RIPPLE SALVO… #236… A DOZEN YEARS OF CASHING OUT… but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX of reliving a little of the past–OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…
24 October 1966… FRONT PAGE NEWS ON THE HOME FRONT…New York Times on cloudy Monday with a possibility of some rain…
Page 1: “7 Vietnam Allies Open Conference In Manila On War”…”The leaders of seven nations fighting as allies in South Vietnam opened a conference here today on the course of the war and chances for peace. Both China and North Vietnam denounced the conference as designed to intensify the Vietnam War. Calls for peace in Asia, not only through an end of fighting, but also through economic development dominated the ceremonial opening of the two day meeting at which President Ferdinand E. Marcos of the Philippines, the host, was designated chairman. Mr. Marcos welcomed the seven chiefs of state and heads of government, South Vietnam being represented By Premier Nguyen Cao Ky and President Nguyen Van Thieu–and lavished special praise on President Johnson for demonstrating the sincerity of his commitment to Asia by attending. Mr. Marcos appealed to the conferees to consider not only the situation in Vietnam but also the basic economical and societal causes of war throughout Asia. And he asked them to work out a common stand for the day when negotiations will be possible with the Communists in Vietnam. Nonetheless, the indications were that the meeting would deal with the course of the war and the chances of peace only in general terms.”… Page 1: “Manila Turns Out For President”…”President Johnson received a tumultuous and warm welcome today from the residents of Manila, a city in which Americans are said to feel more at home than anywhere else in Asia. The affinity for Americans remains strong here despite a vast cultural gulf and resentments that stem from more than 50 years of United States colonial rule. The 7,000 islands of the Philippines became American possessions after the Spanish-American war. They became independent in 1946. In his arrival message President Johnson said: ‘I return to the Philippines as any American must with a heart and mind filled with warm memories and great hope.’…”
Page 1: “Kennedy Deplores Racism Of A ‘Few’ Negro Leaders”…”Senator Robert F. Kennedy declared today that the efforts of some Negro leaders to fight prejudice with hatred and violence were ‘far more disturbing’ than the racial rioting in Watts and nearby Oakland. In a major civil rights address on the University of California camps here (Berkeley), he said that if one understood the reason that had driven ‘a vey few Negro spokesmen’ to invoke racism to meet racism that it did not mean to condone the result. “No man has the right to wantonly menace the safety and well being of his neighbors…all citizens have the right to security in the streets of their community–in Birmingham or in Los Angeles.’ More than 20,000 students packing the Greek Theater on the hillside campus gave the Senator a warm and almost totally uncritical reception. He was booed only once–when he said he would support President Johnson and Vice President Humphrey in 1968.” … Pag3e 1: “Early Bid In Next Congress For Pension Rise”…”The 90th Congress, regardless of how its make-up is shaped by the elections of November 8, is likely to raise Social Security benefits in one of the first actions in the new year…as the 1966 session neared its close, the President disclosed that he would ask the new congress, which convenes next January 10 for a 10-per cent increase in benefits for the 22 million persons on the old age, survivors and disability insurance rolls and for other liberalizing changes in the Social Security laws.”…
Page 1: “Nixon forecasts G.O.P. Comeback”…”Former Vice President Richard M. Nixon predicted yesterday that the Republicans would make ‘the greatest comeback of any political party in this century’ in next months election. This turnabout, he said, will enable the Republicans to compete on even terms with the Democrats in the Presidential election of 1968. He was interviewed on the NBC TV program ‘Meet the Press.’ Mr. Nixon, who has been campaigning for Republican Congressional candidates for the last seven weeks, said the party could gain 40 seats in the House and three in the Senate. The Democrats now have majorities of 293 to 140 (House) and 67 to 33 (Senate) in the two chambers.”…
24 OCTOBER 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (25 Oct reporting 24 Oct ops) Page 12: “In North Vietnam, where monsoon rains are reported, pilots only flew 51 missions of two to five aircraft each. Air activity above the 17th parallel was at its lowest since the 37 day bombing pause called during President Johnson’s peace offensive last year (December 1965). Navy pilots said they destroyed or damaged at least 28 ot 43 junks and sampans while Air Force pilots reported smashing two bridges east of Dienbienphu.”…
“Vietnam: Air Losses”(Hobson) There were no fixrd wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 24 October 1966…ooohrah…
RIPPLE SALVO… #236… MY CRYSTAL BALL… Twelve years ago ( October 2004) one of the young sailors who helped me keep USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) off the rocks back in 1980 sent me a couple dozen questions about the Vietnam War and national defense that he wanted answered for a Masters course at Vanderbilt University. One of those questions: “Admiral, is it possible that the United States is in a position of readiness to possibly fight wars simultaneously in Iraq, Iran, North Korea, as well as defending ourselves at home?”… My answer: I quote…
“During the Clinton years we reduced our military forces by more than 40% across the boar. we went from a 900,000 man Army to about a 480,000 man Army, for example. But we maintained or even increased the tasking on these forces and all others, including the Reserve and Guard. The Republicans joined the Democrats in this hocus-pocus. the current ‘transformation’ of our fi9ghting capability is based on the substitution of technology for ‘boots on the ground.’ This is an historic way to sell ‘we can do more with less.’ It is a failed strategy that is showing itself to be as faulty now as it has been in the past. Our enemies are adjusting to our superior weapons and technology by adapting to the new asymmetric battlefield. Guerrilla warfare is the classic way an underdog meets the challenge of overwhelming power. As a consequence, we are having an extremely difficult time meeting the demands in Iraq. And as you note, the threats to our security are more broad and increasing all the time. No, we cannot meet the combined threats from Islamic fundamentalism, or as I call it, World War IV (the Cold War with the Soviet Union was World War III, which we won with a strategy of containment)…or, as Sun Tzu said…”The acme of skill is to win without fighting.” We are kidding ourselves if we think we can add fights on the Korean peninsula, Iran, and the Chinese mainland to our current requirements. Our nation is spending less than 4% of Domestic National Product, a commitment that compares with our expenditures for defense in the late 1930s. The mismatch between our force levels and warfighting capability and our national strategy of fighting enemies all over the world in order to make the world safe for democracy, as Wilson, would say, leaves us stretched and incapable of meeting the security requirements of the next few years. Concurrent with this bleak picture is an economy that is stretched even farther. We are piling up debt on every front, losing our ability to make thing, and padding the war chests of our ultimate foe–the PRC. All while we delay the modernization of our military. All this will start to come home when the rogues of the world, who are losing respect for our ability to check their respective adventures, go active and decide to grab what they want. We are in the process of losing our ability to deter war and the consequences of that is the requirement to fight wars.”
This past week another old Kalamazoo shipmate, my First Lieutenant Mike Borno, who helped me conduct more than 200 at sea replenishment evolutions without incident, prompted me to dig out the crystal ball again. Here is my response to Mike…
“Mike…Thanks for passing.
“God’s Will, will be done. I think our Heavenly Father is very disappointed in America and we are going to continue to pay for the corruption and secularism that has replaced the Judeo-Christian principles and values that were understood and made a part of our Constitution 240+ years ago. The very fact that a majority of our citizens accept H. Clinton as our next leader, after endorsing and blindly, and so willingly, following an anti-Christ President for eight years, as our next leader, is all one needs to know to understand why our nation (“under God”) is going to be put through living hell for the next ten years. Christians have their work cut out them–our faith, as always, is being sorely tested. God’s Will be done.”
BUCKLE UP! As always, your Humble Host is open for your constructive criticism and comment…
Lest we forget… Bear ……… –30– ………