RIPPLE SALVO…#297… THE PONTIFF “LOOKS TO A MIRACLE OF GOODWILL”… but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED NINETY-SEVEN of a return to the yester-years when American Thunder Rolled over North Vietnam…
23 DECEMBER 1966…STATESIDE HEAD LINES from the New York Times on a cloudy, cold Friday in New York City…
Page 1: “Hint of a Commando Raid in North Vietnam Seen in Air Clash”… “Independent analysts of the war suggested tonight that the two enemy planes shot down Tuesday night (by Kitty Hawk F-4s) might have been dropping flares in an attempt to thwart an allied commando landing on the coast of North Vietnam. It was not clear whether the planes crashed in North Vietnam or into the sea. Speculation identifies the enemy planes as Antonov-14s (DC-3s).”… Page 1: “U.S. and Soviet Providing Emergency Grain to India”… the U.S is sending 900,000 tons and the Soviets 200,000 tons to meet India’s emergency needs while a longer range plan is worked out to meet food shortages in that populous country. …Page 1: “9 Firemen Saved in 6th Avenue Blaze”… “Firemen trapped when ceiling falls in midtown. Rescuers dug tunnels through debris to reach the nine.”… Page 1: “Dip in Food Prices Holds Cost Rise to Six-Month Low”…”Medical charges remain highest category with spectacular increases in costs for doctor’s fees and hospital charges.”… Page 1: “Fifth of City’s Pupils Found to be Behind in Reading”… “Test results from Board of Education show students in schools predominantly white neighborhoods in suburbs are reading four to five years ahead of children from black and Puerto Rican neighborhoods.”… “Page 1: “U.S. Sending Additional Arms to Bolster Jordan”…”This additional equipment is being provided as a means of enabling Jordan to assure its security, and thus contribute further to the stability of the area.”…
Page 6: “Negro Youths To March On Police–With Gifts”… “About 150 Negro teenagers are busily preparing placards for a march on the District 4 police station the day before Christmas–for a Christmas party, with gifts for the 83 policemen. The march was conceived by Roger Tilford, a 38-year old Negro teacher at Ach Junior High School to present the other side of Christmas…to put the kids on the giving end instead of the receiving end. ‘We want to show the police we appreciate them.’ One placard: ‘Merry Christmas to the Number One police department in the nation.’ Another: ‘Santa Claus is dependable one day a year–Christmas–Our District Four is dependable 365 days per year.’ “… Page 10: “Thai Base Aids U.S. Attack on Ho Chi Minh Trail”… “Explosions occasionally rattle the windows of their bustling town across the muddy Mekong River from Laos. United States and Thai military aircraft drone high overhead. The explosions and the aircraft underscore the irrelevance of Southeast Asia borders.”…
Page 11: “5-Year Death Toll In Vietnam War: 6,407″… “First casualty was incurred 22 December 1961– Specialist 4 James T. Davis of Livingston, Tennessee…total casualties for week ending 17 December: 88 KIA, 453 WIA and five-year total of wounded in action is at 33,350″… GOLD STARS=6,407 and SILVER STARS=33,305 at the five year point… 52,000 KIA to go…
23 DECEMBER 1966…OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… NYT (24 December reporting 23 Dec ops)… Page 2: “USS O’Brien was hit by a shore battery while patrolling about 4 1/2 miles off the coast of North Vietnam abeam Dong Hoi. The hits were minor and the casualties were few but aircraft from the USS Kitty Hawk were scrambled to provide assistance. O’Brien returned fire expending 130 5-inch rounds on the enemy batteries position and the Kitty Hawk A-4 Skyhawks deliver bombs. The site was silenced. USS Maddox also responded but arrived after the shooting.”… No other air ops over North Vietnam reported by NYT… “Vietnam: Air Losses”(Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 23 December 1966… oohrah…
RIPPLE SALVO… #297… NYT Page 1: “Pope Voices Hope Truce Will Lead to Vietnam Peace”… The Pontiff’s Christmas message looks to a “Miracle of Goodwill” as the key to new efforts in his appeal to both sides. Pontiff says winning a true accord demands order between God and man…
Pope Paul VI: “Goodwill holds the key to Peace. The difficulty is that the responsible authorities of the two sides must make use of their key at the same time. That they should do so with sincere and concrete actions should be the wondrous event of this Christmas. We would like to think that this miracle of goodwill is still possible; so respectfully and reverently we appeal to both contending parties and to all who lend support to either side.”
Alas, there was no goodwill, and there was no peace… Hundreds of thousands more humans would perish in the unwinnable Vietnam War…
Lest we forget… Bear -30-