RIPPLE SALVO… #908… IN MY THOUGHTS THIS 29 AUGUST… LTJG MIKE ALLARD; CAPTAIN KEN ROBINSON and 1LT SAMMIE HOFF; CAPTAIN NORM WELLS; MAJOR RON BYRNE; LT HENRY McWHORTER and LT EDD DAVID TAYLOR… but first…
GOOD MORNING…Day NINE HUNDRED EIGHT of blogging in my cave–a good excuse for dodging and delaying chores around the homestead…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times of Thursday, 29 August 1968…
Page 1: Banner Headline: “HUMPHREY NOMINATED ON FIRST BALLOT AFTER HIS PLANK ON VIETNAM IS APPROVED–POLICE BATTLE DEMONSTRATORS IN STREETS–Victor Gets 1,761 Votes–Vote Taken Amid Boos For Chicago Police Tactics In Street”… “While a pitched battle between police and thousands of antiwar demonstrators raged in the streets of Chicago, the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for President last night, on a platform reflecting his and President Johnson’s views on the war in Vietnam. Mr. Humphrey, after a day of bandwagon shifts to his candidacy, and a night of turmoil in the convention hall, won nomination on the first ballot over challenges by Senator Eugene J. McCarthy of Minnesota and George S. McGovern of South Dakota. The count at the end of the first ballot was: Humphrey-1,761 3/4; McCarthy-601; McGovern-146 1/2; Phillips-67 1/2; and other-32 3/4… VIOLENCE DRAWS ATTENTION…”There was never a moment ‘s suspense in the balloting and throughout the turbulent evening the delegates and spectators paid less attention to the proceedings than to television and radio reports of widespread violence in the streets of Chicago and to stringent security measures within the International Amphitheatre.”… Page 1: “HUMPHREY AIDES LIST FOUR FOR VEEP SPOT ON TICKET–Say Muskie, Harris, Alioto and Shriver”… Page 1: “DEFEAT OF DOVES REFLECTS DEEP DIVISION IN PARTY”… Page 1: “Senator Gruening Defeated In Alaska Primary”… Page 22: “CHICAGO NEGROES STIRRED BY CLASHES BETWEEN WHITES AND POLICE NOT CONVENTION–Black Community Watches Closely–Political Gathering Ignored But Response Of Guard To Dissidents Is Observed”… Page 25: “PLATFORM DIFFERENCES–NIXON IS GIVEN FREE HAND TO CRITICIZE POLICIES THAT HUMPHREY MUST SUPPORT”…
THE WAR: Page 1: “FIGHTING INTENSE IN SAIGON REGION–G.I.s BATTLE THROUGH NIGHT WITH FOE ON INFILTRATION ROUTES NEAR CAPITAL”…”Sharp fighting flared around Saigon last night and this morning as United States infantrymen battled a sizable enemy force on flatland infiltration routes northwest to the capital. The United States command said this morning that fighting had continued through the night with a company-size enemy unit 32 miles northwest of Saigon and 4 miles north to Trangbang. So far, a total of 86 enemy soldiers have been killed in the fighting… American casualties were light.”… VIETCONG ASSASSINATIONS… The National Police reported that 120 south Vietnamese civilians were assassinated last week compared tieh 62 during the previous week. The victims included hamlet chiefs, village officials and South Vietnamese pacification workers. Since January 1, the United States mission said, there have been 3,000 assassinations and 4,850 abductions of South Vietnamese by Vietcong.”…
PEACE TALKS in PARIS: Pge 11: “HANOI AIDES SPURN A PROTEST BY U.S.–Charge of Political Meddling Termed ‘Truly Comic’ “… “Hanoi’s negotiators at the talks here on the war in Vietnam today rejected an official United Stated protest against their attacks to ‘interfere’ in the American election campaign….In the 19th session since May 13, Xuan Thuy, chief North Vietnamese negotiator again cited criticism of the war among Americans and ridiculed the elaborate precautions taken in Chicago to protect the Democratic National Convention. ‘In the present electoral campaign, in order to cope with the indignation of the people,’ Mr. Thuy asserted, ‘the U.S. authorities have had to use barbed wire and tens of thousands of their troops and police agents.’ …IMPASSE STILL STANDS… “no breakthrough in the impasse over Hanoi’s demand for a halt in American bombing of North Vietnam.’…
29 August 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…New York Times (30 Aug reporting 29 Aug ops) Page 10: “American pilots flew 121 missions over North Vietnam striking at military targets below the 19th Parallel.”… NYT 29 Aug, Page 10: “JET DOWNED IN ACCIDENT”… “A United States Navy F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber was shot down accidentally on Aug 17 by a air-to-air missile from another Navy F-4 while the two planes were pursuing three enemy MiG interceptors over North Vietnam, it was disclosed. The MiG’s escaped across the 19th Parallel, which has become in effect, limit for United States bombing sorties. Both crewmen aboard the downed F-4 were reported missing. the accident was not announced previously because the United States command has a policy of not reporting on a day-to-day basis on planes lost to causes other than enemy fire…The spokesman said the three MiG’s had been observed northwest of Vinh on the North Vietnamese coast about 25 miles south of the 19th Parallel. One pilot fired a missile at one of the MiG’s and it homed in on his wingman instead.” (Refer RTR for 17 Aug 1968: LTJG MARKHAM LIGON GARTLEY and LTJG WILLIAM JOHN MAYHEW were captured and served out the war in North Vietnamese prisons.)
VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) There was one fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 29 August 1968…
(1) An AC-47D Spooky Gunship of the 14th SOW out of Phan Rang was destroyed by a Vietcong rocket attack. Hobson notes: The aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force in November 1944…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) ON THE FOUR 29 AUGUST DATES OF THE FOUR YEARS OF THE AIR CAMPAIGN OVER NORTH VIETNAM…
1968… NONE…
1967… LT MICHAEL JOHN ALLARD, USNR… (KIA)… Young Mike Allard was flying an A-4E of the VA-153 Blue Tail Flies embarked in the great ship USS CORAL SEA on a strike in the Vinh area when he went down.. It was his second Rolling Thunder mission, and his last. He called rolling in and set up a diving attack that went out of control, inexplicably, and he was still in the Skyhawk when it flew into the ground and exploded. He left a Navy wife and three sons behind at Lemoore Naval Air Station and spent the next 25 years where he fell on 29 August 1967. His remains were recovered in 1993 by the Joint recovery team, positively identified and delivered to his family for burial in 2001. His widow, Denny Allard Higgens (School Principal), and their three sons, Mark (Surgeon), Paul (Engineer) and Bart (Accountant), and friends and family gathered at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, 19 March 2001 to bury Mike Allard in hallowed ground. Humble Host calls attention to the easily accessed folio of information on every warrior buried at Arlington. Mike Allard’s family comments, and especially those of his wife Denny, a Navy wife cum Navy Widow with three small boys drummed out of Navy housing to find her way to a new life, is vital reading for understanding “the rest of the story” when a warrior makes the full sacrifice… Read at http://arlingtoncemetery.net/mjallard.htm
1966… CAPTAIN KENNETH DALE ROBINSON, USAF… (KIA)… and… 1LT SAMMIE D. HOFF, USAF… (KIA)… of the 497th TFS out of Ubon were the lead F-4C aircraft in a night Rolling Thunder 51 mission to a target in North Vietnam. The weather forced the flight to strike an alternative target in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. In the attack on the target they were taken under fire by 37/57-mm AAA, hit and forced to eject. The aircraft was observed impacting the ground and exploding and a radio call from 1LT HOFF supported a conclusion that the crew had ejected and were missing. A search and rescue operation began immediately and continued through the 30th of August. The crash site was found but no sign of either ROBINSON or HOFF. When neither came out with the POWs in 1973 their status remained MIA an both were promoted as the years went by- ROBINSON to Colonel, and HOFF to Major. In 1979 their status was changed to KIA, body not recovered. Their remains were returned by Vietnam in 1988 and were positively identified in April 1989. Colonel Robinson was laid to rest in Arlington. Major Hoff’s final resting place is Pawnee Cemetery in Pawnee, Texas.
1966… CAPTAIN NORMAN LOUROSS WELLS, USAF… (POW)… Captain Wells was flying an F-105D of the 354th TFS out of Takhli on hs 75th combat mission when downed in Route Pack I for the second time in August 1966. Rescued from the Gulf of Tonkin on the first one, captured and interned as a POW on the second one. 2,379 days of captivity followed, during which time his wife Barbara and three daughters and two sons, or maybe three, remained in limbo awaiting his return. Ken Robinson was one of the bravest of the brave. Among his many combat awards: the AIR FORCE CROSS, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, and five Distinguished Flying Cross medals. Colonel Wells wrote of his POW experience: “Faith in god and country and the support and guidance or my fellow POWs saw me through chose long years. As an American I knew that my country would never let me down and that someday I’d go home. America has given us a wonderful welcome (home) and I appreciate it very much but I constantly remind myself of the men who lost their lives so that I might be free. I am forever indebted to them. let us honor those brave men.”… Colonel Wells’ AFC citation below…
1965… MAJOR RONALD E BYRNE, JR., USAF… (POW)… Was flying an F-105 Thunderchief of the 67 TFS out of Kadena and deployed to Korat on his 27th mission –to add to his 75 combat missions in Korea– when downed by AAA attacking the enemy armory at Yen Bai, 70 miles northwest of Hanoi. Major Bryne was forced to eject from his burning aircraft and was captured almost immediately. Colonel Byrne served 2,725 days in the North Vietnam prison system, returning to his family in March 1973. Colonel Byrne’s first of three awards of the SILVER STAR… “Major Ronald E. Byrne, Jr. distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force over North Vietnam on 29 August 1965. On that date, Major Bryne volunteered to fly number four position in a flight of F-105 aircraft tasked with employing and evaluating a new type weapon delivery. He knew full well that flying number four would enable him to observe the delivery but would also subject him to the highest level of antiaircraft fire. Refusing to be intimidated even after his aircraft received a disabling hit from withering ground fire. Major Bryne displayed heroism far above that expected of a pilot in his situation and he guided his flaming aircraft over the target calling out the bomb hits and results to his flight members. Only after he had fully satisfied mission requirements did Major Bryne turn his aircraft toward the surrounding hills and eject. By his gallantry and devotion of duty Major Byrne has reflected great credit upon himself and the Unite States.”…
1965… LT HENRY STERLING McWHORTER, USN… (KIA)… was flying an RF-8A of the VFP-63 “Eyes of the Tiger” squadron embarked in USS Oriskany on a photo mission northwest of Vinh when hit by intense antiaircraft fire in the cockpit area. The escort wingman had taken evasive action and lost sight of the lead aircraft for a short period. When he regained line of sight with the lead RF-8 he noted that the canopy and ejection seat from the aircraft which wa in a gentle descent headed north. Lt McWhorter was gone… He was listed as MIA for many years but his remains were returned to the U.S by the North Vietnamese in 1987 and in due course–positively identified for return to the family for burial… THE COMBAT ATTRITION RATE OF THE F-8 CRUSADER… “Between 1964 and 1972 eighty-three Crusaders were either lost or destroyed by enemy fire. Another 109 required major rebuilding. 145 Crusader pilots were recovered, 57 were not. Twenty of these pilots were captured and released at the end of the American participation in the war. Another 43 were missing at the end of the war…In addition there were 16 pilots who went down on photo versions of the Crusader, seven were captured–six returned and one died in captivity.
1965… LT EDD DAVID TAYLOR, USN… (KIA)… NO GREATER LOVE HATH A MAN than to lay down his life for another… following the loss of Air Force CAPTAIN SCHIERMAN at Son La (see RTR for 28 Aug), a major search and rescue operation was executed. Included were Navy A-1H Skyraiders. LT TAYLOR was part of a Navy flight that closed on Don La and entered the search pattern. LT Taylor overflew the area from which the emergency beeper signal was heard and began a series of passes looking in the area for the down Air Force pilot. On his third pas intense gound fire inundated his aircraft including the cockpit area. the A-1H was observed to fly into the ridge of mountains and exploded. LT EDD TAYLOR’s life was over. Chris Hobson in Vietnam: Air Losses points out that by mid-1965 the North Vietnamese recognized and employed the American pilots emergency beeper/locator to trick SAR forces in to looking for a downed pilot. They would let the pilot signal for rescue while laying in wait for SAR forces, or obtain the beeper when the pilot was captured or killed … The search for the remains of LT TAYLOR are an inspiring bit of history.
In October 1988 a joint/Vietnam team led by the Joint Task force -Full Accounting, investigated this case in Son La Province. The team interviewed a Vietnamese citizen who reported that he saw the crash of Taylor’s aircraft as well as the body of the pilot at the crash site. The team visited the crash site and a nearby village where they found small fragments of wreckage, but no human remains. The serial number of one of the fragments matched that of Taylor. A subsequent visit to the crash site in 1989 yielded no remains, but in 1993 a U.S. archive team in Hanoi discovered a Vietnamese record of a 1965 shoot-down which appeared to document the circumstances of Taylor’s loss. Other joint teams resurveyed the crash site in 1996, and scheduled it for excavation. In March 2000, a joint Vietnam. In March 2000, a joint Vietnam team led by army Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii. They excavated the crash site in Son La Province. The team recovered remains and pilot remains. Among the forensic troops used by the Hawaii to confirm positive identification with that of mitochondrial DNA in which a skeletal fragment can be matched to that of a family member of Lt.Taylor…”
RIPPLE SALVO… #908… AMONG THE BRAVE… COLONEL NORMAN WELLS, USAF…the AIR FORCE CROSS…
His Air Force Cross reads:
“The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to NORMAN LOUCROSS WELLS, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while serving with the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Takhli Air Base, SEVENTH Air Force, in action near Phuc Yen, North Vietnam, on 19 July 1966. On that date, Captain WELLS led a flight of F-1o5 Thunderchiefs against a heavily defended petroleum products storage area ten miles northwest of Hanoi. After penetrating a curtain of exploding steel to deliver his deadly ordnance on this vital target. Captain WELLS then shot down one of the two MiGs attacking the second element of the formation. After a much-needed aerial refueling, Captain WELLS provided top cover for a successful rescue by helicopters of a friendly pilot who had ejected over hostile territory. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness. Captain WELLS reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.”…. oohrah…
Lest we forget… Bear