RIPPLE SALVO… #421… WESTY for the HAWKS and MLK for the DOVES… but first…
Good Morning: Day FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE of the 50th anniversary of the air war over North Vietnam called Rolling Thunder…
30 April 1867…HOME TOWN head lines and leads from The New York Times on white puffies Sunday in NYC…
Page 1, Section 4: “WESTMORELAND VISIT’…. ..
“The general vigorously presented the Administrations case–that the war is not a civil war but aggression from the North, that it has to be fought both to protect South Vietnam’s independence and to thwart Communist aggression, and that the bombing of the North is a necessary military operation which, in any case, is neither brutal nor so wanton as Communist terrorism in South Vietnam.
“At the end of the week, therefore, the impact of the general’s unusual home assignment was remarkably plain:
*Neither by word nor deed did he give any suggestion that he might be available s a Presidential candidate next year…‘I have no political intentions, ambitions or aspirations…’
*His soldier’s prestige, symbolically representing the men in Vietnam, displayed before two influential audiences and on national TV probably shored up the administration’s political backing for the war…
*He dramatized the Administration’s belief that domestic dissent is the chief barrier to victory in Vietnam, but the reaction to his remarks in New York showed how difficult it is to quiet on such an emotional and controversial issue…
*Above all, General Wetmoreland put on display the political power of patriotism any would be candidate against President Johnson who might be thinking of opposing the war in Vietnam next year must have been given pause by the heart-felt ovation that rose to the house when the general gave his military salute.
“Then after briefing 23 state Governors in the White House–he was gone--back to Vietnam. Behind him he left two dominating impressions in Washington–that there is wider fighting and bloodier war to come, and that the Administration is prepared to counter its critics with every weapon at its command, including the powerful howitzer of patriotism.”
Page 1: “Greek Junta Bans Left-Wing Party”…”…Says Constitution changes will strengthen powers of Executive Branch…King appears at Mass…End of bureaucratic delays decreed–Deadline set on answers by officials…”…”The new military government abolished Greece’s major left-wing party today, decreed an end to bureaucratic delays, and said it would revive the Constitution to set-up a strong independent executive. In addition, the Interior Minister, Brigadier Stylianos Patakos said that although strict discipline is necessary at present, the time is to far away when there will be greater freedom of speech and expression.”…Page 1: “2 Veteran’s Parades Here Hail American Soldiers Fighting”… “In marching ranks to drum and fife and fluttering flag, thousands of New Yorkers stepped our yesterday in Brooklyn and Manhattan for Loyalty Day parades dedicated to American’s fighting in Vietnam. American veterans who have fought overseas in four wars gathered under the auspices of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and marched along with other contingencies…who wished to express opposition to peace demonstrations…”… Page 1: “U.S. Crime Study Finds Police Bias… Charges Widespread Abuse-Calls Community Amity Law Enforcement Key”… “Deteriorating relations between police and minority groups are thwarting efforts to improve the nation’s law enforcement, the president’s national crime commission reported today. Widespread oral abuse and harassment of civilians by the police is largely responsible for the hostility, although police dishonesty and brutality also contribute...’No lasting improvement in law enforcement is likely in this country unless community police relations are substantially improved,’ it concluded.”…
Page 1: “Johnson Orders building of Model of Supersonic Jet”… “President Johnson approved today the start of construction of two test models of a supersonic airliner, the first of which he thinks will be flying by the end of 1970.”... Page 3: “Tension Grows Near Buffer Zone”… “The Americans at the embattled northern tip of this country know the enemy is strong in the area, perhaps stronger than in in any other area in South Vietnam. The enemy has more than 40,000 men in this province and in and near the demilitarized zone. But the Americans are convinced that all of the firepower of the allies would be brought to bear if the Vietcong ever tried to occupy Quangtri or Hue, the capital of adjoining Thuathien Province.”… Page 4: “U.S. Warns Tough Response To An Attack Across the Border”... “State Department officials, warning that a major North Vietnamese attack across the demilitarized zone border within South Vietnam may be imminent, are talking with unusual bluntness of a tough American response…’If they want to play rough, we can play rough, too.’ “… Page 28: “Navy Jet Passes Rainstorm Test”…”Naval and industrial sources said today that the Navy’s newest plane–the A-7A Corsair 2–had successfully completed its thunderstorm flight tests. Twenty-one flights were flown in moderate to heavy rain storms in the testing over Texas and Louisiana.”
Page 3: “Rear Admiral Vincent P. dePoix, taking command of the United States Navy’s Yankee station in the Tonkin Gulf, said the bombing in North Vietnam would be stepped up as northeast monsoon storms give away to a six-month season of generally clear skies. ‘You can look for a step-up in activity on both sides,’ the admiral said, aboard the carrier Bon Homme Richard.”…
STATE DEPARTMENT…Office of the Historian, FRUS, 1964-1968, Volume V, Vietnam, 1967, Document 152... is a Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson that responds to Document 151, which was a memo from Mansfield to the President (see yesterday’s blog) that provided a handful of his ideas for the President’s consideration. Rostow’s memo informs the President of the results of Rostow’s staffing those ideas through Rusk, Katzenbach and Goldberg. Value to reader is limited — if interested, memo is at:
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v05/d152
30 April 1967… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (1 May reporting 30 Apr ops)… Page 1: “Missile Site Hit in North Vietnam Near Buffer Zone”... “United States war planes, artillery and naval guns have battered a North Vietnamese surface-to-air 10 miles north of the demilitarized zone. Military analysts suggested that the installation near the border…had probably been installed in the hope of bringing down a B-52 bomber. To have done so would have constituted a propaganda victory for the North Vietnamese. The pilots who flew the strike mission had their attention divided between the SAM site and equipment and the antiaircraft site was in the area. They said they encountered heavy 37-mm and 57–mm fire over the area. Two missile launchers were destroyed and two missile possibly destroyed.” (Target site near Route 1, 22 miles north of DMZ)…
Yesterday Air Force pilots had what was described as ‘their busiest day over North Vietnam since October 12. No total numbers of sorties–single missions by single aircraft–was disclosed, but a spokesman said the 65 missions that had been flown could be from one to more than a dozen aircraft. Neither MIG airfields nor targets near Hanoi or Haiphong were struck. Among the objectives were the railroad yards at Hagra, 19 miles north, at Viettri, 30 miles northwest and at Vuchi, 42 miles northeast of the capital. A MIG-17 was shot down by a Thunderchief pilot during the raids. It was the 45th MIG ‘kill’ since the air war began…”
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Hobson) There were three fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 30 April 1967.
(1) MAJOR LEO KEITH THORSNESS and CAPTAIN HAROLD EUGENE JOHNSON were flying an F-105F Wild Weasel of the 357th TFS and 355th TFW out of Takhli providing Iron Hand support for a strike group headed for a thermal power plant near Hanoi led by Colonel Jack Broughton, Vice Commander of the 355th TFW at Takhli…
(2) 1LT ROBERT ARCHIE ABBOTT was flying an F-105D of the 354th TFS in Major Thorsness’ Wild Weasel division…
(3) CAPTAIN JOSEPH S. ABBOTT was flying an F-105D of the 333rd TFS was part of the RESCAP effort, having been diverted from the strike force and was orbiting the rescue site …
All three aircraft were shot down by MIG-21s who attacked the Wild Weasels and downed MAJOR THORSNESS/CAPTAIN JOHNSON and 1LT ROBERT ABBOTT... The strike mission was aborted and an all out rescue operation was commenced to recover the three downed aviators. In the ensuing minutes the MIG-21s struck again, and CAPTAIN JOSEPH ABBOTT was downed by an air-to-air missile.
The RESCAP was unsuccessful and all four warriors were captured, interned as POWs and repatriated in 1973, having served with extraordinary honor while imprisoned.
This historic event is well described in several sources. Start with Jack Broughton’s “Thud Ridge” and Major Al Lenski’s 128 page book “Magic 100” and Chris Hobson’s “Vietnam: Air Losses”... Both Colonel Broughton and Major Lenski were in the air and on the scene that day… (I was putting bombs on POL barges in the river between Vinh and Ben Thuy -#62). For more on Leo Thorsness’ Medal of Honor flight, click back and refer to my RTR post of 19 April and the Mighty Thunder post on this web on 19 April.
RIPPLE SALVO… #421… 1967 WAS THE YEAR WHEN AMERICANS STARTING CHOOSING SIDES... A lasting poster for the divide is found in the ads for clever Ts. One imprint boldly proclaims “I was loyal to my country when it was cool to burn draft cards–Proud Vietnam Veteran.”... Some served some did not. The nation split into two camps: Hawks and Doves. On 30 April 1967 Americans heard two voices; that of General Westmoreland before he headed back to run the war in Vietnam and that of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who had this to say about the General’s visit. New York Times, May 1, 1967, Page 1:
“Dr. King Accuses Johnson On War. Asserts Westmoreland Was Returned to Quiet Dissent. Praises Clay on the Draft.”… “The Rev. Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. accused President Johnson today of bringing General William C. Westmoreland home to silence dissent against the Vietnam war and to encourage support for escalation of the conflict. Dr. King again urged young men to file as conscientious objectors and refuse to fight for the United States, which he described as ‘the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.’
“In a sermon from the pulpit of his Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Nobel Peace Prize winner praised Cassius Clay, the heavyweight champion, for refusing to be inducted into the Army, ‘Every young man in this country who believes that this war is abominable and unjust should file as a conscientious objector, ‘ Dr. King said. He praised Clay’s courage, and said: ‘He is giving up fame. He is giving up millions of dollars in order to stand up for what his conscience tells him is right. There is a very dangerous element in the nation now to equate dissent with disloyalty. This was clearly pointed out by the fact that General Westmoreland was brought back to this country to develop sentiment and consensus for the further escalation of the war and to further silence dissent. The congregation, which included Stokely Carmichael, the ‘Black Power’ leader, interrupted Dr. King twice with applause and gave him a standing ovation when he was finished.”
For an interesting development in Ali’s motivation to be a conscientious objector check this out..,
Administrative Note: My post yesterday included the downing of Loren H. Torkelson. In the telling I erred in my spelling of his name, as noted by his very close friend Joey Crecca, who has contributed a great commentary-a superb extension of the Colonel Torkelson story. This tale will posted later this week as a Mighty Thunder piece… Thanks Joey…
CAG’s QUOTEs for April 30: PRESIDENT LINCOLN on Gen McClellan: “He’s got the slows.”… PATTON: “You have but one life. Live it to the full glory and be wiling to pay.”…
Lest we forget… Bear