RIPPLE SALVO… #902… “”THE BOMBING OF NORTH VIETNAM” WAS THE ISSUE OF THE MONTH. The political season had switched into high gear and every candidate was on the hook to disclose his or her position on the bombing. The Paris Peace talks were stalled with “the cessation of American bombing of North Vietnam” #1 stumbling block. The Gallup Poll was highlighting the bombing as a leading issue and produced a poll at the end of August 1968 that held more than 60% of Americans in favor of the bombing of North Vietnam. The Wise Men around the President were split and positions were hardening. There is a great picture of the President taken in this period of the President bowed behind his desk. His head rests on his right hand and arm as they lie on his desk. His left hand clutches his glasses. He appears as a tired, beaten leader of a nation at war. A war that is not going well. He has taken a hard stand and he is sticking to it. Secretary of Defense Clifford is quoted as being told by “an impatient” and “pugnacious” President that: “I’m God-damned if I’ll stop the bombing without something from the other side.” On 23 August 1968 the President’s Special Assistant Walt Rostow –responding to the President’s need for sound advice–posed five questions to General Creighton Abrams, Westmoreland’s relief at USMACV in Saigon. The answers came back the same day. The exchange was shared by the rest of the Wise Men, and provides a clear picture of what was foremost on the minds of the President and his men. The #2 Question: “What would be the military effect of a cessation of the bombing?”…and the Abrams response and the other questions below. Also: a Commander-in-Chief who takes a few minutes to dispel any doubt where his Administration stands on the bombing of North Vietnam as of 23 August 1968… but first…
Good Morning… Day NINE HUNDRED-TWO of a return to the years of Operation Rolling Thunder to refresh the memory of the incredible courage of the men who took the war into the enemy’s homeland at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times on Friday, 23 August 1968…
THE WAR: Page 1: “ENEMY ROCKETS FALL AND SNIPERS ATTACK AT DANANG AND HUE”… “In a new wave of enemy activity, North Vietnamese and Vietcong soldiers attacked cities and allied installations this morning in the northernmost region of South Vietnam. In Danang, the nation’s second larget city and the center of allied operations in the Northern Provinces, the enemy shelled two airfields with mortars and rockets and sniper fire was reported in the city and at the United States Marine supply depot….most of the attacks were brief and small… Page 6: “FOE ATTACKS VITAL ROAD”… “Calling in helicopter gunships and fighter-bombers and artillery barrages, United States troops today fought for the fifth straight day for control of a road 40 miles northwest of Saigon….citing the more than 1,400 enemy troops reported killed since Sunday, a senior United States officer and that this could be the start of a third offensive. The first two were in January and February and May and June. CASUALTIES… “United States headquarters announced today that American battle deaths last week totaled 159, the second lowest figure of the year. In addition 602 Americans were wounded and hospitalized and 575 wounded were treated in the field. Casualties are expected to rise with this week’s increased fighting…enemy dead was listed as 1,393 after last week’s report of 2,012…Total U.S. casualties since the war began reached 26,793 dead with 88,525 wounded and hospitalized. an additional 79,627 were wounded and treated in the field…Non-combat deaths stands at 4,355… B-52s FLEW 11 MISSIONS … Most were against suspected troop concentrations along the country’s borders.”…
Page 1: “PEKING CONDEMNS SHAMELESS ACT–IT DIVIDES SOVIET CONTENTION THAT SOVIET INVASION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA SAFEGUARDS THE FRUITS OF SOCIALISM”… Page 1: “Governor John Connally of Texas Scores Doves On Vietnam–Tells Platform Committee, McCarthy and McGovern, Advocate Appeasement”…Page 19: “U.S.-SOVIET ACCORD IS REACHED ON PLANS FOR OPENING TALKS ON CURBING MISSILES–Agreement Came Before Invasion–No Retaliatory Acts Planned Against Moscow As Result of Crisis, Rusk Says”… Page 19: “400 AMERICANS ARRIVE BY SPECIAL TRAIN IN VIENNA–Many Show Signs of Strain–45 Canadians and 39 Czechs Also Aboard”.. Page 21: “EISENHOWER RESTS–Condition Stable–Major Heart Rythm Trouble”…
23 AUGUST 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…New York Times (24 Aug reporting 23 Aug ops) Page 8: “American pilots flew 117 multi-plane missions over the southern areas of North Vietnam.”… VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) There were three fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 23 August 1968…
(1) 1LT J.J. THURN was flying an F-100C of the 136th TFS and 31st TFW out of Tuy Hoa on a close air support mission to attack Vietcong troops near the Cambodia border 30 miles southwest of Ban Me Thuot and was downed by automatic weapon fire while making his second napalm attack on the troops. He ejected safely and was rescued by Army helo…
(2) CAPTAIN LON DAVIS RICHARDS was flying an O-2A of the 20th TASS and 504th TASG out of Danang and controlling strike aircraft against a target 6 miles southwest of the base. He was flying at 2,000 feet when hit by ground fire. CAPTAIN RICHARDS went in with the aircraft without an communication and it is presumed he was disabled by the gunfire. CAPTAIN RICHARD gave his life for our country 50 years ago this day and is remembered with respect and admiration…
(3) 1LT FRANCIS LESLIE SETTERQUIST and 1LT CHARLES LEE BERGEVIN were flying an RF-4C of the 14th TRS and 432nd TRW out of Udorn on a night photo reconnaissance mission 50 miles northwest of Dong Hoi and did not return. The North Vietnamese reported downing an F-4 Phantom in that time frame…
“The Phantom departed Udorn Airfield at 2014 . At 2027 Captain Setterquist checked in with the airborne command and control aircraft, call sign Alleycat. He acknowledged clearance to initiate the photo run and they were granted it at 2030. Setterquist acknowledged Alleycat’s transmission, then rolled in to begin the low level photo pass. The section of Route 15 to be photographed ran in generally north/south direction. A single track railroad line that ran between the major cities of Vinh and Dong Hoi intersected Route 15 approximately 4 miles to the northeast of the target location. The village of Thanh Lang Xa was just to the south of the northern most road junction. 1Lt Setterquist and 1st Lt Bergevin were to check in with “Waterboy”, the ground control radar station for flight instructions following completion of their reconnaissance mission as well as Alleycat. At 21oo Alleycat queried Waterboy as to the status of Setterquist and Bergevin and was informed that they had not checked in. Alleycat immediately called two F-4C sorties to conduct an electronic search that evening without results… Subsequent electronic, visual and photo search and rescue operations were initiated at first light the next morning, but none found any trace of the missing aircraft or its crew. At the time the formal search was terminated 1LT Setterquist and 1LT Charles Bergevin were listed as missing in action. Both aviators are currently listed as presumed dead and killed in action. The rest this day, 50 years after they vanished in North Vietnam, where they fell, waiting to be found and returned to their homeland. They are remembered…
LEAVE A REMEMBRANCE…VIETNAM VETERAN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, Wall of Faces…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) ON THE FOUR 23 AUGUST DATES OF THE FOUR YEARS OF THE OPERATION OVER NORTH VIETNAM…
1965, 1966… NONE…
1967… A VERY BAD DAY FOR THE TRIPLE NICKLE 555TH TFS… MAJOR CHARLES ROBERT TYLER, USAF… (POW)… and… CAPTAIN RONALD NICHALIS SITTNER, USAF… (KIA)… and… MAJOR ROBERT RALSTON SAWHILL, USAF… (POW)… and… 1LT GERALD LEE GERNDT, USAF… (POW)… and… CAPTAIN LARRY EDWARD CARRIGAN, USAF… (POW)… and …1LT CHARLES LANE, USAF… (KIA) … and… MAJOR ELMO CLINNARD BAKER, USAF… (POW)… and… LCDR THOMAS WALKER SITEK, USN… (KIA)… and …ENSIGN PATRICK LAWRENCE NESS, USN… (KIA)…
23 August 1967 was one of the worst in Rolling Thunder history. The story is told on the RTR post one year ago… Read in the RTR archives. Call up Ripple Salvo #535 for 23 August 1967.
1968… 1LT FRANCIS LESLIE SETTERQUIST, USAF… (KIA)… and… 1LT CHARLES LEE BERGEVIN, USAF… (KIA)…
RIPPLE SALVO… #902… IN HIS RESPONSE TO ROSTOW’S FIVE QUESTIONS GENERAL ABRAMS PREFACED HIS ANSWERS WITH THIS NOTE: I quote…
“The questions you have posed come at a very important time. We are convinced that the enemy has determined to make, overt the next days and weeks, the maximum military effort of which he is capable at this time. Because the bombing over the North Vietnamese we panhandle is so linked to the military effort he can make in South Vietnam, I am happy that you have posed the questions and taht I can address them now.”… End quote…
The five questions and the response to #2…
(1) What is the effect of our current bombing operations in North Vietnam?
(2) What would be the military effect of a cessation of the bombing?
(3) Since March 31 what i th average number of trucks destroyed and trucks damaged per week? What is the average number of trucks sighted in the Panhandle per week and what is your estimate of the total number of trucks that flow through the Panhandle each week and the proportion of this total we are now getting?
(4) What is the estimate of military casualties we inflict on the enemy each week in the bombing of North Vietnam?…
(5) Is there any possibility of your providing for the President an approximate estimate of the additional casualties we would take if we stopped the bombing of North Vietnam.
THE ABRAMS response to #2… I quote… “…there are several important effects. First, military material (much of it POL and ammunition, as fires and secondary explosions testify) would be able to reach the DMZ or the borders of Laos unimpeded. We believe the current attrition from the truck destruction alone, not to mention truck park storage areas, is running several hundred tons per week on the average in the NVN Panhandle. Second, the truck flow could be expected to return to a level of 1,000 a day or even higher within as little as a week. If we take average truck loading at 3 1/2-tons we are talking about an increase, repeat increase, in southward movement which could amount to 1,500 tons per day or more. Next, the enemy would be able to mass artillery, air defense means, and ground units freely north of the DMZ for use against our forces. He could deploy his air force into areas north of 17-degrees from which to threaten or attack our forces and installations throughout much of South Vietnam. He would be able to reopen his railroad as far south as Vinh and subsequently to Dong Hoi. He would thereby free additional numbers of trucks to support his forces in the south. Finally, freed from interdiction north of 17 degree, the enemy could move reinforcements to the DMZ by truck or rail thus drastically shortening transit time.”… End quote…
The ABRAMS responses to the other questions and notes on the Historical Document that was initially classified “Top Secret, Eyes Only,” are at:
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d337
AT 1 p.m. ON 23 AUGUST THE PRESIDENT MET WITH HIS FOREIGN POLICY ADVISORS and key Executive Branch officials to brief them on world developments, to include Vietnam. The President closed the meeting after 3 p.m. with these comments… I quote…
“Because you are confronted with and because we are deeply concerned with the welfare of our men and our country and the lives of our men who are committed to our custody, I just though I’d share with you just one paragraph from a cable I have received from General Abrams… The President reads the Q and A for Question #5 which concludes: “If the bombing in North Vietnam now authorized were to be suspended, the enemy , in 10 days to two weeks, could develop a capability in the DMZ area in terms of scale, intensity and duration of combat on the order of five times what he now has. If he should develop this, it would, in my judgement, make our position in northern Quang Tri to include Dong Ho and the Cua Viet untenable. I cannot agree to place our forces at the risk which the enemy’s capability would then pose.” The President continued: “So that’s a sample of what the responsible career Commander in the field has to say about some of the plans that are proposed and the Commander-in-Chief has to constantly bear those recommendations in mind in making these judgments.”…
What the President just told a room full of his trusted advisors representing the spectrum of views, many, including his Secretary of Defense, of whom were calling for a cessation of the bombing: “Gentlemen, put that in your pipe and smoke it.”…
Lest we forget… Bear