RIPPLE SALVO… #609… Humble Host is honored to be able to post this tribute to a gallant warrior who passed on in December 1999. On Major Dutton’s second combat tour in Southeast Asia and his 130th mission on 5 November 1967, he was downed and captured by the North Vietnamese. A brief portion of his extraordinary service for our country is told in Ripple Salvo…but first…
Good Morning: Day SIX HUNDRED NINE of a revisit to the hostile skies of North Vietnam in Operation Rolling Thunder…
5 November 1967…HEAD LINES from the 1,000 page, 40-cent The New York Times on a cold and breezy Sunday in the canyons of New York City…
Page 1: “Sihanouk Terms Border Problem a Bar To U.S. Ties–Says Link Can Be Reopened If Washington Pledges To Cease Alleged Violations–Stresses Peking Amity–Cambodian Prince Deplores Johnson Policy In Vietnam and Urges Withdrawal”… “Prince Norodom Sihanouk, the Chief of State, today contrasted Cambodia’s continuing sharp differences with the United States and her newly relaxed relations with China.”… Page 1: “World’s Reds Hail Soviets’ 50 Years–Visitors of Kremlin Jubilee Session Put Controversies Aside For Celebration”... “…singing praises of 50-years of the Soviet State.”… Page 1: “Two Major Parties Seek 1968 Omens In Tuesday’s Elections”… Page 1: “Von Braun’s Hopes Ride On Saturn”… “Twenty-five year after he fired the first successful V-2 rocket and almost 10-years after launching the first American satellite, Dr. Werner von Braun has now harnessed enough power in one rocket to send men to the moon. Next week, in a pioneering unmanned test, he hope to prove it works.”… Page 1: “LGEN James Gavin Visits I-Corps For Brief On Vietnam War”... “… accompanied by LGEN Robert Cushman, Commandant, USMC…’visiting as a concerned citizen.’ “… NCAA Football: Army over Air Force, 10-7: Notre Dame over Navy, 43-14: Alabama over Mississippi State, Southern Cal over Cal, 31-12: Houston over Georgia, 15-14.”…
5 November 1967…The President’s Daily Brief…NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL ATTITUDES ON THE WAR…More from the “Women Strike for Peace”: Hanoi is continuing to broadcast statements on the war by leftists Americans who have recently been in North Vietnam. These broadcasts are in English and beamed to US troops in South Vietnam. The latest such broadcast was on 3 November and composed of remarks attributed to Dagmar Wilson, National Chairman of “Women Strike for Peace.” Mrs. Wilson was in Hanoi in early October… The broadcast consisted of her views of American “antiwar activities.” Mrs. Wilson expressed the belief that the best way support the boys in Vietnam is to bring them home and related how people like herself must try to turn the minds of people who support the war effort. This was being done, she claimed, by making heroes out of young men who have refused to fight. Mrs. Wilson said she believes “it is more important to live and work for what you believe in than to sacrifice and die.” .…Hanoi On the President’s Press Conference.: Hanoi has denounced President Johnson’s 1 November press conference statement that US objectives are limited. A Hanoi broadcast in English on 4 November claimed that the President’s declaration actually means the US wants South Vietnam to be a “new type colony and an US military base for aggression,” the broadcast asserted, “has shed more light on his hypocritical announcement about a peaceful settlement, his readiness to negotiate and the conditional cessation of the bombing.” Because of the ‘hypocritical policy,” the broadcast said that the protest against US policy in Vietnam has mounted throughout the world.”…
AMONG THE BRAVE… GALLANTRY IN ACTION… MAJOR RICHARD ALLEN DUTTON, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE…the SILVER STAR… PHUC YEN, NORTH VIETNAM… 5 NOVEMBER 1967…
“The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the SILVER STAR to MAJOR RICHARD ALLEN DUTTON, United States Air Force, for GALLANTRY in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-105 Pilot of the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Takhli Royal Thai air Base, Thailand, PACIFIC Air Forces, in action over North Vietnam on 5 November 1967. On that date, MAJOR DUTTON displayed outstanding aerial competence and courageous professionalism in the aggressive pursuance and acquisition of the assigned targets. The tenacity of MAJOR DUTTON to attain the objective against formidable defenses is in accord with the highest military standards. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, MAJOR DUTTON has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Forces.”… oohrah…
Among MAJOR DUTTON’s other combat awards are a second Silver Star awarded for gallantry as a POW on 10 November 1967; the Legion of Merit with V as a senior POW with command responsibilities; two Distinguished Flying Cross awards; a dozen Air Medals, the Purple Heart and the POW Medal… More in Ripple Salvo…
5 November 1967… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… The New York Times (6 Nov reporting 5 Nov ops)…New York Times… Devoid of coverage of the air war… “Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) there were two fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 5 November 1967…
(1) CAPTAIN BILLY R. SPARKS was flying an F-105D of the 333rd TFS and 355th TFW out of Takhli and leading a division of bombers in a major strike on Phuc Yen. In evading several surface-to-air missiles nearing the target north of Hanoi, he took his flight to low level in the evasion maneuvers and his aircraft was hit by 3-57mm shells and set afire. Smoke entered the cockpit. CAPTAIN SPARKS jettisoned his canopy and continued to fly his burning aircraft west. He finally ejected at 24,000-feet (When on fire, climb as high as possible to reduce oxygen with the hope the fire will go out…didn’t work for Captain Sparks)… He came down 16 miles south of Yen Bai where a SAR was attempted, with success, returning CAPTAIN SPARKS out of the hostile area to fly and fight again…
(2) MAJOR RICHARD ALLEN DUTTON and CAPTAIN EARL GLENN COBEIL were flying an F-105F Wild Weasel of the 357th TFS and 355th TFW out of Takhli the Takhli supporting the 355th wing strike on Phuc Yen, including CAPTAIN BILLY SPARK’s flight. At about the same time CAPTAIN SPARKS was hit, MAJOR DUTTON and CAPTAIN COBEIL were in the attack on an active SAM site west of Hanoi when hit solidly by 37mm ground fire. The aircraft became unflyable immediately and MAJOR DUTTON, who was on his 130th mission, and CAPTAIN COBEIL were forced to eject near the Red River and were quickly captured. CAPTAIN COBEIL perished while a POW and died on this day, 5 November fifty years ago, a victim of relentless and brutal torture. (Earl Cobeil was tortured to insanity by a Cuban interrogator who used rubber whips made from fan belts. Earl died because he would not eat. His cell mates were force feeding him, but when he was put in solitary, that was the end…Thanks J. Crecca) His remains were returned to the United States in March 1974 and he is resting in peace in Arlington National Cemetery. MAJOR DUTTON’s story follows in Ripple Salvo…
5 Nov 67… MAJOR KENNETH W. MAYS from the 34th TFS at Korat flew in today’s strike against Phuc Yen airfield (JCS 6) and participated in the successful rescap of CAPTAIN BILLY SPARKS from the 333rd at Takhli… From the unpublished memoir of Colonel Ken Mays, USAF, “Tour at Korat–July 67 to Feb 68″… “On November 5,1967 I was number 3 in a flight led by Floyd Henzig (Major Floyd E. Henzig). the target was Phuc Yen Air Field.Takhli was first in and they stirred the hornet’s nest. Kort had good bombs and did not lose an aircraft. We were the last flight in and as we pulled off target...BILLY SPARKS, indicated he was hit…Floyd picked him up and we joined on him. As he crossed the Black River the aircraft was engulfed with flames and he… bailed out… Floyd and I set a pattern above him… one element high and one low and called for rescue… a tanker came north and we took turns cycling to the tanker. Some F-4s came and set up a high cap. We spent the next 1.5 hours running MiGs out of the area and shot up some trucks/troops trying to get to Sparks.”… “Sandy’s arrived and our concentration was providing them cover. After the Sandy’s assured the area was safe the Jolly Greens came in and made the pickup of Sparks. This was the only real opportunity I had for shooting down a MiG, but I had no missiles and when we pursued they left the area. A long day, but a successful day–good bombs on target and a successful pick-up of a fellow F-105.”
RIPPLE SALVO… #609… CONTINUING THE 5 NOV SAGA OF MAJOR DUTTON, who would retire from the Air Force in the grade of O-6 in 1981… the following is from “WE CAME HOME” by the Wyatts…
“Colonel Dick Dutton trained in the super secret ‘Wild Weasel’ program. The F-105 is a jet literally bulging with sensitive electronic gadgets. In November 1967, 90 miles north of Bangkok, Captain Glen Cobeil and Major Dick Dutton briefed for their mission. They were to be the spare aircraft in the event another aircraft would have to abort. There would be four aircraft that would precede the fighter-bombers. The Wild Weasel aircraft’s job was to seek out the guided missile sites, knock them out before they could launch the ‘flying telephone poles’, the name given the North Vietnamese SA-2 surface-to-air missiles. The F-4 Phantoms provided MIG cover for the Weasels and the strike aircraft….”
Major Dutton: “As I made a wide sweeping turn after releasing one of my bombs, the missile radar started working on me. A 37mm hit my tail and I was on fire. I was seven minutes from the Red River. We (Dutton and Cobeil) tried to nurse the stricken plane, but the time came when we knew we had to eject. I figured if I could hide until dark perhaps I could get across the Red River (into Laos)–that being friendly territory. However, I landed (in my parachute) right in the middle of a populated area.
“Quickly the peasants disrobed me with no thought of unfastening buttons or zippers. They even cut my boots.
“With elbows tied behind my back, a loose blindfold over my eyes and a noose over my head, I was led barefoot down a rocky path. The civilians hit me with bamboo poles, rocks, dirt clods and fists. I had a gaping wound and one peasant woman stuffed it with a piece of cotton that had a mercurochrome like antiseptic on it. Loaded into a small truck , we bounced along and finally arrived at an empty church. Shortly thereafter Communist soldiers put unconscious Glen Cobeil in one truck and me in another. Then we were taken to a Russian-built helicopter and placed in the cargo section. My ankles were tied to a floor hook. As we flew along my blindfold was pulled up around my forehead and I saw an oriental sitting on a packing crate holding a raised jack handle. I thought he was going to smash my brains in. He shoved my head around to look at Glen. There was no wound on him. We finally arrived at the Hanoi Hilton. Glen was alive. I never saw him again, but I heard him. We were tortured continuously and on the fifth day I heard Glen scream my name and then I heard the sounds of them beating and clubbing him. He did not come home alive.
“They beat, they shackled, they even played a game of forcing me to sit on a stool in the middle of room and the guards would take turns knocking me off with blows to the head. The object was to see how far they could knock me. I think the record was ten feet! Today I have a loss of hearing in one ear due to those blows on the head.
“I existed from one second to second, minute to minute, hour to hour. I would detach my mind from my body. I could take it and suspend a set of eyes above me and watch the show. I convinced myself it wasn’t me being tortured. In fact, I wondered what they were going to do next to the poor soul. The torture went on seven night and seven days. It was too much, I had to give in.
“However, we learned to bounce back and pass each hour in the hope it would soon be time to go home. Now I am home and my biggest job is to become a father instead of ‘that man Mama’s been telling us about.’ “
Humble Host and all Americans were witness this week to the capture of an evil enemy of America–the Islamic Terrorist who killed eight and left another 20 innocent civilians injured on the Westside bike path in Manhattan. The care and feeding of this enemy combatant cum prisoner-of-war will be soft, warm and fuzzy. Nobody will touch him. His every wish and whim will be satisfied for the rest of his life in an American prison. TV, workouts on schedule, prayers five times per day, three meals to order per day, toilet paper, lawyers for free, and medical care beyond the affordability of most Americans are assured. And the secrets he holds in his head–untouchable. America is too nice. Nice guys finish last… An ignored lesson of Vietnam is the fact that America’s enemies ignore the Geneva Conventions concerning POWs — always have and always will — and their brutal torture knows no bounds. Our unilateral adherence to the obsolete rules may be noble, but in practice it is down-right stupid… A new set of rules for the 21st century is a necessity. A good start would be to promise all captured Islamic Terrorists a full dose of waterboarding, if necessary… Let the world know that America considers these warriors of Islam run amuck ineligible for convention consideration and that we won’t do anything to him/her as painful or as bad as what he/she has done to an American, in or out of uniform… . That’s my opinion, what’s yours…
RTR Quote for 5 Nov: BISMARCK, Speech, 1870: “I am accustomed to pay men back in their own coin.”…
Lest we forget…. Bear