RIPPLE SALVO… #276… SPENT!!!…but first…
Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-SIX of a return to OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER to recall events and remember the warfighters, living and dead…
3 DECEMBER 1966… HEAD LINES ON THE HOME FRONT from the New York Times on a cold and sunny Saturday–high of 29…
Page 1: “Kosygin Asserts Facism is On the Rise in West Germany. In Paris says goals of changing border and access to nuclear weapons threatens to disturb equilibrium and peace of Europe. All should be alarmed at the gains by the rightest National Democratic Party.” …Page 1: “SEC Says Mutual Funds Charge Excessive Fees and asks Congress for curbs. Sales costs now require protection of the public from an industry that is cool to the SEC charges. Control needed to protect 3.5 million mutual fund investors.” … Page 1: “Lindsay Accuses LBJ of Shart-Changing the Cities and says $5.3 billion in budget cuts that left space program intact shows that President fails to understand the plight of the cities of America.”…
3 DECEMBER 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…NYT: Silent on the air war in North Vietnam… “Vietnam: Air Losses” (Hobson) One fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 3 December 1966,,,
(1) CAPTAIN KENNETH WILLIAM CORDIER and 1LT MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER LANE were flying an F-4C of the 559th TFS of the 12th TFW out of ?CAm Ranh Bay on a four Phantom escort of an EB-66 electonic warfare mission over North Vietnam flown in response to the 4 SA-2 kills of Striking aircraft on 2 December, a one day high for the SA-2 thus far in the fight. Unfortunately, the SA-2 shooters scored again with a hit on CAPTAIN CORDIER (175th mission) and 1LT LANE’S F-4. Both ejected safely but were quickly captured and imprisoned as POWs until repatriated in March 1973.
RIPPLE SALVO… #276… Short hitter tonight–overkill yesterday (4000 word RTR/RS)… I spent this day in the library with all my homeless friends… Public Libraries have become havens for our poor folks… and a desperate lot they are… our libraries are providing vital services that justify evey tax dollar they are costing us… the average broke human being I sit with amid the computers (the library has assigned me my own microfilm reader) spends hours every day alternating from an hour on a computer (looking for a job, taking tests for quals to handle food or drive a commercial vehicle, surfing the internet, and communicating with friends) and time-outs to read papers and nap in a warm soft couch. After a six to eight hour day in the library they retreat to our homeless shelters via a shutle provided by the county that links a full range of “get better and get well” services for this growing population that is down but not out, yet… that said, a day amid these poor folks can never be a happy day… there are no smiles, no laughs and no joy in this lot… it rubs off… I could spend some of my time at the other end of the 1oo-yard by 50 yard mammouth brand new building where the children’s education and activities center is located, but I am sure all the young mothers would think I was scouting for young boys (we have a lot of that in Utah)… so I lockin on my rolls of New York Times microfilm and the events of fifty years ago until my sleep apnea puts me out… nothing more embarrassing than falling asleep reading old news in the middle of a crowd of friends… that’s when I pack up and amble out to my old Cadillac and thank God for my boundless blessings, including all the indelible memories of events, friends and family (some from 50 years ago)… then home to a warm, cozy, comfortable abode hidden under the snow and Christmas decorations to be met by my loving and tolerant wife and three smiling dawgs… life is good, and better for some… Thank you, Jesus…
Lest we forget… Bear -30-