FOREMOST: A SALUTE TO MAJOR CLIFTON E. CUSHMAN, USAF (1938- 25 September 1966) and his gift, a letter:
A CHALLENGE TO YOUTH… (See Below)
RIPPLE SALVO… #934… ON THIS DAY–25 SEPTEMBER 2018–PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL GIVE HIS SECOND SPEECH AT THE UNITED NATIONS. He will face a crowd of critics as he expands on an “America First” policy and defends American sovereignty as the paramount consideration in the conduct of our business in the world. The U.N. would like to believe all the nations of the world are willing to yield portions of their individual sovereignty for the benefit of the world en total and all of mankind. President Trump won’t be telling the members of the United Nation what they want to hear. World government is not on the President’s wish list. Fifty years ago the U.N. mustered in New York for the 23rd Annual Session with the United States taking heat from every side for including the bombardment of North Vietnam–Operation Rolling Thunder– in its support for South Vietnam in their war with the North. On 24 September 1968 the New York Times castigates U.N. Secretary General U Thant for his scolding of the United States without taking equal shots at North Vietnam and the Soviets, who invaded Czechoslovakia… See RS below… But first…
Good Morning… Day NINE HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR of a daily snapshot of this day 50 years ago in the skies over North Vietnam with a little of the history of the day to keep the air war in perspective…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times for Wednesday, 25 September 1968…
THE WAR: Page 2: “B-52s POUND TAYNINH AREA IN 5 HEAVY RAIDS–Saigon Is Taking Precautions Amid Rumors Of Attack–Curfew Checks Are Prompt And Roadblocks Go Up”… “American B-52 jets flew five heavy bombing missions yesterday in Tayninh Province northwest of Saigon, amid growing rumors that the capital would come under attack again. ‘We don’t expect any large-scale ground assault on Saigon because there is still no one moving out there,’ a high-ranking officer said. ‘However, there are low-level reports of new rocket or terrorist attacks. In the last few days, the South Vietnamese national police have stepped up their security precautions, and roadblocks have been set up on the avenues leading in to the city…The heavy bombing of nearby provinces in the recent months has often reflected a belief by the military command that the enemy was trying to move on the capital. The high ranking spokesman asserted that he did not think that the bombing meant much so far as Saigon was concerned, but showed that there were ‘good targets’ in Tayninh… In Quangtri Province, to the north, United States marines found a five ton cache of enemy supplies and weapons…In Quangnam Province, a marine reconnaissance team observed 15 ot the enemy moving in open 10 miles east of the city of Anhoa and killed all of them…Four miles east of Tamky, in Quangtin Province, troops of the Americal Division engaged an enemy force in a five hour fight that left an American dead and 33 wounded. The spokesman said that 92 enemy soldiers had been killed… ALLIES SHELL CAMBODIAN AREA… South Vietnamese forces hate fired 105-mm howitzers into Cambodia in an effort to silence Vietcong guns shooting across the border… the Cambodian government was expected to complain about the attack but the South Vietnam Government claims the right to fire on gunners shooting at them from inside Cambodia.”
HEAD LINES: Page 1: “U.S. AND SOVIET EXCHANGE CHARGES OVER PROPAGANDA”… “The United States and the Soviet Union have exchanged protests over propaganda activities. The State Department announced today that the United States had complained about continued Soviet jamming of Voice of America broadcasts a month after the invasion of Czechoslovakia. A note handed to the Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin, called the jamming ‘a reversion to the ugly practices of an early era.'”… Page 1: “U.S. REJECTS GOLD PRICE FLOOR–Treasury Secretary Fowler Says Official Rate Will Not Rise Above $35″… Page 1: “CHASE BANK CUTS PRIME RATE TO 6%”… Page 1: “AIR FORCE TEMPORARILY HALTS ALL FLIGHTS ON F-111–Swing Wing Plane Restricted For The Second Time In Year”… Page 1: “REP MELVIN LAIRD REPORTS TROOP CUT PLAN–Campaigning With Nixon, He Foresees 90,000 Reduction–Officials Voice Doubt”… Page 1: “Humphrey Asserts He Gains Ground After A Slow Start”… Page 1: “VISIT TO MOSCOW BY DUBCEK IS OFF–Czech President Will Meet To Consider Next Move In Snagged Relations”… Page 4: “SOVIET UNION BUILDING CAMPS NEAR WEST GERMANY–Massive Military Presence On Bohemian Border Is Felt But Not Seen”… Page 5: “SOVIET NAVY SHIFT TO DEFENSIVE SEEN–Jane’s Fighting Ships Finds Indications of New Role”… Page 5: “14 ARRESTED AFTER BURNING DRAFT RECORDS IN MILWAUKEE”…
25 SEPTEMBER 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times/AP: No coverage of air operations north of the DMZ… VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 25 September 1968…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) FOR THE FOUR 25 SEPTEMBER DATES FOR THE FOUR YEARTS OF THE OPERATIONS OVER NORTH VIETNAM…
1965, 1967 AND 1968… NONE…
1966…MAJOR CLIFTON EMMET CUSHMAN, USAF… (KIA)… The report on the loss of Cliff Cushman is archived on my RTR for 25 September 1966 and Ripple Salvo #208. Included are the shared thoughts of Ed Haerter.
There are many “Remembrances” for Cliff Cushman at VVMF, Wall of Faces…Among them is this one from Stewart Orvik, which was posted 7/5/17: “I would often see Cliff at the track meets we both competed in in North Dakota. (Humble Host: Cliff won the silver medal in the 400 meter hurdles in the 1960 Olympics in Rome) What a guy, just the most outgoing, helpful, nicest person you’s ever meet. With a great big smile, he would actually give tips to his opponents on how to hurdle. I tell you there was something magnetic about the guy and, had he lived he would have become nationally known as a politician, for which he was ideally suited. Combine JFK and Bill Clinton, you have what I think he would have become. I could go on, but it’s enough to say no one who ever met Cliff ever forgot meeting him.”…
Two years before his death on 17 September 1964 Cliff Cushman– Olympic Athlete; Fighter Pilot, USAF– wrote this letter to the youth of Grand Forks. It has been reprinted in many forums. I add it to the RTR archives with humble appreciation to a warrior who did not come home and remains where only God knows…
A CHALLENGE TO YOUTH
Don’t feel sorry for me. I feel sorry for some of you.
You may have seen the U.S. Olympic Trials on television. If so, you watched me hit the fifth hurdle, fall and lie on the track in an inglorious heap of skinned elbows, bruised hips, torn knees and injured pride, unsuccessful in my attempt to make the Olympics team for the second time.
In a spit second, all the many years of training , pain sweat, blisters and agony of running simply and irrevocably wiped out. But I tried! I would much rather fall knowing I had put forth an honest effort that never to have tried at all.
This is not to say that everyone is capable of making the Olympic team. However, each of us is capable of making our own personal “Olympic Team’ whether it be the high school football team, the glee club, the honor roll, or whatever your goal may be. Unless your reach exceeds your grasp, how can you be sure what you can attain?
Over 15 years ago, I saw a star–first place in the Olympic games. I literally started to run for it.
In 1960, I came within three yards of it; this year, I fell and watched it recede four more years away. Certainly, I was very disappointed. However, there is nothing I can do about it now but get up, pick the cinders from my wounds, and take one more step followed by one more and one more, until the steps turn into miles, and the miles turn into success.
I know I may never make it. The odds are against me, but I have something in my favor–desire and faith. Romans 5:35 has always had an inspirational meaning to me in this regard: ‘…we rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.’
At least I am gong to try.
How about you? Would a little extra effort on your part bring up your scholastic average or enable you to make the athletic team?
Let me tell you something about yourselves. You are taller and heavier than any past generation in the country. You are spending more money, enjoying more freedom, and driving more cars than ever before, yet many of you are unhappy.
Some of you have never known the satisfaction of doing your best in sports, the joy of excelling in class, the wonderful feeling of completing a job, and looking back on it knowing that you have done your best.
I dare you to cut your hair neatly, to clean up your language, to honor your mother and father, and to go to church without being compelled by your parents.
I dare you to look up at the stars and set your sights on one of them that, up to now, you thought was unattainable. There is plenty of room at the top, but no room for anyone to sit down.
Who knows? You may be surprised at what you can achieve with sincere effort. So get up, pick the cinders from your wounds, and take one more step.
I dare you.
LEAVE A REMEMBRANCE…”VVMF, Wall of Faces”…enter the name of a fallen warrior of the Vietnam War and leave a remembrance… You’ll be glad you did…
RIPPLE SALVO… #934… New York Times, 24 September 1968, Page 46, OpEd:
“THE CONSCIENCE OF MANKIND”… I quote…
“The General Assembly of the United Nations, once widely hailed as ‘the world’s last best hope for peace,’ opens its twenty-third annual session today in an atmosphere of diminishing hope for the world organization and for the cause of international peace and justice it was designed to promote.
“The ‘black and gloomy’ world outlook was noted last week by Secretary General Thant in a speech in which he criticized the conduct of the great powers and called on the smaller nations, which predominate in the General Assembly, to become a ‘vigorous and articulate their force which could serve as the voice of the conscience of mankind.
“A resolution requesting the cessation of the bombing in North Vietnam as ‘the essential first step’ toward peace in Southeast Asia–a move suggested by Mr. Thant yesterday–could be one appropriate expression of the ‘third force’ concern. But the resolution would be strengthened if the text proposed by Mr. Thant were modified to call ‘on both sides to move toward substantive negotiations and to reduce hostilities in South Vietnam as soon as the bombing of the North is stopped.
“On the other major threat to world peace mentioned by Mr. Thant in his speech last week, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Secretary General was strangely passive yesterday. He declined to suggest a resolution on Czechoslovakia, saying, ‘If the Russians were bombing and napalming the villages of Czechoslovakia, you wait and see what I would have to say.’
“If the General Assembly is to serve truly as ‘the conscience of mankind’ it can follow no such sophistic standard. The world organization cannot in conscience wait for further indignities against Czechoslovakia before it moves to condemn and correct the Soviets’ brutal breach of the Charter of the United Nations and of the General Assembly’s own resolution of 1963–sponsored by the Soviet Union–declaring ‘The Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and Protection of Their Independence and Sovereignty.’
“‘The essential first step’ toward the restoration of Czechoslovakia sovereignty is the withdrawal of Soviet troops. The General Assembly has a moral obligation to say so in unmistakable terms.
“Neither the United Nations nor its Secretary General can speak for the conscience of mankind unless all violations of human and national rights are condemned with equal vigor.”…
(Webmaster note: Proof positive the UN was as worthless sixty years ago as it is now. Bloated, corrupt bureaucracy and arrogant elitism at its worst)
RTR Quote for 25 September: MAJOR CLIFF CUSHMAN: “I dare you!”…
Lest we forget… Bear