RIPPLE SALVO… #702… XO SAYS: NO LIBERTY until you sign off on REAR ADMIRAL DENNY WISELY’S FIGHTER PILOT MEMOIR THAT IS FULL OF GREEN INK FLYING on the edge, WESTPAC FUN, a couple of years LEADING “THE BLUES,” and a dozen brushes with Fate and the bad side of Lady Luck… Humble Host is honored to post a few notes on Denny’s magnificent contribution to the history of the air war called Rolling Thunder and defining the path to command and flag rank in Naval Aviation (circa 20th Century)…. but first…
Good Morning: Day SEVEN HUNDRED TWO of a look-back of fifty years to the forgotten air war called Rolling Thunder…
5 FEBRUARY 1968…HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a partly sunny Monday in New York City…
TET OFFENSIVE/KHESANH: Page 1: “Enemy Artillery and Ground Force Assault Khesanh–U.S. Marines At Strongpoint Near DMZ–Report Heavy Barrage–Hill Attack Repulsed–Westmoreland Aide Asserts The Vietcong Could Mount a Big New Offensive”… “North Infantry and artillery units staged a heavy ground attack this morning against Hill 861, the isolated strongpoint northeast of the outpost of Khesanh. United States officers speculated for weeks that the enemy was preparing for an offensive against marines at Khesanh, in the northwestern corner of South Vietnam. There was no immediate indication whether the new attack was a prelude to such a drive…. a barrage or rockets and artillery and mortar fire hit the central camp at Khesanh, where 5,000 marines are facing an enemy force estimated at 20,000 to 40,000 men, across the borders of Laos and North Vietnam… Page 1: “Attacks On Hue Fail To Rout Foe–Marines Holding 8 Blocks (up from 3) Tear Gas On Houses But Enemy Holds On”… Page 1: “34 Missionaries Rescued At Mission In Dalat”… Page 1: “2 Vietnamese At Embassy Said To Have Aided Attack on Embassy”… Page 1: “Rusk Says Enemy Rules Out Talks–Onslaught In South Vietnam Viewed As Reply To Secret Diplomatic Soundings For Peace Negotiations”… Page 2: “Thais Vent Anger Over U.S. Build-up–American Officials Puzzled By Recent Public Hostility”…
PUEBLO INCIDENT: Page 1: “Accord Reported On the Release Of Pueblo’s Crew–South Koreans Say U.S. and North Korea Must Agree In Principle In Pamnunjom Talks”… “The South Korean news agency Hapdong reported today that the United States and North Korea had reached agreement in principle for the release of the 83 man crew of the captured American intelligence ship Pueblo. The agency said reliable sources had reported that the agreement was reached today during the private talks the United States and North Korea have been holding at Pamnunjom…The agency said North Korea agreed to send back first the body of a sailor who was killed as well as several crewmen who were wounded.”... Page 14: “4th Pueblo Officer Is Said To Confess”…
Page 2: “Israelis Give Up Search For Submarine Dakar Lost South Of Cyprus”… Page 6: “Apollo’s Landing Site On Moon Narrowed By N.A.S.A. To 5 Choices”… Page 9: “McNamara Shares Bay of Pigs Blame–Says All Kennedy Advisors Recommended Invasion”…
STATE DEPARTMENT, Office of Historian, Historical Documents, Foreign Affairs, 1964-68 Vietnam: Two documents from 5 February 1968 of note: Document 55 is a strange one. It is a one pager from the President’s National Security advisor Walt Rostow to the President explaining how Rostow explained the big picture in the Tet Offensive to his wife on a piece of paper (cocktail napkin?)…read for a smile… Document 56. Admiral Hughes the Director of Intel and Research provides Secretary Rusk his best advice on how the Government of South Vietnam picks up the pieces and presses on after the Tet Offensive setback across the entire nation… Read at:
Document 55: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d55
Document 56: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d56
5 FEBRUARY 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times: all copy dedicated to the war below the DMZ…
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There was one fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 5 February 1968…
(1) A Navy P-3B of the VP-26 Tridents, Home Base Brunswick, Maine, forward deployed from Sangley Point, P.I. to U-Tapao was lost at sea on the night of February 5-6 while on a Market Time patrol over the Gulf of Thailand. The cause of the loss remains undetermined and all twelve in the crew perished in the accident. Salvage operations in 100-feet of water at the crash site recovered two bodies, the other ten airmen remain where they fell in the service of our country fifty years ago this day… We remember: LCDR ROBERT F. MEGLIO; LTJG THOMAS PAUL JONES; LTJG LYNN MICHAEL TRAVIS; LTJG ROY ARTHUR HUSS; AXC DONALD FREDERICK BURNETT; AOC DONALD LOUIS GALLAGHER; AMH2 HOMER EUGENE McKAY; ADR1 JAMES CLIFFORD NEWMAN; AE1 MELVIN CARL THOMPSON; ADJ2 BILLY W. McGHEE; AX3 ARMANDO CHAPA; and AX3 ILLIAM FARRELL FARRIS… who rest in peace: two came home, ten rest in the Gulf of Thailand…
RIPPLE SALVO… #702… Hats off to Rear Admiral Denny Wisely on his ascension to the ranks of published ebook writers. His brand new “GREEN INK: Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot“ is a winner. I jumped on amazon and signed up for the Kindle edition for 6-bucks as soon as I heard about it. I’ve been reading Denny’s short stories for years (and posting some in the RTR blogs over the last two years) and was excited about seeing how a fighter puke might fair with a wrapper around his best stuff. Denny delivers. He is a superb storyteller with some of the most interesting, informative and humorous flying and war stories to tell that you’ll ever read. Denny’s 350 combat sorties included: nailing two North Vietnamese aircraft; logging more than 200 combat missions in Rolling Thunder ops, and more than 140 more in the 1972 ops over Southeast Asia. He must have been the best note-taker to ever climb into a Phantom since his tales are so vivid he puts you right in the action, which includes dozens of his most memorable tales. These include his rescue from a tree in Laos and his Fox 1 and Fox 2 kills, or was it two Fox Two’s? (That’s the trouble with Kindle–you can’t flip and fondle the pages like a real book.) …
“Green Ink,” is used to log combat flight time in a pilot’s log book. It is an appropriate title for this fun read. Denny’s log book was filled with a lot of green ink.
Denny’s book is a biography that starts at the roots of family and childhood and, in “Green Ink,” ends as he achieves flag rank. He has added an epilogue that promises (?) to continue tales from his journey that included his tours as Executive Officer of USS America, command of USS Sylvania, and command of USS John F. Kennedy. Just for kicks, Google up Denny’s bio and see what a dream career in Naval Aviation looks like. Read his book to appreciate the level of sacrifice, exposure to danger and risk, and commitment required to earn the tough flag track assignments, and to excel in those demanding responsibilities when selected and detailed. Denny sought the toughest jobs and excelled in them all.
Denny has dedicated his book to his Navy wife Jan, who has passed on and rests in peace. Humble Host suggests that as you read Denny’s “Green Ink”memoirs, you keep in mind the life of a Navy wife whose husband is gone to sea and war, from which not all husbands will return. For Denny to pursue his dreams in a life filled with danger, he needed a partner willing and able to bear a tremendous burden. I am sure Denny would say that in Jan he was blessed to have such a partner.
Old fighter pilot saying: “If you can’t be good, be colorful.” Denny was both.
Denny has added some great history to the archives of Naval history and the air war over North Vietnam. He is to be commended and rewarded for the effort. Buy and read “Green Ink.” I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. And Denny will get a few coins to encourage him to keep writing and making going to sea sound like fun.
And Denny! Get going on your book on shiphandling–the 21st Century U.S. Navy needs all the help they can get… Bear
RTR quote for 5 February: SUN TZU, 350 B.C.: “By command I mean the general’s qualities of wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage and strictness.”…
Lest we forget… Bear