Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #458… A COUPLE OF HAIRY HELICOPTER RESCUE TALES… but first…
Good Morning: Day FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT of a return to North Vietnam for another look at Rolling Thunder…
6 June 1967…HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a sunny Tuesday full of news…
MIDEAST CRISIS… ISRAEL AND ARAB FORCES BATTLING; BOTH CLAIM LAND AND AIR VICTORIES; CEASE-FIRE EFFORTS STALLED IN U.N…. “Fighting is raging in Gaza and Sinai and action in the air is heavy. Israelis and the Arab Nations were locked in full scale war yesterday along the borders of Israel and in the skies. fighting raged from Syria on the north to the Sinai Desert in the south, and on the Jordanian Israeli border. Israeli claimed major victories in the Sinai Desert and the Gaza strip reporting that her troops and tanks had taken El Arish and Khan Yunis, key towns, and asserting that the fall of Gaza City was imminent. In other sectors Israelis reported the capture of the Jordanian town of Jenin and said Syrian land forces had entered the conflict for the first time with an attack on a border village. Israel also said her pilots had shattered the Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian Air Forces. Israeli pilots were reported to have destroyed 374 enemy planes with an additional 30 damaged. Israel put her losses at 10 aircraft. In Tel Aviv, Israeli leaders said that their goals did not include the conquest of Arab lands. In Cairo, President Gamal Abdel Nasser said the Arabs sought to eliminate the shadow of Zionism from Palestine.” In Washington, President Johnson sought to maintain a neutral role in the conflict and calling on both sides to accept an immediate truce avoiding placing the lame. In Moscow the Government issued a statement denouncing Israel’s aggression and demanding withdrawal.”…
TROOPS AND ARMOR DASH INTO JERUSALEM…ISRAELI PLANES RAID AIRPORTS IN JORDAN…NASSER EXHORTS ARABS… BRITISH POLICY: DO NOT TAKE SIDES…TWO U.S. CARRIERS STAYING IN PLACE…EGYPT BACKED BY SOVIET BLOCKS U.N. CALL FOR TRUCE…U.S. SEEKS TO HOLD A NEUTRAL STANCE…MOSCOW DEMANDS ISRAEL QUIT EGYPT…U.S. MILITARY EXPERTS EXPECT SHORT WAR WITH ISRAEL WINNING…
Page 1: “4 States Hit By Blackout”… “Motorists blew their horns in self-defense and drove gingerly through intersections where traffic lights were out, 1500 persons were stranded in the Philadelphia subway and railroad trains in four states rolled to a halt in yesterday’s power blackout. Air traffic over the Northeast generally suffered little delay and disruption but Newark airport was crippled.”… Page 1: “13 Million Affected as Blackout Hurts Jersey Most”... “Power Back Quickly”…”The precise cause is yet to be determined: human mechanical or overload.”...Page 3: “Fewer Rejected by Draft in 1966 but despite eased criteria 176,000 failed to pass, a drop of 52,000 from 1965. Among Negro youth 67,744 failed to meet mental standards compared with 90,504 in 1965. White youths failures were 108,259 failed in 1966, 165,225 in 1965.”… Page 3: “Moscow Rejects Denial of Attack”... “The Soviet Government ‘rejected tonight a denial by the United States that American fighter-bombers attacked a Soviet merchant ship, the Turkestan, in a North Vietnamese port, Can Pha, Friday. In a sharply worded note, Moscow declared: ‘Facts at the disposal of the Soviet Government show irrefutably that the bandit attack by two American aircraft on the Soviet merchant ship, as a result of which one of the crewmen died and several were wounded, was clearly a premeditated one…There cannot be any doubt that the American pilots were aiming precisely at the Turkestan, dropping bombs on it and strafing.’…”…
6 June 1967…The President’s CIA Daily TS Briefing… ARAB STATES-ISRAEL: Cairo may be preparing to launch a campaign urging strikes against US interests in the Arab world. Both Egyptian and Syrian domestic broadcasts this morning called on the “Arab masses” to destroy all US and “imperialist” interests in the “Arab homeland.” Last night a Cairo radio claimed that it had proof of US and British participation in the “aggression.” Demonstrations have now taken place against all US embassies and installations all over the Arab world…Arab oil-producing countries meeting in Baghdad, say they will stop selling oil to any country which takes part in or supports Israel in the fighting. Baghdad radio said this morning that the pumping of Iraqi oil has stopped “because of US and UK attitudes…In the fighting, Israel has gained an early and perhaps overwhelming victory in the air, but the progress of the war on the ground is unclear. If Israel claims regarding damage in Arab combat aircraft are valid, they have destroyed the entire Jordanian inventory of 21, two-thirds of the Syria inventory of 69, and 250 of some 430 Egyptian planes. Arab counterclaims of 156 Israeli planes destroyed seem grossly exaggerated, but actual losses to the Israeli force of about 270 aircraft are not known… In Jordan, King Husayn said this morning that Israel is pushing ahead in a punitive fashion. He ended with a plea that US intercede….
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM… CAPTAIN JOHN A. FIRSE, United States Air Force… THE AIR FORCE CROSS… 11 JUNE 1967…
“The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the AIR FORCE CROSS to JOHN A. FIRSE, CAPTAIN, U.S. AIR FORCE, for EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an HH-3E Helicopter Rescue Crew Commander over North Vietnam on 11 June 1967. On that date, Captain FIRSE flew deep into hostile territory to rescue two downed American pilots. After rescuing one survivor from the dense jungle, he hovered over the second, with intense and accurate ground fire tearing into his unarmed aircraft and causing extensive damage. Despite continuing fire Captain FIRSE persevered in the recovery effort until the second survivor was safely aboard. Although three of his tires were blown and the hull was extensively damaged from hostile fire, Captain FIRSE skillfully recovered at a forward operating base. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness, Captain FIRSE reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.”
6 June 1967…Operation Rolling Thunder…New York Times (7 June reporting 6 June ops) Page 3: “Air Force and Navy pilots maintained pressure against North Vietnam’s rail lines and road links with continued attacks in spite of poor weather...A Navy F-8 Crusader was shot down by ground fire on a reconnaissance mission. It was the 592nd U.S. loss. Thunderchiefs from Thailand damaged a railway bridge near Hagia, 20 miles north of Hanoi and cut rails on a nearby railroad bridge… Air Force Skyraider pilots hit a truck park near Vinh 140 miles north of the DMZ causing two explosions….”… (bear#93bigBP/RPIIIbridge)
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were four fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 6 June 1967…
(1) CAPTAIN DUANE SCOTT BAKER was flying an F-100D of the 416th TFS and 37th TFW out of Phu Cat on a directed air support mission and was strafing Vietcong buildings when hit by ground fire and flew into the ground without an opportunity to eject 15 miles northwest of Quang Ngai. CAPTAIN BAKER was Killed in Action on the attack in the service of his country. He died with honor fifty years ago this day. Inexplicably, accounting for his remains is unavailable in available document… Left behind?
(2) LTJG THOMAS RENWICK HALL was flying an F-8E of the VF-211 Checkmates embarked in USS Bon Homme Richard on a major strike to the Hanoi TPP. He was hit crossing the beach and turned back to sea. He was forced to eject four miles from the beach and was rescued by the USS England Helicopter to fly and fight another day…
(3) MAJOR LEONARD OWENS and 1LT HOWARD REEVES SALE were flying an RF-4C on a photo reconnaissance mission in Northern Laos and radio contact was lost. It is believed they were shot down and killed about 10 miles east of Xiangkhoang. Again, accounting for the remains of both these warriors is not indicated in available records…??? What we do know is they did not come home fifty years ago as expected…
(4) An RF-8G of the VFP-63 Detachment on USS Bon Homme Richard was on a photo mission and hit by ground fire near Vinh. The unidentified naval aviator flew the damaged aircraft back to the carrier where it was struck due to the heavy damage…
RIPPLE SALVO… #458… SILVER STARS … On 22 May 1967 MAJOR RICHARD VOGEL, USAF and 1LT DAVID I. BALDWIN were hit by AAA on a night strike on the rail yard at Cam Nung on the main rail line between Hanoi and China. They managed to fly their damaged aircraft to a point about 10 miles north of Cam Pha where they were forced to eject. They came down in hostile territory. Chris Hobson wrote: MAJOR VOGEL was captured but amazingly, considering the intensity of air defenses in the area a Navy helicopter managed to rescue 1LT BALDWIN. MAJOR VOGEL came home in March 1973. Some more of the story from that evening of 22 May…
At 2210, 22 May 1967, LTJG STEPHEN PORCH, LTJG STUART WILLIAMS, AX2 PAUL DEGENNARO, and AX2 DUANE SHAFER departed USS Kitty Hawk in an SH-3A helicopter on an urgent and special SAR mission. They were vectored to USS Long Beach where a difficult night landing was executed by LTJG WILLIAMS. The crewmen refueled the helicopter while the pilots were briefed on the urgent mission while in the cockpit. Departing the Long Beach the crew learned that the rescue hoist would operate only in the emergency mode. The helicopter was required to refuel a second time from a night hover over the USS Swenson with the two crewmen AX2 DEGENNARO and AX2 SHAFER manhandling the fueling hose. They departed USS Swenson at maximum fuel, ready for all contingencies.
The crew joined the other RESCAP aircraft for their penetration inland. Upon approaching the coast the helicopter was taken under fire by several batteries of 37-mm antiaircraft fire on an off-shore island. Undeterred the crew continued inland over rugged mountainous terrain searching for the downed aviator located at 21 degrees 12.5 minutes North and 107 degrees 13.5 minutes East. The crew coordinated directions to locate the hover point over the downed pilot under dense and multiple canopied jungle, in the dark, under an overcast, and in the mountains. As the helicopter transitioned to a hover for the rescue, the enemy opened up with heavy ground fire. In contact with the downed pilot and using flashlight signals the hover was moved to another point on a steep mountain slope to try again.
Again heavy ground fire was experienced with both crewmen exposed to that enemy fire while they operated the hoist manually, unprotected in the cargo door. AX2 SHAFER sustained a serious leg wound. The accompanying RESCAP cover aircraft were unable to locate and suppress the enemy opposition that continued to hold the helicopter under fire. Without warning the helicopter suffered a malfunction that threw it into an unusual attitude. Recovery was only possible by the reaction and skill of LTJG PORCH. Even then the aircraft was barely controllable, a condition made worse by the damage sustained by enemy gunfire This led LTJG PORCH to abort the rescue attempt. Only now, with the violent lurching of the battle damaged aircraft, two injured crewmen, and continued sustained enemy fire, LTJG PORCH turned seaward and headed for the nearest ready deck.
All four of these gallant and heroic warriors were recommended for the award of the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action in the face of enemy opposition. While MAJOR VOGEL was left on a mountain to face his captors and imprisonment for six years, it is crystal clear that the effort to bring him home on 22 May 1967 went far beyond the call of duty…
LTJGs PORCH AND WILLIAMS were awarded SILVER STARS. I have a hunch the two equally valiant partners in this adventure received a lesser award to go with their Purple Hearts for returning enemy fire and hanging out the cargo door to give it everything they had to try to get MAJOR VOGEL a ride home… That’s the way it was with the award system… If I am wrong, please let me know. AX2 PAUL DEGENNARD and AX2 DUANE SHAFER– SILVER STARS??? I hope so…
And that’s the way it was fifty years ago ….
Lest we forget…. Bear
Some supplemental information from the internet:
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kitty_hawk-ii.html
22–23 May 1967: Big Mother 69, an SH-3A, LT(JG) Stephen L. Porch and his crew, HS-2, attempted a nighttime CSAR over North Vietnam for Twerps 2, a USAF F-4C, 1st LT David L. Baldwin, downed by “enemy action” after encountering “an intense wall of flak.” Receiving North Vietnamese small arms, automatic weapons and 75 mm fire, Porch and his crew located the pilot and tried to retrieve him, only disengaging when a crewman was wounded and the crewman’s radar altimeter was knocked out. Porch and his co-pilot, LT(JG) Stuart B. Williams, were each awarded the Silver Star.
http://www.hc7seadevils.org/CACArticle.pdf
AX-2 Paul DeGennaro, Coronado, CA served in Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS-2) from June1966 to Sept 1967. Paul was aircrewman in the SH-3A helicopter armed with M-60 machine guns and Thompson sub-machine guns while conducting Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) operations. He shares this most memorable mission; Attempted Night Rescue by Paul DeGennaro.
On the evening of May 22, 1967 aboard the USS Kittyhawk (CVA-63) the men of HS-2 SAR DET 1 were at a relaxed state. This was the final day of the SAR DET 1 tour because air operations were secured and the USS Hornet (CVS-12) and the main body of HS-2 would be arriving on station the next morning. Then the 1MC blared “Big Mother standby crew, man your aircraft “ The crew consisted of aircraft commander Lt. (JG) Stephen L Porch, Co pilot Lt (JG) Stuart B. Williams, First crewman AX2 (AC) Paul DeGennaro, Second crewman AX2 Duane A. Shaffer. We launched about 2100 and flew up to North SAR Station. We orbited for a number of hours while they tried to get a fix on downed Air Force pilot, Lt. David L. Baldwin, who punched out in the mountains north of Haiphong. At this point it was about midnight and it was decided that we would in-flight refuel from a DE. This was tricky because our rescue hoist had an intermittent electrical problem and I didn’t want the problem to get worse. We had the DE crew throw us a line and we pulled up the fuel hose with rope. We successfully refueled this way. The downed pilot was located and the OK was given for us to make the rescue. We had two A1 Spads escorting us. We flew at 6000 ft and flew over numerous coastal islands before hitting the mainland. We drew heavy Anti-aircraft fire from the islands. There were shells exploding above us and below us the whole time we were over the island airspace. After flying about 45 minutes we got to the rescue area which was covered with tall trees and at about 5000 ft in altitude. We were communicating with the downed pilot and the A1’s guided us in. We were hovering over tall trees and could not see through them. I clipped a light I took off a Mae West onto the Jungle Penetrator and lowered the penetrator through trees and we waited. At this point we were drawing heavy small arms fire and lost communication with the downed pilot. The aircraft was taking numerous hits. I was knocked over by one bullet going through my shirt and the other crewman took one through the leg. We could not regain communication with the downed pilot and the aircraft started spinning because the rudder controls were damaged by enemy gunfire. Reluctantly we left the area and headed back to the ship. We drew sporadic gunfire until we got to the islands. Our friends on the islands were waiting for us to return and threw every thing they had at us. It was like the 4th July. We landed on the USS Long Beach (CGN 9). A few minutes after landing the self sealing tanks gave out and all the fuel we had left dumped out on the deck of the Long Beach. At first light the next morning another HS-2 DET 1 helicopter commanded by Lt Richard T Daniels went in and successfully made the rescue. With daylight they could see the enemy positions and F4’s were called in to deal with them. It’s amazing what a few well placed cluster bombs can do.