RIPPLE SALVO… #519… RESILIENCE: “An ability to recover from or adjust easily to change or misfortune”…but first…
Good Morning: Day FIVE HUNDRED-NINETEEN of a remembrance of the days and nights of Operation Rolling Thunder…
6 August 1967… HEAD LINES from The 1,000 page New York Times on a “seasonable” Sunday” in NYC…
HIROSHIMA… “22 Years After The Bomb”… “Hiroshima is a thriving city in the vanguard of Japan’s rise in world affluence as an industrialized nation that has emerged from nuclear holocaust.”… Page 1: Antiwar Parade Held in Midtown… 1,000 marchers on Broadway to mark Hiroshima Day…
VIETNAM: Page 1: “2 Johnson Envoys Find Allies Back U.S. On Vietnam–Clifford and Taylor Report to President On The Results of Southeast Asia Trip–Deny Peace Discussion–Also Assert They Made No Request For An Increase in Troop Commitments”…Clark Clifford and General Maxwell D. Taylor returned today from their trip to Southeast Asia for President Johnson. They reported that there was wide agreement for increasing the pressure on the enemy. ‘Everybody was for it, ‘General Taylor said, ‘The question is how.’ Naturally, the question of troops came into the discussion,’ Mr. Clifford said. General Taylor said he and Mr. Clifford had made it clear that more troops would be needed to increase the pressure,’ General Taylor said.”… Page 4: “North Vietnam’s official newspaper Nhan Dan today ridiculed President Johnson’s plan to increase American servicemen in South Vietnam by at least 45,000...’The additional troops are just like grains of salt dropped into the sea. This new step of war escalation surely cannot get the American aggressors out of their stalemate.’ The commentary said that Communist forces were always on the attack offensive in South Vietnam ‘whereas United States troops can’t even cover up their own backs and bellies.'”... Page 6: “Arms Sites Pose Vietnam Threat–U.S. Fears New Installations Could Endanger 7th Fleet”… “Aerial reconnaissance has detected a handful of elaborate new concrete weapons installations along the North Vietnamese coast between Thanh Hoa and Dong Hoi… analysts are puzzled and somewhat concerned over possible purpose of the new installations...bodes ill for ships of 7th Fleet. ‘We can’t be sure the Soviets won’t provide surface-to-surface missiles.’ “… Page 6: “U.S. Study Says a Night Army Essential for Victory… in Vietnam … to combat guerrillas. ‘The night belongs to the Viet Cong and we will never put a dent in the war until we reverse that situation,’ said a senior officer.”…
SUMMER IN AMERICA 1967: Page 1: “U.S. Aid Promised For East Harlem–FHA Tentatively Agrees To Finance Mortgage for Slum Block’s Renewal”… “The Federal Housing Authority has tentatively agreed to finance the redevelopment of an entire block in East Harlem.”... Page 1: “Riots Laid To Old Hates”… “Rioting in the northern Negro ghettos feeds on common tinder of psychological and social troubles set a flame by a local incendiary incident, according to a consensus of psychiatrists and psychologists who have studied the problem. These doctors agreed that there was no simple solution to the causes of rioting because the factors were interwoven, complex and deep-seated, extending over generations… ‘The old fear of and obedience to Southern law is breaking down. The Negroes I have met are much angrier than they were three years ago.'”… Page 9: “Some Liberals Discern A Crossroads for Negroes–See Riots Leading Whites to Repression or Aid”… “some liberals long identifying with civil rights struggle believe that the widespread Negro riots may drive white Americans into choosing between repression or mobilization of natural resources and skills to bring the Negro people into the mainstream of American life…all agree that short-term outlook is gloomy… Harold Fleming, Potomac Institute: ‘The repression course will lead to genocide and sporadic guerrilla warfare.”…
Page 2: “Orbiter 5 Drops Into Moon Orbit… right on target. 860-pound photographic laboratory in an egg-shaped orbit, nearest point 125-miles and farthest 3,780-miles…retrofired after 228,700 miles from earth and only 925 miles from the moon…joins three other Orbiters.”… Page 1: “Rockefeller Asks Wiretap Powers In Constitution–Urges State Constitutional Convention Delegates to Give ‘General Authority’ For Legislation to Act–Wants to Guard Rights–‘Carefully Controlled’ Use is Sought–Present Law is Obsolete”…
6 AUGUST 1967…OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (7 Aug reporting 6 Aug ops)..Page 1: “U.S. Raids North 178 Times In Day; 2nd Highest Total–Record of 197 Set Thursday–Carrier Pilots Attack Targets In Hanoi–Power Plant Bombed–air Force Planes Strike in Regions Further South–Ground action Light”... “Navy pilots carried the major load of attacks against targets in North Vietnam today as United States planes flew the second largest number of missions for a single day in the war. United States pilots flew 178 missions short of the record of 197 flown last Thursday. Both marks exceed the previous high of 175 set in October 1966.
“Pilots flying from the carriers Oriskany and Constellation hammered targets around Hanoi and Haiphong and southeastward…Major targets reported hit by A-4 Skyhawks and A-6 Intruders from the Constellation were the Ben Thuy thermal power plant three miles south of Vinh and the Ninhbinh military headquarters area 40 miles south of Hanoi. Carrier pilots reported heavy smoke precluded damage assessment in the Ben Thuy strike ..Two direct hits were reported on the Ninhbinh military headquarters… Other Navy Pilots attacked the Hongai explosives area 27 miles east of Hanoi. Pilots reported bombs on target.
“An American F-4 Phantom was shot down by enemy ground fire. It was the 637th aircraft lost in the North. The two aviators are listed as missing.” (see below)
CONSTELLATION and CARRIER AIR WING 14 Go to Vinh Son with MK-36 Mines (from Humble Host files):
On 6 August 1967, Attack Carrier Air Wing FOURTEEN embarked in USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64) was assigned the responsibility of seeding two highly strategic river areas seven miles southwest of Haiphong. Since the new MK-36 weapon was to be employed, and weather was a factor, secondary and tertiary targets were briefed. Weathered out of the primary and secondary targets the strike leader directed a divert to the Vinh Son option. The strike group composed of six A-6As, two F-4 flak suppressors and two A-4 aircraft equipped with Bullpups altered course and led by Commander Leo T. PROFILET, Commanding VA-196 and B/n LCDR William HARDMAN in an A-6 proceeded to Vinh Son located 30 miles northeast of Vinh. The flak suppressor F-4s led by LCDR Robert DAVIS and RIO LCDR Gayle ELIE accelerated ahead to locate and attack active flak in the area of the Vinh Son ferry slips, none noted, they took station over the target as the six A-6s streamed over the target area. Light then moderate antiaircraft fire met the A-6s and the flak suppressors, including the two A-4 Bullpup shooters all found gun emplacements to strike and silence. The A-6s placed more than 100 MK-36 weapons in the emplacement area as planned. Crossing flight paths and coordination resulted in full coverage of the Vinh Son mine field, all accomplished at high risk and under continuous enemy ground fire opposition. All ten aircraft in the strike group cleared the target area and returned to Connie…
Another great 2-points toward the next Air Medal and another tale for Happy Hour… “There I was.”… Among the bravehearts awarded 2-points on this low altitude mission into the “Guns of Vinh Son” (AAA School for gunners): LCDR JIM CAMERON, LTJG JOHN CASTERLING, LT PHIL BLOOMER, LTJG DENNIS BURGMAN, LT GUY FREEBORN and ENSIGN ROBERT ELLIOTT… oohrah…
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were eight fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 6 August 1967…
(1) CAPTAIN ALBERT LINWOOD PAGE and 1LT DONALD RICHARD KEMMERER were flying an F-4C of the 390th TFS and 366th TFW out of Danang against a storage area 10 mile north of the demilitarized zone and encountered no apparent opposition. CAPTAIN PAGE made three strafing runs on the target without opposition. On the fourth pass the Phantom was struck by automatic weapon fire and set afire. The crew said they were ejecting and the aircraft was observed to crash about five miles off-shore. Without a beeper, parachute or voice contact the SAR effort was called and the aviators presumed to be lost at sea with the aircraft. CAPTAIN PAGE and 1LT KEMMERER were killed in action 50-years ago this day and their bodies rest in peace on their shields and on the battlefield where they fell…
(2) CAPTAIN C.C. CLARK was flying an F-100D of the 90th TFS and 3rd TFW out of Bien Hoa on a close air support mission 10 miles southeast of Saigon and attacking a concentration of Vietcong under FAC control. On his third bombing run he was hit by shrapnel from his own bombs frag pattern. (Low pullout?) He was able to fly the aircraft clear of the target area and eject. He was rescued by an Army helicopter.
(3) and 4,5,6,7 and 8…MAJOR D.R. CONWAY and 1LT F.W. DAHL were flying and F-4C of the 390th TFS and 366th TFW out of Danang on a night road reconnaissance mission near Mugia Pass and set up to attack several trucks. Before they could make their first run, they were hit by ground fire damaging the aircraft. The mission was aborted and the aircraft nursed back to Danang for an emergency landing. The F-4 veered off the runway and wiped out three O-1s and two O-2s on the 20th TASS flight line. Both of the aircrew survived but all six aircraft were strikes.
RIPPLE SALVO… #519… Timex watches ran a commercial for decades that held the product could “take a licking and keep on ticking.”…The Democratic Republic of Vietnam took a licking and kept on ticking. Our enemy was resilient. Resilience in an enemy is a tough quality to overcome when your strategy is attrition warfare.
The August 1967 Senate Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee hearings of Senator John Stennis, a Hawk, bought a parade of witnesses to Washington. On 16 August General Earle Wheeler was at the mike. Neil Sheehan summarized the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s testimony in this short article in the NYT of 16 August.
“Repeated Raiding of North Is Urged–General Wheeler Calls For New Attacks on Rebuilt Targets”... “General Earl G. Wheeler, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed today the need for repeated attacks against major transportation and industrial facilities in North Vietnam He said he did not ‘foresee any shortage of worthwhile military targets’ there.e
“After a major transportation or industrial facility has been attacked once it cannot ‘be crossed off the list and forgotten,’ he said, because North Vietnam has a ‘marked ability to recuperate and accommodate our air attacks.’
“‘Major bridges that have been destroyed have been rapidly replaced by other bridges, fords or ferries–sometimes by all three,’ the general said. ‘Thermal power plants have been put back into operation expeditiously, and roads and railroads have been rapidly repaired.’
“Critics of the Administration’s war policy have charged that much of the bombing of North Vietnam is militarily unnecessary because the few worthwhile targets have been bombed repeatedly.
“General Wheeler made his statements before the Senate Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee, under the chairmanship of Senator John Stennis, Democrat of Mississippi. Lieutenant General William W. Momyer, Commander of the Seventh Air Force, which conducts the Air Force raids against North Vietnam, also appeared before the subcommittee.
“The subcommittee, most of whose members have called for a sharp escalation of air and sea action against North Vietnam, is investigating the air war’
“In what has become standard practice, the Defense Department permitted the publication of General Wheeler’s statement before the subcommittee, but not the senator’ questions and the general’s answers
“General Wheeler did not give any examples of installations that had been repaired rapidly after a bombing attack, but military sources noted that a Hanoi power plant was one such target.
“The plant was bombed three times in May and early June. it has since been reported to have been repaired by the North Vietnamese to the extent that it can produce 75 per cent of its original capacity.
“Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp, United States Commander in the Pacific, has requested permission to strike the Hanoi plant again, but it cannot be determined whether he received permission in the intensification of the air war authorized by President Johnson last week.
“General Wheeler refrained from advocating an intensification of the bombing, although he is known to favor escalation, including an attack on the port of Haiphong or the mining of the port facilities.
“He noted that the North Vietnamese port areas, particularly Haiphong, were ‘valuable targets’ but that attacks against them would ‘provide the greatest opportunity for incidents that could lead to further expansion of the roles of the Communist nations in the war.’
“Vietnam was the subject of another statement in Congress in which Senator Ralph W. Yarborough, Democrat of Texas denounced the idea of launching an amphibious invasion of the southern portion of North Vietnam.
“Senator Yarborough noted reports that such a landing had been urged by military officials, although it is believed that this step has never been proposed to the President or Joint Chiefs of staff.
“‘Any land invasion of North Vietnam would, in my opinion, be an utterly indefensible step,’ the Senator said. ‘It would be escalation gone mad.'”…
RTR QUOTE for 6 August: JOAQUIN MILLER, Columbus: “Brave Admiral, say but one good word: What shall we do when hope is gone?” The words leapt like a leaping sword. “Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!”….
Lest we forget…. Bear