RIPPLE SALVO… #265… SIX COMBAT CRUISEs and SIX HUNDRED DAYS AT YANKEE STATION…but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE of a 1000 days of remembering the sacrifice and service of the Rolling Thunder warriors, living and dead…
22 November 1966… HEAD LINES FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES on a mostly sunny Tuesday in the Big Apple…
Page 1: “Soviet Tells U.S. of Rising Concern On China Borders…Gromyko stressed Peking’s nuclear arsenal in talks with Johnson and Rusk…Russian units moved to borders…Moscow is said to monitor neighbor’s tests of atom warheads and missiles as tensions rise.”… Page 1: “U.S. Supports Italian Plans to Query Peking on U.N. application…shift seen in American stand against entry to U.N.”… Page 1: “New U.S. Arms Aid May go to Jordan in wake of raid by Israelis. Goal would be to bolster Hussein regime while U.N. is asked to condemn the Israeli attack.”… Page 1: “Romney Endorses G.O.P. Consensus as Principle, backs Rockefeller plan for ’68, and calls difference ‘apparent and real.’ Two Governors confer and hope rises for party agreement on goals as they offer olive branch to Reagan. No mention of Nixon.”…Page 4: “Westmoreland Opposes a Curb on Bombing as Naïve…General Westmoreland said today it was naïve to think that either a pause or a slowdown of the bombing of North Vietnam would gain the United States an advantage in the Vietnam conflict… In a copyrighted interview with U.S. News and World Report General Westmoreland drew a generally optimistic picture of the progress of the war, but cautioned anew that we must gear ourselves for the long war.”…
22 November 1966…The President’s Daily Brief… CIA (TS sanitized in 2015)…SOUTH VIETNAM: Chief of State Thieu sees a continuing role for the military in South Vietnam in spite of movement toward a civilian based government. Thieu told General Westmoreland yesterday he doubted that a strong political party could be formed and said that even if it were, it will be the army and not a political party that will carry the fight against the Viet Cong. Thieu said he would not be a candidate for office under the forthcoming constitution, but that other generals might run. Thieu denied rumors of strained relations between himself and Ky. He said Ky himself was aware that Thieu had been useful in restraining influence on Ky’s impetuosity…. JORDAN: King Husayn’s “brother” Arabs in Egypt and Syria are exploiting the unrest in Jordan to encourage his people to rise against him. the King’s security forces in fact have their hands full trying to control anti-regime demonstrators. (a few words redacted) it took two battalions of troops to put down a riot yesterday in a west Jordan town….SOVIET UNION: The Russians may be cranking up for another lunar mission within the next day or so. (a few words redacted) the position of their tracking ships point in that direction. So far in 1966 the Soviets have launched five lunar probes. (the rest redacted). Humble Host notes remarkable coincidence of a Romney involved in keeping all the Republicans together or apart… and the King of Jordan, then and now, dancing between the relentless threats to his kingdom’s existence… ahhh, the pleasures of studying history…
22 NOVEMBER 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… NYT (23 Nov reporting ops for Nov 22) Page 3: “Jets Attack Missile Site”…”American jet pilots took advantage of a break in the monsoon today and launched a series of attacks on surface-to-air missile sites in North Vietnam. Heavy damage was reported. Navy jets from the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga bombed a missile site 35 miles northwest of Vinh setting off several fires. Other Navy jets raided a missile support base near Haiphong destroying part of a depot described as housing guidance equipment and rockets.”
In a separate article: “United States pilots struck enemy targets, but bad weather again limited forays over North Vietnam. Thirteen B-52s from Guam hit a North Vietnamese staging area in the Central Highlands near the Cambodian border. the target site was 17 miles west of the United States directed Special forces camp aabout 240 miles north of Saigon.”…
“Vietnam: Air Losses’ (Hobson) Two fixed wing aircraft were lost in southeast Asia on 22 November 1966…
(1) 1LT GORDON SCOTT WILSON and 1LT JOSEPH CRECCA were flying an F-4C of the 480th TFS of the 366th TFW out of DaNang on a strike of the POL facilities at Hon Gia when hit in the fuselage by a SAM about 10 miles south of Thai Nguyen en route to the target. 1LT WILSON was killed after ejecting. 1LT CRECCA was captured and was a POW until released in February 1973. He resumed his Air Force career before flying Flying Tiger freighters. 1LT WILSON was Killed in Action fifty years ago this Thanksgiving week. He rests in peace somewhere, but information on the return of his remains is missing. Missing is missing. The search for our missing warriors must never end…
Humble Host pauses here to salute Joe Crecca whose performance as a POW was extraordinary… quote from Rochester and Kiley’s “Honor Bound,” page 371… “The senior (at the Plantation– one of the toughest of the POW camps) was fortunate to have a solid nucleus of resistors still around after the spring-summer purge — besides Stratton, there were Stafford, Hegdahl, Crecca, McCain, Craner, Webb, and Baker among others–who remained steadfast through all the tumult.”
Joe Crecca was in the first day of his six years of incredible deprivation and torture fifty years ago this day… Whatta’ guy… For pure reading pleasure and appreciation for the ability of men who love their God and country to survive anything, read “Honor Bound.” It is a great study of men under duress, as well as an endorsement for the stamina of the human spirit when buoyed by the right core values and “steadfast” friends…. buy it cheap at abebooks.com…
(2) CAPTAIN R.H. ARMSTRONG and an unidentified crewman were flying an A-1G of the 1st ACS and 14th ACW out of Pleiku was hit by ground fire while conducting strike operations. The pilot flew the damaged aircraft to DaNang where he crash landed without injury to either of the crew. There are no easy days…
RIPPLE SALVO… #265… NATIONAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER MONTH… Tonight: The six combat cruises of USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31), “BONNIE DICK.” Between 28 January 1964 and 12 November 1970 the brave, bold little 27C class carrier spent 900 days at Yankee Station conducting strike operations in support of Operation Rolling Thunder and other combat ops. Nine hundred days “on the line.” Her carrier air wings were CVW-19 for one cruise, CVW-21 for two intense cruises, and CVW-5 for the last three. Her squadrons would leave 68 aircraft behind and 27 deploying aviators did not come home. An additional eight pilots came home via the Hilton Hanoi. Three of those who did not come home remain Missing in Action, and the search goes on.
USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31) homeport: Alameda, California…
First Cruise: 28 Jan 1964– 21 Nov 1964 (10 Months)… CVW-19
Days on the line: 39
Combat Losses: 0
Operational Losses: 1 F-8E of VF-191 (pilot recovered)
Second Cruise: 21 April 1965– 13 January 1966 (9 Months)… CVW-19
Days on line: 136
Combat Losses: 14
1 Jun: RF-8A of VFP-63… LCDR F.P. CROSBY… (KIA)
30 Jun: F-8E of VF-194… LCDR R.E. WEEDON… (recovered)
29 Jul: F-8E of VF-191… LTJG E.D. BROWN… (KIA)…
14 Sep: A-1J of VA- 196… LCDR J.T. KEARNS… (KIA)…
14 SEP: A-4C of VA- 192… LTJG N.B. TAYLOR… (KIA)…
24 Sep: A-1H of VA-196… CDR J. GALLAGHER… (recovered)…
28 Sep: A-1H of VA-196… LCDR C.J. WOODS… (KIA)…
19 Oct: A-4C of VA-195… LTJG J.B. WORCESTER… (KIA)…
27 Oct: F-8E of VF-191… LT D.A. MOORE… (POW)…
17 Nov: F-8E of VF-194… CDR R.S. CHEWNING… (recovered)…
18 Nov: F-8E of VF-191… LTJG W.D. SHARP… (recovered)…
28 Nov: F-8E of VF-194… LT F.H. HARRINGTON (recovered)…
28 Nov: F-8E of VF-191… CDR H.E. Rutledge (POW)…
2 Dec: A-1H of VA-196… LCDR G.R. ROBERTS (KIA)…
Operational Losses: 3… 3 F-8Es (2 pilots killed, 1 rec)…
Third Cruise: 26 January 1967 — 25 August 1967 (7 Months)…CVW- 21…
Days on the line: 112
Combat Losses: 21
15 Mar: F-4C of VF-24… LTJG D. SMITH…(KIA)…
21 Mar: A-1H of VA-215… LT P.C. CHARNET… (MIA)…
24 Apr: F-8C of VF-24… LCDR E.B. TUCKER… (POW died in captivity)…
25 Apr: A-4C of VA-76… LT C.D. STACKHOUSE… (POW)…
25 Apr: A-4E of VA-212… LTJG A.R. CREBO… (recovered)…
18 May: A-4C of VA-76… CDR KEN CAMERON… (POW died in captivity)…
19 May: F-8E of VF-21… LCDR K. RUSSELL… (POW)…
19 May: F-8C of VF-24… LTJG W.J. METZGER… (POW)…
20 May: A-4E of VA-212… CDR HOMER SMITH… (POW died in captivity)…
21 May; F-8E of VF-211… LCDR R.G. HUBBARD… (recovered)…
25 May: A-1H of VA-215… ENS R.C. GRAVES… (KIA)…
31 May: A-4E of VA-212… LCDR ARVIN CHAUNCEY… (POW)…
31 May: A-4E of VA-212… LTJG M.T. DANIELS… (recovered)…
5 Jun: RF-8G of VFP-63… LCDR C.H. HAINES… (POW)…
6 Jun: F-8E of VF-211… LTJG T.R.HALL…(recovered) and 4 days later…
10 Jun: F-8E of VF-211… LTJG T. R. HALL… (POW) …
11 Jun: F-8C of VF-24… LTJG J.R. MILLER… (recovered)…
12 Jul: A-4E of VA-212… LCDR J.H. KIRKPATRICK… (recovered)…
14 Jul: A-4C of VA-76… CDR BY FULLER… POW…
14 Jul: A-4C of VA-76… LT J.W. Donis… (recovered)…
20 Jul: A-4E of VA-212… CDR F.H. WHITTEMORE… (recovered)…
Operational Losses: 2…1 UH-2B with four crew killed and 1 F-8C with pilot killed…
Combat Victories… (9)… as follows…
1 May… LCDR TED SWARTZ of VA-76 shot down a MIG-17…
1 May… LCDR MARSHALL WRIGHT of VF-211 shot down a MIG-17…
19 May… CDR PAUL SPEER of VF-211 shot down a MIG-17…
19 May… LCDR BOBBY LEE of VF-24 shot down a MIG-17…
19 May… LT PHIL WOODS of VF-24 shot down a MIG-17…
19 May… LTJG JOSEPH SHEA of VF-211 shot down a MIG-17…
21 Jul… LCDR Robert Kirkwood of VF-24 shot down a MIG-17…
21 Jul… LCDR MARION ISAACKS of VF-24 shot down a MIG-17…
21 Jul… LCDR RAY G. HUBBARD of VF-211 shot down a MIG-17
Fourth Combat Cruise… 27 January 1968 — 10 October 1968 (8 months)… CVW-5…
Days on the line: 135
Combat Losses: 7
14 May: A-4F of VA-93… LTJG B.E. KARGER… (KIA)…
21 May: A-4F of VA-93… LTJG J.A. DOUGLAS…(recovered)…
22 May: RF-8G of VFP-63… LTJG E.F. MILLER…(POW)…
22 May: A-4F of VA-212… LCDR R.S. THOMAS… (recovered)…
30 May: A-4F of VA-93… J.F. KILLIAN… (recovered)…
26 Jul: A-4F of VA-93… LCDR F.E. FULLERTON… (MIA)…
30 Aug: A-4F of VA-93… LCDR HARVEY EIKEL… (recovered)…
Operational Losses: 6 (3 F-8s and 3 A-4Fs all six pilots recovered)…
Combat Victories: 3
26 Jun… CDR LOWELL MEYERS of VF-51 shot down a MIG-21…
29 Jul… CDR GUY KANE of VF-53 shot down a MIG-17… and…
1 Aug… LT NORM McCoy if VF-51 shot down a MIG-21…
Fifth Combat Cruise: 18 March 1969 — 29 October 1969 (7 1/2 Months)…CVW-5…
Days on the Line: 97
Combat Losses: 1
22 Jun: A4-E of VA-144… LTJG L.C. SAGE … (KIA)
Operational Losses: 11 ( 7 F-8s, 3 A-4s and 1 UH-2C. One aviator killed).
Combat Victories: 0
Sixth Combat Cruise: 2 April 1970 to 12 November 1970 (7 1/2 Months)… CVW-5…
Days on the Line: 101
No Combat Losses or Victories and two operational losses with one pilot killed.
TOMMOROW: THE SEVEN COMBAT CRUISES OF USS CONSTELLATION and another day to celebrate the contributions our nation’s Aircraft Carriers and Carrier Air Wings make to the national defense… CARRIERS FOREVER, not just on NATIONAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER MONTH… The incredible performance of our attack carriers in Operation Rolling Thunder will remain forever a proud decade in our Navy’s history…
Lest we forget… Bear