sitting on the next step in his “strategy of gradualism.” On 20 June 1966, fifty years ago today, LBJ put execution of the POL Plan in motion when he asked for assurances that the campaign would be waged by our strike pilots on the condition that maximum efforts would be in effect to preclude significant civilian casualties… Here is what Secretary of Defense McNamara sent CINCPAC:
“Final decision for or against will be influenced by extent they can be carried out without significant civilian casualties. What preliminary steps to minimize would you recommend and if taken what number of casualties do you believe would result?”
The answer as recorded in The Pentagon Papers; CINCPAC replied eagerly listing the conditions and safe guards for the attack that the Air Staff study had suggested in early May.
(1) He would execute only if the weather conditions were favorable with good visibility, and no cloud cover to assure positive target identification and strike accuracy
(2) Strike leaders would select the best axis of attack to avoid populated areas
(3) Weapon selection would be based on optimum ballistic characteristics for precision
(4) Maximum use of ECM support in order to hamper SA-2 and AAA radars and reduce “pilot distraction”
(5) Employ the most experienced pilots, thoroughly briefed
And CINCPAC added that the North Vietnamese had an excellent alert system that would provide people ample time for people to take cover. In all he expected “under 50” civilian casualties, even though the CIA had earlier estimated the POL plan would result in 200-300 civilian casualties.
“McNamara cabled his approval of the measures suggested and indicated that they would be included in the execute message. He stressed that the President’s final decision would be greatly influenced by the ability to minimize civilian casualties and inquired about restrictions against flak and SAM suppression that might endanger populated areas. On June 16 CINCPAC offered additional assurances that all possible measures would be taken to avoid striking civilians and that flak and SAM suppression would be under the tightest of restrictions.” The stage was set, and when the last of the diplomatic efforts was complete, and there was to be no change in North Vietnam’s position regarding negotiations, it was all ahead full on the POL campaign. “On 22 June the execution message was released. It authorized strikes against Haiphong and Hanoi POL targets plus the Kep radar, beginning with attacks on the Hanoi and Haiphong sites, effective first light 24 June 1966.” The gist of the execution order:
“Strikes to commence with initial attacks against Haiphong and Hanoi POL on same day if operationally feasible. Make maximum effort to attain operational surprise. Do not conduct initiating attacks under marginal weather conditions but reschedule when weather assures success. Follow-on attacks authorized as operational and weather factors dictate.
“At Haiphong, avoid damage to merchant shipping. No attacks authorized on craft unless US aircraft are first fired on and then only if clear of North Vietnamese. Piers servicing target will not be attacked if tanker is berthed off the end of pier.
“Decision made after SecDef and CJCS were assured every feasible step would be taken to minimize civilian casualties would be small. If you do not believe you can accomplish objective while destroying targets and protecting crews, do not initiate the program. Taking the following measures: maximums use of most experienced ROLLING THUNDER personnel, detailed briefing of pilots stressing need to avoid civilian casualties, execute only when weather permits visual identification of targets and improve accuracy, select best axis of attack to avoid populated areas, maximum use of ECM to hamper SAM and AAA fire control, in order to limit pilot distraction and improve accuracy, maximize weapons of high precision delivery consistent with mission objectives, and limit SAM and AAA suppression to sites located outside populated areas.
“Take special precautions to insure security. If weather or operational considerations delay initiation of strikes, do not initiate on Sunday, 26 June.”
The “air war” was about to enter a new phase and the marching orders were pretty clear: the first priority was “do whatever it takes to avoid civilian casualties.” As for security: is there any doubt in anybody’s mind that the North Vietnamese not only knew we were coming, but what we were coming after and when we were coming?… And do you suppose Secretary of State Rusk skipped telling his Swiss Embassy friend that the POL plan was now hot so the word could be passed to North Vietnamese in order to “minimize civilian casualties? (ref. the LGEN Piotrowski charge discussed in an earlier Ripple Salvo).
Lest we forget…. Bear ………… –30– ………..