RIPPLE SALVO… #724… CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF GENERAL WHEELER VIETNAM TRIP REPORT: “WESTMORELAND NEEDS MORE TROOPS.”… NYT: “The time has come for Americans and their leaders to recognize that the (Vietnam) policy itself is illogical; that it entraps the United States in a war without visible limits, despite all official optimism; that it will continue to make insatiable demands on American manpower, resources and energy far beyond the worth of any conceivable gains. The only sound policy is to move from the battlefield to the negotiating table with fullest speed.”… but first…

Good Morning: Day SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR of a 1,000 day remembrance of an air war fought fifty years ago called Rolling Thunder…

27 FEBRUARY 1968… HEAD LINES from The New York Station on a pleasant Tuesday in the big city…

Page 1: “MANSFIELD URGES PEACE EMPHASIS–WANTS TRIAL HALT IN BOMBING IN PREFERENCE TO HEEDING CALL FOR MORE TROOPS”… “Senator Mike Mansfield urged the Administration today to give preference to ‘escalating our peace efforts’ over expected military requests for more American troops in Vietnam. In a speech to the Senate, the majority leader called for a trial suspension of American air attacks against North Vietnam ‘as a step toward peace.’ this is preferable’, he concluded, to heeding ‘the insatiable calls for more men as the war spreads and intensifies. The Montana Democrat said any limitation of the air campaign ‘would not and should not weaken the air support for American forces south of the demilitarized zone between the North and South Vietnam, especially the marine positions at Khesanh.’ “

GROUND WAR (“War is a killing business”) Page 1: “MARINE PATROL MAULED 800 YARDS OUTSIDE KHESANH–NORTH VIETNAMESE AMBUSH U.S. PLATOON AND BLOCK RESCUE UNITS EFFORTS–Foe Digs Toward Base–3 Enemy Armored Vehicles Attacked By GIs Only 45 Miles From Saigon”… “North Vietnamese troops mauled a United States Marine patrol and blocked a rescue platoon 800 yards outside the combat base at Khesanh yesterday. American officers said that the enemy forces were moving closer by the day to positions for an all-out offensive in the northwest of South Vietnam. The ambush of the Marine patrol came before dawn. Because of new restrictions imposed by the United States command, the number of casualties suffered was not divulged but a survivor said, ‘A whole bunch were killed in the beginning.’ The patrol was a platoon, usually 45 men in the Marine Corps. Enemy fire held back the relief platoon, which also suffered some casualties. At daybreak the mist and fog lifted slightly for the first time in a week and United States jets swept over the area, dropping bombs and napalm on the attacking troops.”… “A United States Special Forces patrol ambushed an enemy battalion spearheaded by three armored vehicles about 45 miles northwest of Saigon. It was said to be the farthest south that enemy armor had been seen. One vehicle was destroyed and 30 of the enemy killed”… “In Saigon enemy gunners shelled Tansonnhut air base before dawn today and bombarded three other areas in the city and suburbs. A number of civilians were reported wounded and 120 houses destroyed.”… “At Khesanh, United states strategists believe that two divisions or more of enemy troops are in position to attack the 5000 Marines holding the barren, sand-bagged base….North Vietnamese troops, working in monsoon mist and fog were digging fortified, zigzag trenches and tunnels outside the perimeter of the base. Air spotters detected one trench 100 yards from Khesanh’s barbed wire.”… Page 5: “Cold And Dampness Wire Foes Of Marines At Hue”... “The war in Vietnam usually evokes  pictures of combat in steaming heat. The United States Marines who fought the battle of Hue, however, shivered for three weeks in wet penetrating cold. The main military significance of the foul weather was that it limited air strikes and the vital helicopter flights that bring in ammunition and carry our severely wounded men. To the Marines who played a major role in driving North Vietnamese troops out of Hue, though, the weather primarily means misery.”… Page 1: “South Vietnamese Remove Second Key General”... “South Vietnamese military sources said today that Lieutenant General Vinh Loc, commander of the II Corps area, had been removed from his post. He is the second of the four powerful Corps Commanders in the country to removed in the last few days.”… Page 2: “U.S. Tightens Curbs On Battle Reports That Could Aid Foe”…”… to tighten its policy on withholding military information that might be of intelligence value to the enemy. To be withheld: casualty figures, reports of damage to installations and equipment, and the number of rounds of artillery fire directed at specific targets around Khesanh.”…

Page 3: “VIETCONG INDICATES GIAP HEDS OFFENSIVE IN SOUTH IN BROADCASTS THEY PRAISE HANOI GENERAL AND PREDICT A TRIUMPH AT KHESANH”… “The Vietcong radio indicated that General Vo Nguyen Giap, North Vietnam’s Defense Minister, is commanding the offensive in South Vietnam from Hanoi. American officials said today that the National Liberation front, the political branch of the Vietcong, has never concluded that General Giap was leading the drive and that the Front’s military control now appeared totally under the North Vietnamese. the broadcast was made February 18. transcripts of the commentary were distributed by the United States embassy.”…

Page 3. “Kadar Assails U.S. Imperialism At 66th Red Parties Parley”...”Janos Kadar, the Hungarian party leader, opened the consultative meeting of Communist parties today with a keynote speech denouncing ‘American imperialism’ and leaving China unmentioned. Communist sources regarded the speech as setting the tone for the Soviet Union, proponent of the meeting to prepare a world conference of communist parties, wants to give to the discussions, which lasted well into the night.”… Page 9: “FULBRIGHT CALLED WRONG ON TONKIN–Admits Error On One Point But Calls Data Inadequate”… “The Department of State disputed today two lines of criticism by Senator J.W. Fulbright in his continuing battle with the Administration over the Gulf of Tonkin. One point at issue was: Did the Administration inform Congress that the two United States destroyers in the incident engage in intelligence-gathering operations when they were attacked on August 2, 1964? The other was: Did the Administration consult leading Senators about the text of the controversial Tonkin Gulf resolution, which President Johnson has used ever since as congressional authorization for escalating the Vietnam war?”... Page 4: “Students At Two-Year Colleges Get Deferments–250 Students Protest In Boston”...”The Selective Service Director General Lewis B. Hershey told local draft boards today that they could grant deferments to students at two-year colleges and vocational schools.”… “Some 250 anti-draft demonstrators, chanting ‘peace now,’ marched through downtown Boston today to protest planned induction of a college teacher and a divinity student.”… Page 9: “1,600 Executives Form Group For A National Antiwar Drive”… “A nationwide organization of prominent businessmen is about to step up his pressure on the Administration for a shift to a policy of de-escalation and his engagement in Vietnam. The group’s basic argument it that the prevailing policies have proved fruitless after four years and their failure is now undermining the nation’s economy.”…

27 FEBRUARY 1968… PRESIDENTS DAILY BRIEF… SOUTH VIETNAM: With government forces pulled in t defend cities, the Communists are making the most of the opportunity for a “recruiting” drive in rural areas. While the threat to the cities remains and elements of three enemy divisions are within striking distance of Saigon, there were no major initiatives overnight. Tansonnhut received seven rounds of rocket fire and allied oppositions elsewhere were fired on. In general, however, military action was light….The Communists have nearly completed a road from the A Shau Valley that will link the Laotian corridor to the Hue area…. LAOS: Combat in the panhandle slackened yesterday with government forces still holding Attopeu and Saravane. early this morning, however, the government unit at Attopeu reported it was again under attack.… NORTH VIETNAM: Much of what is coming out of North Vietnam is designed to convince that Hanoi is ready to fight on indefinitely… the country’s population has been organized into small, self-sufficient groups to cope with a US invasion, if necessary, individuals of combat age in the North were armed and would operate as guerrillas. Older men, women, and even children would provide back-up support. The purpose of breaking down the country into small self-contained units is to enable each small unit to operate entirely on its own without central control….

STATE DEPARTMENT, Office of the Historian, Historical Documents, Foreign Relations, 1964-68, Vietnam, Vol 6: Document 86 of 26 Feb 68 is a memo from Abbot Smith, the Chairman of the Board of National Intelligence Estimates, to CIA Director Helms responding to tasking from Helms to give a best estimate of North Vietnam’s intentions following the ongoing offensive. Also an estimate on the performance of the South Vietnamese and readiness to meet the next move by the Vietcong/North Vietnamese... also…Document 88 of 27 Feb 68, an evaluation of the Tet Offensive submitted by Ambassador Bunker’s Special Assistant for the Ambassador’s use in discussions with the President. Both of these documents would be very interesting and useful if you were writing a book on the war, but are a bit tedious for most of us… read at:

Document 86.     https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d86

Document 88.     https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d88

27 FEBRUARY 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times Page 2: “U.S. Aircraft Losses 3,360″… “The United States command said today that by the beginning of last week a total of 3,360 American airplanes and helicopters had been lost in North and South Vietnam. The figure includes aircraft lost in accidents and destroyed on the ground.”… “Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were two fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 27 February 1968…

(1) MAJOR GILBERT SWAIN PALMER and CAPTAIN THOMAS THAWSON WRIGHT were flying an RF-4C of the 14th TRS and 432nd TRW out of Udorn that failed to return from a photo reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. “It is thought” that the aircraft was downed by ground fire southwest Ban Karai pass in Laos and a SAR effort was directed into that area based on a survival radio transmission and a flare, but the effort failed to locate either aviator. Hobson: “There was an intelligence report that suggested that a black USAF officer (Captain Wright) had been seen in a temporary POW camp in the area and this report has been tentatively correlated to Captain Wright.” The remains of MAJOR PALMER were recovered in November 2009 and identified in 2011. CAPTAIN WRIGHT has been presumed killed in action and his remains have not been found, yet.

(2) An OP-2E of the VO-67 Special Mission squadron operating out of Nakhon Phanom was on a sensor laying mission southwest of the Ban Karia pass and took a 37mm round in the fuselage on a second run. The round mortally wounded one crew member and led to a fire that caused the plane commander, COMMANDER PAUL LLOYD MILIUS to order his crew to abandon the aircraft as he maintained control. Seven of the crew successfully bailed out and were rescued within three hours. Th mortally wounded PO2 JOHN FRANCIS HARTZHEIM perished on board and his remains were recovered in the wreckage in November 1996 and positively identified in February 1999. COMMANDER MILIUS is thought to have left the aircraft, but too low for his parachute to function. He was listed as missing in action for several years but did not return with the POWs in 1973.  and he remains where he fell and is now presumed to have been killed in action.  For his extraordinary heroism on this mission, CAPTAIN MILIUS was awarded the NAVY CROSS… The Citation…

“The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the NAVY CROSS (Posthumously) to CAPTAIN (then Commander) PAUL LLOYD MILIUS, United States Navy, for EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM on 27 February 1968, as an Aircraft Commander in Observation Squadron Sixty-Seven (VO-67). During a combat mission in Southeast Asia, CAPTAIN MILIUS’ aircraft received multiple hits from 37mm anti-aircraft-artillery fire during a run over the signed target. Immediately, the aircraft burst into flames, several members of the crew received injuries, and the dense smoke and fumes filled the fuselage. Remaining at the controls to insure stable flight, CAPTAIN MILIUS ordered his crew members to bailout. As a result of his action, seven of his nine crew members were rescued within three hours of bail-out. Rescue flights, however, were unable to locate CAPTAIN MILIUS. His heroic efforts and inspiring devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

CAPTAIN PAUL LLOYD MILIUS has been bestowed another high honor-– United States Ship, hull number DDG 69, carries his name. USS MILIUS (DDG-69) is an Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer and is built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar… the motto of the ship: “OTHERS BEFORE SELF”... Rest in peace Paul Milius, you are remembered here on the 50th anniversary of your “crew before yourself” day of glory gained, duty done … oohrah…

RIPPLE SALVO… #724… As the Tet Offensive progressed the President asked General Wheeler, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to visit the front and bring him a report with special emphasis on what the real troop requirements were. General Westmoreland was sure he needed another 100,000 to 200,000 troops and LBJ was having trouble with that number. First, he was getting fierce pressure from the doves (and at least half the citizens of the USA) to de-escalate. Second, finding more troops would mean activating reserves and increasing the draft calls, which were already at 40,000 per month. LBJ was hoping General Wheeler would come home with a lesser number. That was not to be… Read General Wheeler’s 27 February 1968 trip report to the President at…

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d90

Indicative of the rationale and pressure to de-escalate is this Opinion Editorial from the NYT, 25-Feb-68, page 12E….

ESCALATION–TO WHAT END?

“Three years ago the first American combat units were dispatched to Vietnam, with the announced purpose of defending United States bases. Their arrival boosted the number of American military personnel in Vietnam to 27,000.

“By the end of that year–1965–the United States had 185,000 troops in Vietnam, and they had taken over the brunt of the fighting from South Vietnamese.

“Nearly two years and 300,000 additional American fighting men later, General William C. Westmoreland came home from Saigon last fall to report that the enemy was on the run and that he expected the United States to begin to ‘phase out’ its operation in Vietnam within two years. He expressed himself as content with the ceiling of 525,000 troops President Johnson promised him next June (1968).

“This weekend the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Earle G. Wheeler, is in Vietnam to review the most critical situation the United States has faced in that ravaged land. He is being pressed for more troops, well beyond the 525,000 limit, to shore up the thinly spread allied forces. In anticipation of that call, the Joint Chiefs are reported drawing up plans for partial mobilization of National Guard and Reserve ground forces.

“Given the precarious predicament of the forces now in Southeast Asia and the dangerous deterioration of the strategic ready reserve at home, both the dispatch of more troops to Vietnam and the mobilization of reserves are inescapable. Such is the grim compulsion of a policy that has mired this country ever deeper in a land war in Asia against long-standing expert military advice.

“The time has come for Americans and their leaders to recognize that the policy itself is illogical; that it entraps the United States in a war without visible limits, despite all official optimism; that it will continue to make insatiable demands on American manpower, resources and energy far beyond the worth of any conceivable gains. The only sound policy is to move from the battlefield to the negotiating table with fullest speed.

“The search for a road to negotiated settlement must start with a bombing halt. The risks in such a pause are obviously far less than those in the boundless escalation on which Washington is embarked, especially since United Nations Secretary General Thant reported yesterday his belief that meaningful negotiations would begin ‘perhaps within a few days’ if American planes stopped bombing North Vietnam.”….

RTR Quote for 27 February: CLAUSEWITZ, On War, 1812: “The decisions a general has to make would furnish a problem of mathematical calculations not unworthy of the powers of a Newton or Euler.”

Lest we forget…       Bear