RTR SALUTES: COLONEL WILLIAM DAVID BURROUGHS, USAF (1932-1999) and COMMANDER CHARLES P. ZUHOSKI, USN (retired)…
RIPPLE SALVO… #878… FROM THE NET… “TUNNEL VILLAGE OF VIN LINH and the VIET NAM NET BRIDGE… A system of 114 tunnels and the tunnel village of Vinh Linh in Quang Tri province in central Vietnam has been recognized a special national monument.
“When building up to the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, expanding its attack on North Vietnam by air and naval forces, the US paid special attention to Vinh Linh District (and the village of Vinh Moc located on the southern border of the previously known demilitarized zone–the border between North and South Vietnam), aiming to turn this area into a white belt to prevent the North from assisting the South. More thn a million tons of bombs were dropped onto this land. With iron will, the local people created a system of tunnels deep in the ground. From 1965 to 1968, (the years of Rolling Thunder) Vinh Linh people built 114 tunnels in 70 villages of 15 communes and towns. The tunnel system was used until 1972.
“To date, the Vinh Moc Tunnel in Vinh Thach commune is the most intact. This tunnel consists of three floors, 1,701 meters long with 13 gates. To make this system, local people had to dig and remove more than 6,000 cubic meters of rock and soil. It is called the tunnel village because the tunnel has a hall, apartments, maternity hospital, message boards, wells, toilets, and surgical station. In 2,000 days of existence, 17 babies were born here. However, many tunnels were not strong enough against bombs. On June 20, 1967, Tan Ly tunnel on Vinh Quang commune collapsed in bombing, causing 61 deaths. Local people built a joint grave for the victims at the tunnel door and called it ‘Tunnel 61.’
“With the tremendous value of history, in 1976 the Ministry of Culture nd Information recognized the Vinh Moc tunnels a national-level historical and cultural site. The site welcomes around 70,000 visitors, mainly international visitors each year (including old Navy, Marine and Air Force Fighter-Bomber pilots on BDA tours)… There are six other tunnels in Vinh Linh under development as historical and tourist sites.”… More, including a few lessons from the bombardment of Vinh Linh, below…
GOOD MORNING… Day EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTY-EIGHT remembering the lessons, events and great warfighters who fought the air war over North Vietnam from March 1965 to November 1968… in classified documents it was called: Operation Rolling Thunder…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times on Wednesday, 31 July 1968…
THE WAR: Page 3: “FOE NEAR DANANG KILLS 19 MARINES–32 WOUNDED IN SHARP CLASH–Enemy Loses 5 Dead”… “A force of United States Marines suffered heavy losses in a clash Sunday near Danang … A military spokesman said in a delayed report tht 19 Americans were killed and 32 wounded in a fierce battle in open country 13 miles west of Hoian, in Quangnam Province, in the northern part of South Vietnam. A sweep of the battlefields after the action showed that five enemy soldiers had been killed. The spokesman said ‘we don’t like to talk about this sort of thing,’ …The First Marine Division ran across an enemy force estimated at company strength in well dug-in positions. After the initial heavy outbreak of firing, Marine reinforcements were rushed to the area and jet fighter-bombers carried out several strikes on the enemy bunkers. The action continued well into the night until the enemy soldiers, as they do so often, simply melted away. In the last few weeks there has been an increasing number of clashes in the Hoian area, and allied commanders are convinced that North Vietnam regulars are there….In other ground action, air cavalrymen, reinforced by a South Vietnamese militia unit, were reported to have killed 15 enemy soldiers in an engagement seven miles northwest of Hue. There were no American casualties reported. …In Tayninh, B-52 bombers carried out 10 strikes against infiltration routes.”… Page 3: “SON OF PATTON LEADS TANK REGIMENT IN VIETNAM”… “The tanks crawl past the rubber trees in the jungle around this base camp, churning up mud and lurching into rice paddies that are murky and deep. ‘In World War II these tanks were the spearheads, the ground gainers,’ said Colonel George Patton III, stepping past rows of tanks waiting to move out. ‘Here it’s a hell of a lot different. The helicopter lets the infantry do the exploiting while the armor more or less supports or fills in the gaps.”…
PEACE TALKS: Page 1: “RUSK SAYS HANOI MUST ASSURE U.S.–RULES OUT ANY BOMBING HALT WITHOUT A COMMITMENT BY NORTH VIETNAM TO CUT THE WAR EFFORT”… “…’we need to have something better than a blank wall,’ Mr. Rusk said at a news conference in Washington, ‘something better than just committing ourselves to a course of action on our side leaving the other side with complete freedom of action to move men and arms from North Vietnam into South Vietnam in whatever way they wish.’ The Secretary was then asked whether he was not adding a new United States condition for forward movement in the long-standing diplomatic impasse by insisting on a ‘responsible, authoritative’ statement of what Hanoi would offer by way of reciprocity. Had it not been previously indicated, he was asked, that Hanoi could show its willingness to rfeciporocate through tacit actions rather than an explicit statement.”…
Page 1: “ACTION ON CZECHS BY SOVIET FORCES HELD LESS LIKELY– PRAGUE SOURCES GIVE VIEW AFTER OPENING OF PARLEY WITH RUSSIANS AT CIERNA– Atmosphere ‘Correct’–Codification of Differences On Reforms Described as Probable Result Of Talks”… Page 14: “TWO SIDES AT CIERNA KEEP THEIR DISTANCE–Meals Are Taken Separately–Russians Said To Appear Angry After First Session”… Page 1: “$25.4-BILLION DEFICIT IS LARGEST FOR U.S. SINCE WORLD WAR II”… Page 1: “Mexican Students Fight Riot Police–Youths In Series of Battles Hurl Rocks And Bottles– Four Buses Seized”… Page 1: “100 Filipino Youths Storm American Embassy”... Page 1: “SOVIETS REPORTED WIDENING TROOP BUILD-UP IN POLAND”… Page 7: “Maoists Intensify Regional Purges–Seek To Weed Out Enemies In New Ruling Gfoups”… Page 14: “AIR FORCE TANKER MISSING IN CALIFORNIA–9 MEN MISSING IN RED BLUFF AREA”…
31 JULY 1968 OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… NEW YORK TIMES… No coverage north of the demilitarized zone…VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 31 July 1968…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) ON THE FOUR 31 JULY FLYING DAYS OF THE OPERATION…
1968 and 1965… NONE…
1967… LT CHARLES PETER ZUHOSKI, USN… (POW)… The record of his downing was included in the RTR of 31 July 1967, Ripple Salvo #513. To which Humble Host is honored to add for the record. Lieutenant Charles ZUHOSKI was flying an F-8C Crusader of the VF-111 Sundowners embarked in USS Oriskany in the ships first line period of its third combat cruise. On 31 July 1967 he was escorting an Ironhand shooter when hit by a surface-to-air missile on his 14th combat mission a dozen miles east of Hanoi. He became the 13th airman and eighth aviator downed in Oriskany and CVW-16’s seventeen days of operations. He ejected, was immediately captured and spent the best part of the next six years (2,054 days) as a POW until released in March 1973. LT ZUHOSKI served that tour with the 4TH ALLIED POW WING with honor… He wrote upon return: “The initial processing of me was speedy (came down a few miles from Hanoi). I had been shot down and captured about 8:15 and I guess I was in ‘New Boy Village’ and in the ropes by 10:30 on the 31st. During my interment I have been in the following prisons: the Annex, the Zoo, Halo, back to the Zoo with ED ESTES, back to Halo, then to the Mountains at Dogpatch. I was a POW five years and seven months. I consider myself lucky for I was not singled our during the hard times as many of the POWs were. I would like to state that I couldn’t be more proud than to have been associated with the 4th Allied POW Wing. Under the circumstances I consider the whole group upheld the finest traditions of the U.S.Armed Forces. These traditions were a great inspiration to me during those difficult years. Remember the Vietnamese do not select who they capture. It was all a matter of chance. One can therefore conclude that the 4th Allied POW Wing reflects the quality of men in the Armed Services. This quality is characterized by faith in God and Country and a pride in their United States Citizenship.”…
AMONG THE BRAVE… COMMANDER ZUHOSKI was awarded the LEGION OF MERIT with VALOR V among his combat awards… The Citation reads:
“For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from July 1967 to March 1973. By his diligent efforts, devotion and loyalty to the United States and under the most adverse of conditions, he resisted all attempts by the North Vietnamese to use him in causes detrimental to the United States. While in daily contact with the North Vietnamese guards and officers, he performed duties in staff positions and maintained good order and discipline among the prisoners. Further, he served as an educator providing diversion and constructive rehabilitative thinking to the fellow prisoners during their long internment. Despite harsh treatment and a lack of material aids, he devoted long hours toward improving the morale and well-being as a member of the entertainment group. His extraordinary skill, resourcefulness, and dedication to duty throughout his lengthy confinement reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions onf the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.”
“The Combat Distinguishing Device is authorized.”…. oohrah…
1966… MAJOR WILLIAM DAVID BURROUGHS, USAF… (POW)… The report of COLONEL BURROUGHS’ downing on 31 July 1966 was included in RTR for 31 July 1966 Ripple Salvo #152. My inclusion of his last flight before serving with the 4th Allied POW Wing gives an update to include recognition for his extraordinary flight of 11 July 1966 for which he was awarded the AIR FORCE CROSS… The citation:
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War:
“The President of the United States of America… takes pleasure in presenting the AIR FORCE CROSS to MAJOR WILLIAM DAVID BURROUGHS, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while serving with the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, in action in Southeast sia on 11 July 1966. On that date, MAJOR BURROUGHS flew his unarmed and unescorted RF-101 Voodoo against a strategic target of vital importance situated along a critical northeast railroad only thirty-five nautical miles northeast of Hanoi. This target was of singular value, and the immediate area defenses were as concentrated, menacing, and vicious as any in the annals of air warfare. Refusing to be deterred by a direct hit from a deadly missile which caused major structural damage to his aircraft, MAJOR BURROUGHS courageously pursued his mission and obtained important photo intelligence of this strategic target. By his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of an armed hostile force, MAJOR BURROUGHS reflected the highest credit upon himself an the United States Air Force.”….
COLONEL BURROUGHS rests in peace on this 52nd anniversary of his final flight during the years of Rolling Thunder in North Vietnam…
RIPPLE SALVO… #878… Humble Host hopes you have 46 minutes to watch the YouTube video titled “Vinh Linh- The Steel Rampart“… Twenty cameramen died under our bombs filming this epic, which is presented with sub-titles. Then, if you have time, look-in on a few of the short videos that pan the Vinh Linh District as it stands today and lures visitors. I especially recommend a short video showing “Yamaha Town” with a six-lane Route 1 running the middle of a town full of beautiful scenes.. try http://youtu.be/SQlMzgONf7c What a difference 50 years makes…
A few lessons from my POV…(1) Aerial bombing has its limits. Tactical bombing as we executed it in Rolling Thunder was little more than airborne artillery. If you lack the ground troops to follow-on the bombing, then the adversary will hold the land. (2) A resolute foe such as depicted in the video is like a Timex watch–takes the hits and keeps on ticking… The will to win was the difference in the conduct of the Vietnam war… They were resolved to win,and we lolly-gagged pursuing the strategy of gradualism to gradual defeat. The lack of will in the hearts and minds of the American people at home, not on the battlefront and over the Red River Valley. (3) American neo-conservatives and others imbued with the spirit of “making the world safe for democracy” need to weigh our continuing failure to match that ideal dream with the reality of the outcomes. We go boldly where we don’t belong, expend blood and treasure, make life miserable and extraordinarily painful for those we dream of dragging into the modern world. The poor folks in Vinh Linh were happy living in their communes before we dropped a half million tons of bombs on them, and they are happy in their communes as they appear in the videos of today. I dare say they were not happy for the ten years of the American effort to “free them” and make Vietnam “safe for democracy.”… A wise man could only conclude that there are limits to American power and wishful thinking, and that having been burned in ‘Nam to the tune of 58,000 brave troops and a broke bank, quagmires like Iraq and Afghanistan would be avoided at all costs. Our beloved nation is long on brave men, but woefully short on wise men.
RTR Quote for 31 July: PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON, 2 APRIL 1917: “To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.” (Wilson speech to Congress asking for entry into WWI…”The Making the World Safe for Democracy” speech)… and then H.L Mencken said: “I believe in only one thing, liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone.”
Lest we forget… Bear