RIPPLE SALVO… #503… “The postman delivered the Spring-Summer 2017 issue of my copy of the DAEDALUS flyer this afternoon. Very slick. Question?… Where is a tip of the Order of Daedalians flying helmet to the warriors of OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER, a great air war that was fought as courageously as any in American history 50 YEARS AGO THIS SPRING-SUMMER-FALL in 1967??? 35-jammed packed pages, but nary a mention of ROLLING THUNDER. Not one! WHY???… (I’m starting to growl)… I’ll have further comment in the Ripple Salvo stinger… but first…
Good Morning: Day FIVE HUNDRED THREE of a return to the skies of North Vietnam and an air battle like no other in American history…
21 JULY 1967… HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a cloudy, warm and humid Friday in NYC…
VIETNAM: Page 1: “Johnson Sending 2 Aides To Press Allies For Troops–Taylor and Clifford to Visit Six Nations With Forces Fighting in Vietnam–They Leave Tomorrow–Leaders Will Be Consulted On Holding New Talks By Heads of Government”… President Johnson is sending two personal representatives on a tour of allied nations participating in the Vietnam war to solicit more troops and to discuss the possibility of another meeting with their heads of government…leave Saturday for Vietnam, then fly to Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Korea…The President would not list the troop build-up s his first concern…The United States plans to continue its build-up if troops to 480,000 that are now authorized for the war.”… Page 3: “U.S. Battle Deaths Down–Total Combat Deaths at 12,000″… “…dropped significantly reflecting a lull in the ground war…175 Americans were killed last week, down 107 from the previous weeks 282…The number of wounded increased to 1,443 as a result of numerous small clashes. American combat deaths in Vietnam war reached 11,991, as of last Saturday (15 July 1967)…South Vietnam casualties: 202 KIA, 543 WIA: Allies: 35 KIA, 46 WIA. Enemy troops killed: 1,877, down from 2,114. Ground combat light for 10th day in a row as Allied forces mounted 20 operations of battalion size or larger.”… Page 2: “U.S. Adding 12 Miles To Vietnam’s Barrier Strip–Opponents View It As Shift to Static Defense”… “…strip is being started just south of the demilitarized zone in South Vietnam… The original strip, 600-yards wide, cleared of vegetation and structures and providing an open field of fire–was authorized earlier this year. It was to run in relatively level terrain for miles in front of a network of Marine bases known as Leatherneck Square between Conthien and Giolink. The additional 12 miles will be through more difficult and hilly terrain bringing the total strip to 23 miles.”…
SUMMER 1967: Page 1: “Newark Meeting On Black Power Attended By 400–Conference Called Biggest of its Kind in U.S.–Some Noted Leaders Absent–46 Groups Represented–Consensus on Goals Sought–Opinion Ranges From Moderate to Revolutionist”... “A four-day conference on Black Power, said to have brought together the largest and most diverse group of Negro civil-rights activists ever to assemble in the United States. About 400 persons representing 45 civil rights groups in 36 cities attended. This was three times more than was expected when the conference was planned last September (1966). Notable for their absence were Roy Wilkins, executive director of the NAACP; Whitney Young Jr., executive director of the National Urban League; and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Council. All three organizations were represented by younger members…Conference leaders hope to come out of the conference with a consensus on goals…The delegates range from moderate to revolutionists. The conference seeks to employ Black Power economically and politically for the betterment of the Negro.”… Page 1: “Shiver Will act In Newark Crisis–Plans Visit to Confer on Aid–Director of City Poverty Agency Intends to Quit”... “Sargent Shriver, director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, will come here today to discuss the needs, the administrative crisis and mounting criticism of Newark’s anti-poverty program…wants to offer any possible assistance to the city’s recovery from its six days of devastation and rioting as well as to express his concern over charges that some of the corporations political activities had helped ferment the riots.”…
MIDEAST/SIX DAY WAR: Page 1: Russians Obtain Delay in Closing Of Session At U.N.–Gromyko Reported Willing to Back Latin Resolution As Mideast Compromise”… “…eager to go home to Moscow with something–has bought a 24-hour delay in the end of the General Assembly’s emergency session on the Middle East…the series of meetings began on June 17.”…
21 July 1967…The President’s TS Daily CIA Brief: NORTH VIETNAM: A recent editorial in Hanoi’s party newspaper admits that the economy performed badly during the first half of this year…. The early rice crop was said to be “reduced” –that is, smaller than last year’s mediocre crop. Both natural causes and poor management were blamed for this. We have other evidence that drought is continuing to threaten the rice crop, and we think there is little chance that Hanoi can reduce the food imports that have reached record levels this year… As for industry, output is said to be “stabilized” and local industry to have performed “fairly well.” These are the weakest claims ever made, and almost certainly mean that production has lagged behind plans, or possibly even retrogressed from last year.”…
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… GALLANTRY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY…CAPTAIN WINFIELD SCOTT HARPE, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE…the SILVER STAR (SECOND AWARD)… 18 JULY 1967…
“The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the SILVER STAR to CAPTAIN WINFIELD SCOTT HARPE, United States Air Force, for GALLANTRY in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while serving with the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, in action over North Vietnam, on 18 July 1967. On that date, CAPTAIN HARPE led a flight of four F-105 Thunderchiefs on an attack against the rail yard supporting the Kep Airfield north of Hanoi. Instead of bombing the already heavily damaged rail yard, CAPTAIN HARPE led his flight down the tracks and deeper into the blistering anti-aircraft defenses that had already hit four aircraft in the force. Through an almost overwhelming hail of bursting flak and flying projectiles he dropped his bombs and destroyed the two trains loaded with supplies. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, CAPTAIN HARPE has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.”…
21 July 1967… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (21 and 22 July 1967) Page 1: “U.S. Fliers Down 3 MIGs In North”... “United States Navy fliers reported that they had shot down three MIG-17 jets in furious air action 20 miles north of Haiphong. Two United States planes were damaged in the aerial battle but made it back safely to USS Bon Homme Richard… The Navy pilots reported that at least eight MIG-17s took part in the clashed. They said no MIG-21s…were sighted. The American planes were attacking a fuel depot when the enemy jets moved in. One MIG was damaged. The Americans credited with the downing: COMMANDER MARLON H. ISAACKS, 37, VF-24, of Reddington and San Diego; LCDR RAY HUBBARD, 32, VF-21, San Diego; and LCDR ROBERT KIRKWOOD, 36, VF-24, Fall River, Mass. One flier aboard this carrier said the enemy jets were probably from the field at Phucyen–one of the three North Vietnamese air fields that have not yet been bombed using the frequently hit Field at Kep as a refueling point. The Kep field was within a few miles of the scene of the air battle. The three enemy MIG-17s were the first brought down in a month and a half and raised the total claimed by American pilots to 80.”…
Page 3: “In other air war operations Navy carrier pilots attacked the Myxa petroleum products depot storage area 27 miles northwest of Haiphong; the Doeson petroleum products storage area 13 miles north-northwest of Haiphong; and the Nam Dinh petroleum transshipment point 45 miles south-southeast of Hanoi. Carrier pilots also struck a surface-to-air missile site 17 miles south of Vinh and another missile site 15 miles northeast of Haiphong….Pilots reported touching off seven explosions a the site near Vinh leaving several sites burning. Three vans were reported destroyed in the site near Haiphong where they started several fires in a 15-car train. Air Force pilots bombed a Surface-to-air missile site 31 miles south-southwest of Hanoi touching off four explosions and starting fires that covered the area with black smoke…Thunderchief fighter-bomber pilots attacked Xombat army barracks 43 miles northeast of Hanoi. They reported destroying at least 15 boxcars.”…
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 21 July 1967… oohrah!
RIPPLE SALVO… #503… General Owens, I hope you still with me …
Sir, The thousands of Air Force and Navy pilots, and a few Marines, who alone carried the Vietnam war to the heartland of our enemy and fought a fierce fight for more than three years in Operation Rolling Thunder, are celebrating the 50th anniversary of “our war.” The May to October 1967 period took a heavy toll on the ROLLING THUNDER warriors who pounded the enemy where he lived–the Red River Valley. It was a historic struggle deserving of a permanent place in American military history. That is not happening. Witness the Spring and Summer 2017 Daedalus flyer. The Order of Daedalians is not alone in letting the opportunity, fleeting opportunity, to recognize a cadre of warriors second to none in courage and fighting spirit. And especially those brothers in arms who died in that “air war,” and have missed the decades of freedom and life that those of us who came home have enjoyed.
So far, the 50th anniversary mark has been bypassed and largely ignored by our government, our fathers in the Pentagon, and the brotherhood of military aviation organizations, including the Order of Daedalians. What is being done to ensure OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER is accorded a permanent place of honor in aviation museums of our nation? Who is going to get the Congress to pause and say something nice to a generation of warriors most Americans know nothing about? Americans think Rolling Thunder is the name of a motorcycle group that supports “POW/MIA” as a reason for being, but have no idea of who most of those POWs and MIAs were and are.
Who has the chutzpah to carry this message to the White House and Capitol Hill? Who strikes the commemorative medals? Who crusades for an OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (and OPERATION LINEBACKER) postage stamp?
General, the guys with 100 counters and more are getting old. We of ROLLING THUNDER are in the zone. Vulnerable. Senator John McCain, case in point. If the Order of Daedalians doesn’t take the lead on rectifying a gross oversight, who will?
Meanwhile, I will be here blogging and posting the history of the “air war” in North Vietnam. The nameless “air war” more properly remembered as OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER.
Very respectfully, Volabamus Volamas, Bear Taylor #7336 (Arthur P. Teulon)
RTR QUOTE for 21 July: GEORGE ELIOT: “The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.”
Lest we forget… Bear