Bear Taylor 
WE CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY… “as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty…”…
RIPPLE SALVO… #851… “In Memory of…….COLONEL PATRICK MARTIN “PAT” FALLON. ***A memorial service was held on June 22, 2012, at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. ***Colonel Fallon was the Vice Commander of the 56th Special Operations Wing at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. On July 4, 1969, he was the pilot of a Douglas Attack Skyraider (A-1H) checking out enemy activity near Xiangkhoang at the edge of the Plain of Jars in Northern Laos. As he was diving to look for the enemy, his aircraft was hit by hostile fire and he bailed out safely in the middle of Pathet Lao troops. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.”
“You may be gone, no longer living on this earth, but you will live on–in the memorials of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!”… But first…
GOOD MORNING…HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, and many more… Day EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE of a return to the years of the Vietnam war and the offensive air operations of 1965-1968 carried out against North Vietnam called Operation Rolling Thunder…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times on Thursday, 4 July 1968…
THE WAR: Page 3: “49 OF FOE KILLED NEAR BUFFER ZONE–SPORADIC FIGHTING RESUMES–Casualties Are Light“… “…United States units reported killing 49 North Vietnamese in three separate actions. At least 22 enemy soldiers were cut down in an ambush set up by elements of the Third Regiment, Third Marine Division, about four miles northwest of Dongha. Two Marines were killed during the early morning ambush. In the vicinity of Conthien near the southern edge of the demilitarized zone, 15 of the enemy were said to have been killed during an engagement that began late in the afternoon and ended at nightfall. One marine was killed and four wounded. Farther east, three miles northeast of Khe Sanh near the Laotian border, 12 of the enemy were killed early last night by helicopter gunship and artillery. …East of Saigon another cache of rockets were unearthed…Meantime, a Marine Ch-46 Sea Knight was shot down just after it had finished unloading a reconnaissance team into an area 24 miles northwest of Danang. A reinforced reconnaissance unit was rushed to the site while fighter planes and helicopter gunships attacked the enemy force. Nine marines were killed during the fight, as were all four crew members of the cargo helicopter… War is a killing business… Page 3: “MEKONG DELTA LETDOWN FEARED AS AGGRESSIVE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GENERAL LEAVES”…
PEACE TALKS: Page 1: “HARRIMAN THANKS HANOI FOR PLAN TO FREE 3 PILOTS”… “…and voiced the hope that this signaled Hanoi’s willingness to ‘move forward toward a peaceful settlement. There was no immediate indication, however that the move would produce an early breakthrough in the deadlocked Vietnam talks here in Paris. After the 11th negotiating session today, both sides reported that there had been no progress on crucial issue of scaling down the war… sources close to the American delegation said that they doubted the value of ending of reducing bombing and other acts of war against North Vietnam, as Hanoi’s negotiators have been demanding for nearly two months…” Page 3: “Hanoi Mission Reception In Paris Marks ‘3,000th’ U.S. Plane Loss”… (U.S. count closer to 900)…
Page 1: “GUNMAN TERRORIZES CENTRAL PARK–2 DEAD, 3 SHOT–Slayer Is Killed By Police In Hour Duel“… Page 1: “JOHNSON SHOCKED–PRESSES GUN BILL–He Tells Nation ‘Senseless Tragedy” Here Is Further Proof Of Need For Law”… Page 3: “Westmoreland Sworn as Army Chief of Staff”… Page 2: “PILOT OF FREED JET DENIES HE FLEW IN SOVIET AIR SPACE–Plane in Saigon–U.S. Concedes Intrusion”… Page “… Page 1: “NEW ATOMIC TESTS PLANNED BY 1: “JOHNSON CONFOUNDS CRITICS BY NEW DISPLAY OF POWER” (Supreme Court appointments)… Page 2: “DUE PROCESS ASKED IN MILITARY JUSTICE”…
4 July 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (5 Jul reporting 4 Jul ops) Page 4: “In North Vietnam, B-52 bombers struck four times in the area just north of the demilitarized zone. It was the fourth successive day that the huge bombers have carried out raids against artillery sites, bunkers and storage areas in the region. North of the bomber strikes but south of the 19th Parallel, American fighter-bomber pilot flew 135 multi-aircraft missions through gunfire described as moderate to heavy. The northernmost target was a river barge one mile south of the 19th Parallel, the cutoff point for air attacks during the current bombing curtailment of the north.”…
VIETNAM: AIR STRIKES (Chris Hobson) There were five fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 4 July 1968…
(1) 1LT J.B. JAEGER and MAJOR D.A. HAMILTON were flying an F-4C of the 391st TFS and 12th TFW out of Cam Ranh Bay on a mission scrambled to engage enemy troops in contact and fighting with U.S. troops 10 miles north of Cam Ranh Bay. After eight bombing and strafing attacks on the enemy positions and troops, a ninth run was disrupted by intense ground fire and the pair of Air Force aviators were forced to eject. They were fortunate that an Army helicopter was immediately available to perform a rescue…
(2) CAPTAIN J.M. BIBLER and CAPTAIN DANIEL J. COONON were flying a Marine F-4B of the VMFA-115 Silver Eagles and MAG-13 out of Chu Lai on a close air support mission 5 miles south of Khe Sanh. Their Phantom was hit by ground fire on a strafing run, lost an engine, caught fire and were forced to eject. Both were rescued to fly and fight again. CAPTAIN COONON would be downed again in October 1968 and not survive…
(3) MAJOR J.S ELLARD was flying an F-100D Super Sabre of the 352nd TFS and 35th TFW out of Phu Rang was hit by small arms fire on takeoff without realizing he had been damaged. Later in the flight he lost fuel requiring an emergency landing at Binh Thuy. The landing was a controlled crash destroying the F-100 and seriously injuring MAJOR ELLARD…
(4) and (5) USS Ticonderoga lost two aircraft to a mid-air collision while practicing air-to-air combat. An A-4F from the “World Famous VA-192 Golden Dragons” and an F-8E of the VF-194 Red Lightnings collided and both pilots ejected and were recovered by helicopter to fly and fight again… The F-8 pilot was identified as LTJG J.F. STRAHM…
FOR THE 12 YEARS OF AIR COMBAT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, THERE WERE ONLY TWO FATALITIES ON INDEPENDENCE DAY, 4 JULY: In 1967 LIEUTENANT PHILLIP CHARLES CRAIG, USN and in 1969, COLONEL “PAT” FALLON, USAF… BOTH INTREPID AVIATORS, WERE INITIALLY LISTED AS MISSING-IN-ACTION. LT CRAIG’s REMAINS WERE RETURNED FOR BURIAL IN 1985. COLONEL FALLON REMAINS MISSING AND IS PRESUMED KILLED IN ACTION… Their respective stories…
LIEUTENANT PHILLIP C. CRAIG was a pilot assigned to Attack Squadron FIFTEEN embarked in USS INTREPID. On 4 July 1967 he launched in his A-4C Skyhawk attack aircraft with others from his squadron on combat mission over North Vietnam. “P.C.” was on his second combat tour of duty and had flown over 100 missions on his first tour. His target was the railroad yard in the heavily defended Ha Duong area midway between Haiphong and Hanoi. His aircraft was last visibly observed in mid-dive on the target but was seen at all times in the leader’s rear view mirrors. Upon arrival in the target area, anti-aircraft opposition was described a light to moderate. The division leader commenced his 45-degree dive bombing attack and the other three aircraft rolled in almost simultaneously.
LIEUTENANT CRAIG failed to make the briefed off-target rendezvous and a search and rescue operation was alerted and conducted. Two radio transmissions indicated that LT CRAIG had crossed the beach (‘feet wet”) however the visual and electronic searches failed to locate or contact LT CRAIG. Reports of debris and oil slicks at sea were investigated without yielding a clue. There had been no beeper signals heard, parachute seen, or radio calls from LT CRAIG after the brief “feet wet” call… The North Vietnamese later announced that two U.S. planes had been shot down later that day, but no further information surfaced that related to LT CRAIG. He was listed as Missing in Action. During the period in MIA status he was promoted twice to the rank of Commander.
In 1973 after Operation Homecoming when almost 600 American POWs were released and came home, hope for LT CRAIG’s survival was reduced to “unaccounted for.” In 1978, based on no evidence to prove he was alive, COMMANDER CRAIG was presumptively declared Killed In Action. In late 1985 the North Vietnamese inexplicably returned to U.S. control the remains of COMMANDER PHILLIP C. CRAIG for burial at home in due course.
RIPPLE SALVO… #851… There are several hundred American aviators remaining on the roles of the Missing in Action as a consequence of our Vietnam war. Humble Host suggest the case of COLONEL PAT FALLON is one that every American should read and grasp as indicative of what the label MISSING IN ACTION and slogans like NO MAN LEFT BEHIND really mean. COLONEL FALLON WAS LEFT BEHIND AND REMAINS MISSING IN ACTION… His story…
PATRICK FALLON was born in Pennsylvania in 1921. He attended the United States Military Academy but dropped out in 1944 to serve in World War II. In Korea he flew 125 combat missions, and as a forward air controller, parachuted behind enemy lines. He came home a seasoned warrior “glory gained and duty done.”…
In 1968, COLONEL FALLON elected to go to Vietnam and departed for Nakhon Phanon, Thailand to assume the position of Vice Commander of the 56th Special Operations Wing. His wife Jean and two daughters, Jean and Cappie, waited in Florida for his return.
On 4 July 1969, COLONEL FALLON and another A-1 Skyraider were assigned a mission to investigate enemy presence and movement near the town of Xiangkhoang at the eastern edge of the Plain of Jars in Northern Laos (Barrel Roll). The flight was led by COLONEL FALLON, call sign Firefly 26, his wingman, Firefly 27. COL FALLON made a low pass on the suspect area to observe the Pathet Lao positions, circled and made a second low pass on the area. His Skyraider plane was hit and disabled at 200-feet. COL FALLON was able to pull up, and gain enough altitude to bailout of his doomed aircraft.
COL FALLON REACHED THE GROUND SAFELY. He came down between two 4,500 foot ridges that were platforms for numerous Pathet Lao troops and machine gun emplacements. The valley between was controlled by a force of Pathet Lao. Firefly 27 was on scene to make numerous attacks on the enemy guns and troops and was hit by enemy fire but continued to make runs until he ran out of ammunition. He was forced to leave COL FALLON, and subsequently made a forced landing in Thailand… oohrah… COL FALLON was in contact with relieving SAR aircraft and as the enemy closed in he requested the aircraft to “put it (ordnance) all around me. I’m hit”… That was his last transmission… He became the highest-ranking Air Force officer listed as MISSING IN ACTION from the Vietnam War..
On that Fourth of July 1969, COL FALLON’s wife Jean and two daughters began their never-ending vigil of hope. When the Air Force came to her door to inform her that Pat had been shot down, she was readying for a flight to meet him in Hawaii. When his personal effects arrived much later, she discovered that he had flown 100+ combat flights in addition to his 100+ from Korea and World War II service. Two more Distinguished Flying Cross awards and the Purple Heart were other surprises. His awards included the Legion of Merit, two Purple Hearts, three DFCs, the Bronze Star with a Combat V and two Oak Leaf clusters, and thirteen Air Medals… Humble Host notes: imagine if you will, the Colonel’s families thoughts every Fourth of July…the anniversary of Patrick’s last flight and possibly last day of life… they also serve who wait, and wait….
Through the years, reports surfaced concerning COL Fallon as prisoner of war in Laos. Jean never gave up on her husband’s fate. A fate he shared with nearly 600 other Americans lost in the “secret war” in Laos. When the U.S. signed peace agreement in 1973, Laos was not included and NO AMERICAN PRISONERS HELD IN LAOS WERE RELEASED. Americans were left behind in our “rush” to abandon Southeast Asia to a fate that could be considered worse than death, when Pol Pot, among others, is factored into the result of our inevitable withdrawal.
Read the Task Force Omega report on Colonel Fallon. Humble Host most strongly recommends RTR readers review this 20-page document compiled by Don Moody titled: “REPORTED TO BE ALIVE–ABANDONED IN LAOS; Reflections on POW/MIA Issues from Laos.”:
http://ravens.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Episode9998.htm
“LEAVE A REMEMBRANCE” … http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/15602/PATRICK-M-FALLON or any warrior of your acquaintance whose name is on The Wall…
RTR Quote for 4 July: BEN FRANKLIN: “Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.”…
Lest we forget… Bear
