To All,
Good Saturday morning December 21, 2024. ….
The weather continues to be very nice here.
Counting today we have 4 shopping days left before Christmas
Regards,
Skip
Make it a GREAT Day
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director's corner for all 85 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
December 21
1821—The schooner Enterprise, commanded by Lt. Lawrence Kearny,
captures and burns a pirate schooner off Cape Antonio, West Indies. A
landing party destroys a shore base and burns five pirate prizes.
1859—The sloop-of-war Constellation captures the American slaver
Delicia off Kabenda, Africa.
1861—Congress authorizes the Medal of Honor, the Nation's highest
military award, for Naval enlisted personnel.
1942—USS Seadragon (SS 194) sinks Japanese submarine I-4 between New
Britain and New Ireland while I-4 is engaged in a resupply mission to
Guadalcanal.
1951—The first helicopter lands aboard USS Consolation (AH 15) during
Operation Helicopter, where casualties are directly evacuated from the
battlefield to a hospital ship for the first time.
1968—Apollo 8 launches with Capt. James A. Lovell, Jr. as the command
module pilot. During the mission Lovell is one of the first two people
to see the far side of the moon. The mission lasts six days and three
hours and includes 10 moon orbits. Recovery is executed by HS-4
helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS 10).
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Today in World History December 21
68 Vespian, a gruff-spoken general of humble origins, enters Rome and is
named emperor by the Senate.
1620 The Pilgrims land at or near Plymouth Rock.
1708 French forces seize control of the eastern shore of Newfoundland after
winning a victory at St. John's.
1790 Samuel Slater opens the first cotton mill in the United States (in
Rhode Island).
1862 The U.S. Congress authorizes the Medal of Honor to be awarded to Navy
personnel who have distinguished themselves by their gallantry in
action.
1866 Indians, led by Red Cloud and Crazy Horse, kill Captain William J.
Fetterman and 79 other men who had ventured out from Fort Phil Kearny
to cut wood.
1910 Over 2.5 million plague victims are reported in the An-Hul province of China.
1928 President Calvin Coolidge signs the Boulder Dam bill.
1944 German troops surround the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne in Belgium.
1945 General George S. Patton dies at the age of 60 after being injured in
a car accident.
1946 An earthquake and tidal wave kill hundreds in Japan.
1963 The Turk minority riots in Cyprus to protest anti-Turkish revisions in
the constitution.
1964 Great Britain's House of Commons votes to ban the death penalty.
1965 Four pacifists are indicted in New York for burning draft cards —
Thomas C. Cornell, 31, co-secretary of the Catholic Peace Fellowship;
Roy Lisker, 27, a volunteer of the Catholic Worker Movement; James E.
Wilson, 21, a volunteer at the Catholic Worker Movement and a member
of the Fellowship for Reconciliation; and M P, Edelman, a full-time
worker for the War Resisters League.
1969 American draft evaders gather for a holiday dinner in Montreal, Canada.
1986 500,000 Chinese students gather in Shanghai's People's Square calling
for democratic reforms, including freedom of the press.
1988 Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over
Lockerbie, Scotland, an hour after departure. All 259 passengers were
killed in the explosion caused by a bomb-- hidden inside an audio
cassette player -- that detonated inside the cargo area when the plane
was at an altitude of 31,000 feet. A shower of airplane parts falling
from the sky also killed 11 Lockerbie residents.
1994 Popocatepetl, a volcano in Mexico spews forth gases and ash after
nearly a half-century of dormancy.
1995 The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.
2004 A suicide bomber attacks the forward operating base next to the US
military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, killing 22 people; it is the
deadliest suicide attack on US soldiers during the Iraq War.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to the Bear. .
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER ….
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
.
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "Saturday 21December
December 21: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=380
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend last week and I forgot to forward. The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to 1440
Government Shutdown Averted
A stopgap funding bill cleared Congress this morning shortly after a midnight deadline, averting a federal government shutdown. The measure from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-4) was approved by the Republican-led House by a vote of 366-34 Friday, while the Democratic-led Senate followed suit early Saturday morning by a vote of 85-11. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill today.
The short-term extension, known as a continuing resolution, funds the government at current levels through March 14 while adding $100B for disaster aid and $10B for agricultural assistance to farmers. It eliminates President-elect Donald Trump's demand to raise or suspend the debt ceiling, which Republican leaders indicate will be addressed separately in upcoming tax and border policy discussions next year.
The debt ceiling limits the total amount of money the US can borrow to meet its existing financial obligations. The US debt has risen to roughly $36T after the ceiling was suspended from June 2023; that suspension expires Jan. 1.
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
A man who collapsed in McDonald's from cardiac arrest has become "lifelong friends" with the Good Samaritan who saved his life.
70-year-old Paul Myers was in the fast-food restaurant a year ago when his heart stopped. Luckily for him, Brian Harris walked inside at just that moment and leaped into action.
Performing CPR and eventually using a defibrillator, he restarted Myers' heart before an ambulance took him to the hospital.
Determined to shake the hands that kept blood pumping to his brain, Myers took to social media in an effort to find and meet Harris. York Press now reports they've met up around three times since then and have become "lifelong friends."
Recalling the moment when he began performing CPR, Harris said "I fought hard, I wasn't going to give up, I was determined I was going to fight for his life."
Myers added that he is "eternally grateful" that Brian saved his life but says that it's been "really difficult" to think of a way to thank him.
"When we met up for the first time, he got there before me and said, 'Mr. Myers, it is so good to see you alive.' The only words I could give him were 'thank you.'"
Myers has no memory of the incident, and says he was on his way to a church meeting in the morning when he realized he was struggling to breathe.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Mighty THUNDER (Mighty Thunder – Rolling Thunder Remembered)
A Fighter Pilot Dream Come True: "A Kill"
December 20, 2016 Mighty Thunder
Mighty Thunder is proud to post the first person testimonial of Denny
Wisely's first shutdown of an enemy aircraft on 20 December 1966, 50
years ago today. LT WISELY and LTJG DAVID JORDAN were flying F-4B NH
215 of the VF-114 "Aardvarks" embarked in USS Kittyhawk. Denny's take
is "Chapter 17: My First Shootdown" from his book… Denny got a second
"kill", a MiG-17, four months later in the same cruise on 24 April
1967…
…OOOHRAH
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
FIRST Shoot Down
At almost 2 AM on 20 December 1966 in the Tonkin Gulf and a being
fourteen hours ahead of California, it was still my birthday back in
the states. It was a dark night, there was no moon and the sky was
overcast. It was a quiet night, flight operations had secured several
hours earlier and all but those on watch were asleep after a long day
of combat operations. In fact, even some of those on duty were asleep,
blue shirts lying along the catapult tracks, the steam keeping them
warm from the breeze over the deck. Plane captains in brown shirts
were asleep atop NC-5 jet starting units. These men had already worked
a fifteen hour day and caught some sleep whenever they had an
opportunity. Of course, some people could not be asleep. High above
the flight deck the silhouettes of those on the bridge could be seen
as they moved in front of the red-lit panels. There were also people
awake down in Combat Information Center (CIC), the engine room and
other important places on the ship. LTJG Dave Jordan, who was my radar
intercept officer for this watch, and I were strapped into one of our
squadron F-4's located on one of the waist catapults. My regular RIO,
Gary Anderson was not available.
This was the second cruise for both Dave and me in these waters off
the coast of North Vietnam. I had flown 138 combat missions, and Dave
had flown somewhat more. We had been on this watch we call Condition
CAP countless times before. Condition CAP (Combat Air Patrol) is part
of the fleet's protection from unfriendly forces. During this war,
since there had been no real threat to our forces, it was a very dull
watch that interrupted your night's sleep or kept you from watching a
movie in the ready room.
While Dave and I were engrossed in World War II fighter pilot novels,
the ship made a sharp turn into the wind. Over the IMC came "Standby
to launch Condition 1 CAP." The 1MC is the ship's main communications
system that has speakers throughout the ship. What had been a quiet
flight deck became bustling with activity. The NC-5's were started,
pressure for the steam cats was increased, I started my aircraft.
Excitement was in the air. The people on the flight deck did a great
job. By the time the ship had finished its turn into the wind word
came to "Launch Condition 1 Cap," and we were on our way-0 to 160
knots in less than 2 seconds.
As soon as I raised my landing gear CIC gave me an initial Vector of
three one zero and informed me that visual ID was not required. In
fact the call was, "Your bogies bear 310 at 110 miles, cleared to arm
cleared to fire!" The adrenalin in my body began to flow. This was no
stray of ours. We were going to go after the real thing'. As soon as I
could, I tuned and armed my missiles. We had climbed on top of the low
overcast and were leveled off at about 3000 feet and indicating almost
600 knots. I wanted to get our bogie, which was almost 100 miles away,
before he had a chance to get away. At the same time, it would not be
wise to use after burner and go faster, then have no gas to loiter or
whatever was necessary when we did get there. If I climbed to
altitude, gas consumption would be better but their radar would see me
sooner.
The whole time we were running in toward our targets, we had a
commentary going between our carrier, us, and Red Crown. Red Crown was
typically stationed a hundred miles north of Yankee Station and was
responsible for positive identification of all aircraft in the area
similar to picket ships in WW11. For a couple of minutes there was a
disagreement over whether we needed an ID and if we were cleared to
fire. Our Admiral onboard who was the Carrier Division Commander
stepped in and we were given a cleared to fire. There was really no
doubt about the identity since there were no friendly forces flying
that night anywhere near that area.
"Your bogie bears 295 at 20 miles." Rang the controller's voice.
"Dave, tell that controller I want to know where the beach is!" I yelled.
I had mentally calculated that at about 100 miles in a northwest
direction from the ship was Than Hoa a very hot area. By now we were
painting the two bogies and could not really tell where the coast was
because in the track mode the radar does not paint the surface. This
information was vital to our security because here we were on top of a
low overcast approaching Than Hoa getting ready to shoot down what
looked too good to be true. The whole thing smelled of a rat. I kept
feeling the North Vietnamese were setting a trap for us with their
SAM-2's, using the bogies for bait. They even had the overcast to keep
us from seeing from where the SAM's were launched.
By now the bogies had been warned of our presence and they started a
turn to the right, heading for home. At this time we were at 8 miles
and Dave locked up on the wingman. The poor wingman, he always gets it
first. At 3 miles, we were in a tail chase position with a huge speed
overtake, I fired the first missile. It left the aircraft in a loud,
blinding "whooof" of fire and smoke and followed the bogie into the
overcast at about 2500 feet. When it got to where the bogies were, the
missile exploded as advertised, and a large fireball glowed through
the clouds. I tried to fire a second missile, but it failed to leave
the rails. I remember yelling in excitement to Dave, "We got the
bastard, we got the bastard."
I pulled the plane into a hard turn and we headed back out to sea. A
short distance behind me was my friend LT "Barrel" McRae from VF-213
in the second Condition CAP launched. I made it quite clear to him who
I was and what my heading was so there could be no mistaking us for
the enemy. As we proceeded out to sea our second plane closed in for
another kill. We heard him call for and watched his missile launch,
track and explode as ours had done. After we fired there was only one
bogie showing on the radar screens, and after Barrel fired, there were
none. I rolled the airplane a couple of times in shear joy!
When we got back to the ship there were one heck of a lot more people
up than when we left. Everyone was excited. Morale on the ship had
been good. This incident boosted it even higher. The only one who was
not too happy was my regular RIO Andy. Andy had a tooth filled that
day and consequently had not been scheduled to stand Condition CAP
with me. I felt bad about that. We had been through a lot together,
including the mid-air collision off the coast of San Diego.
After landing we went to Strike OPS for a quick debrief. Our Skipper
Hank Halleland, the CO of VF-213 were both there as well as the
Commanding Officer of the ship, Captain Paul Pugh.
The Captain had bagged a couple of MiGs in Korea. After both aircrews
finished describing what happened, Captain Pugh, said, "Great work.
Now, maybe more of you older guys will start taking the alert five
watches".
What a great feeling to have finally done what all fighter pilots
train to do, shoot down an enemy airplane. Later that day I flew my
second night flight some 18 hours after the first one. It was a dull
BARCAP.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
From Washington's Crossing to Lincoln's Gift by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
This Week in American Military History:
Dec. 21, 1861: The congressionally conceived "Medal of Honor" is
signed into law authorizing such medals be awarded to enlisted sailors
and Marines who "distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action
and other seamanlike qualities." The Army version of the medal is
signed into law the following summer.
Dec. 22, 1864: Following his "March to the Sea" and just before his
"March through the Carolinas," Union Army Gen. William Tecumseh
Sherman presents the captured city of Savannah (Ga.) to Pres. Lincoln
as a "Christmas gift."
Dec. 24, 1814: The Treaty of Ghent is signed ending the War of 1812.
Dec. 25, 1776: Continental Army Gen. George Washington conducts his
famous crossing of the Delaware River from the icy Pennsylvania
shoreline to the equally frozen banks of New Jersey. It will be
followed by an eight-mile march to the town of Trenton where he will
meet and defeat the Hessians (German soldiers allied to the British).
Speed of movement, surprise, maneuver, violence of action, and the
plan's simplicity are all key. Fortunately, the elements will all come
together.
The factors in Washington's favor are clear: The weather is so bad
that no one believes the Continentals will attempt a river crossing,
much less a forced march at night. The Continentals are numerically –
and perceived to be qualitatively – inferior to the British Army. The
Hessians, mercenaries allied to the British and who are garrisoned in
Trenton, have a battlefield reputation that far exceeds their actual
combat prowess. And no one believes the weary Americans will want to
attempt anything with anyone on Christmas.
Hours before kickoff, Washington has his officers read to the men
excerpts of Thomas Paine's The American Crisis.
By 4:00 p.m. the force of just under 2,500 men gathers at McKonkey's
Ferry, the launching point for the mission. The watchword, "Victory or
death," is given. As darkness sets in, the men climb into the boats
and begin easing out into the black river.
Washington's crossing and subsequent raid has been dubbed "America's
first special operation" in some military circles: Though there were
many small-unit actions, raids, and Ranger operations during the
Colonial Wars, and there was a special Marine landing in Nassau in the
early months of the American Revolution. Still no special operation in
American military history has been more heralded than that which took
place on Christmas night exactly 236 years ago, this week.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History
December 21
1620 – The Mayflower reached Plymouth, Mass. after a 63-day voyage.
Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower went ashore for the first time at
present-day Plymouth, Mass. The crew of the ship did not have enough
beer to get to Virginia and back to England so they dropped the
Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock to preserve their beer stock.
1861 – U.S. Congress authorized the Medal of Honor to be awarded to
Navy personnel that had distinguished themselves by their gallantry in
action. The Navy and Marine Corps' Medal of Honor is our country's
oldest continuously awarded decoration, even though its appearance and
award criteria has changed since it was created for enlisted men by
Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles on 16 December 1861. Legislation
in 1915 made naval officers eligible for the award. Although
originally awarded for both combat and non-combat heroism, the Medal
of Honor today is presented for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty. The design of
our highest military decoration is rooted in the War Between the
States. Crafted by the artist Christian Schuller, the central motif is
an allegory in which Columbia, in the form of the goddess Minerva uses
the shield of the republic to put down the figure of discord, plainly
a reference to the unfolding split in our nation. The design is
encircled by 38 stars, representing the states of the Union at the
time of the outbreak of the Civil War.
1944 – In the north, US forces recapture Stavelot and bring the
advance of the German 67th Corps (part of 6th SS Panzer Army), on the
right flank of the German attack, to a halt from here to Monschau. To
the south, the German 5th Panzer Army has nearly surrounded Bastogne
while Houffalize has been secured.
1945 – General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. 3rd Army, dies
from injuries suffered not in battle but in a freak car accident. He
was 60 years old. Descended from a long line of military men, Patton
graduated from the West Point Military Academy in 1909. He represented
the United States in the 1912 Olympics-as the first American
participant in the pentathlon. He did not win a medal. He went on to
serve in the Tank Corps during World War I, an experience that made
Patton a dedicated proponent of tank warfare. During World War II, as
commander of the U.S. 7th Army, he captured Palermo, Sicily, in 1943
by just such means. Patton's audacity became evident in 1944, when,
during the Battle of the Bulge, he employed an unorthodox strategy
that involved a 90-degree pivoting move of his 3rd Army forces,
enabling him to speedily relieve the besieged Allied defenders of
Bastogne, Belgium. Along the way, Patton's mouth proved as dangerous
to his career as the Germans. When he berated and slapped a
hospitalized soldier diagnosed with "shell shock," but whom Patton
accused of "malingering," the press turned on him, and pressure was
applied to cut him down to size. He might have found himself enjoying
early retirement had not General Dwight Eisenhower and General George
Marshall intervened on his behalf. After several months of inactivity,
he was put back to work. And work he did-at the Battle of the Bulge,
during which Patton once again succeeded in employing a complex and
quick-witted strategy, turning the German thrust into Bastogne into an
Allied counterthrust, driving the Germans east across the Rhine. In
March 1945, Patton's army swept through southern Germany into
Czechoslovakia-which he was stopped from capturing by the Allies, out
of respect for the Soviets' postwar political plans for Eastern
Europe. Patton had many gifts, but diplomacy was not one of them.
After the war, while stationed in Germany, he criticized the process
of denazification, the removal of former Nazi Party members from
positions of political, administrative, and governmental power. His
impolitic press statements questioning the policy caused Eisenhower to
remove him as U.S. commander in Bavaria. He was transferred to the
15th Army Group, but in December of 1945 he suffered a broken neck in
a car accident and died less than two weeks later.
1968 – Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, is successfully
launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Frank Borman,
James Lovell, Jr., and William Anders aboard. On Christmas Eve, the
astronauts entered into orbit around the moon, the first manned
spacecraft ever to do so. During Apollo 8's 10 lunar orbits,
television images were sent back home, and spectacular photos were
taken of Earth and the moon from the spacecraft. In addition to being
the first human beings to view firsthand their home world in its
entirety, the three astronauts were also the first to see the dark
side of the moon. On Christmas morning, Apollo 8 left its lunar orbit
and began its journey back to Earth, landing safely in the Pacific
Ocean on December 27. On July 20 of the next year, Neil A. Armstrong
and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission, became
the first men to walk on the moon. Recovery was by HS-4 helicopters
from USS Yorktown (CVS-10).
1972 – The Defense Department announces that eight B-52 bombers and
several fighter-bombers were lost since the commencement of Operation
Linebacker II on December 18. These losses included at least 43 flyers
captured or killed. President Richard Nixon ordered the operation
after the North Vietnamese negotiators walked out of the peace talks
in Paris. In response, President Nixon immediately issued an ultimatum
that North Vietnam send its representatives back to the conference
table within 72 hours "or else." When they rejected Nixon's demand, he
ordered a full-scale air campaign against Hanoi and Haiphong to force
them back to the negotiating table. On December 28, after 11 days of
intensive bombing, the North Vietnamese agreed to return to the talks.
1988 – Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair
over Lockerbie, Scotland, an hour after departure. A bomb that had
been hidden inside an audio cassette player detonated inside the cargo
area when the plane was at an altitude of 31,000 feet. All 259
passengers, including 38 Syracuse University students returning home
for the holidays, were killed in the explosion. In addition, 11
residents of Lockerbie were killed in the shower of airplane parts
that unexpectedly fell from the sky. Authorities accused Islamic
terrorists of having placed the bomb on the plane while it was at the
low-security airport in Frankfurt, Germany. They apparently believed
that the attack was in retaliation for either the 1986 bombing attack
on Libya in which Gadhafi was the target, or a 1988 incident, in which
the United States killed 290 passengers when it mistakenly shot down
an Iran Air commercial flight over the Persian Gulf. Sixteen days
before the explosion over Lockerbie, a call was made to the U.S.
embassy in Helsinki, Finland, warning that a bomb would be placed on a
Pan Am flight out of Frankfurt. Though some claimed that travelers
should have been alerted to this threat, U.S. officials later said
that the connection between the call and the bomb was purely
coincidental. In the early 1990s, investigators identified Libyan
intelligence agents Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa
Fhimah as suspects, but Libya refused to turn them over to be tried in
the United States. But in 1999-in an effort to ease United Nations
sanctions against Libya-Colonel Moammar Gadhafi agreed to turn the
suspects over to Scotland for trial in the Netherlands using Scottish
law and prosecutors. Families of the victims were dissatisfied with
this deal, however, complaining that it did not allow prosecutors to
pursue the leads that suggested the bombing was planned and authorized
by the highest levels of the Libyan government. The United States did
insist, though, that Libya pay compensation to the victims' families
before sanctions against Libya are lifted
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
This day we honor men from the Philipines in 1899, WWII The Battle of
the Bulge and Vietnam
STRAUB, PAUL F.
Rank and organization: Surgeon. 36th Infantry, U.S. Volunteers. Place
and date: At Alos, Zambales, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 21 December
1899. Entered service at: lowa. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 6
October 1906. Citation: Voluntarily exposed himself to a hot fire from
the enemy in repelling with pistol fire an insurgent attack and at
great risk of his own life went under fire to the rescue of a wounded
officer and carried him to a place of safety.
*BENJAMIN, GEORGE, JR.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A,
306th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date: Leyte,
Philippine Islands, 21 December 1944. Entered service at: Carney's
Point, N.J. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. G.O. No.: 49, 28 June 1945.
Citation: He was a radio operator, advancing in the rear of his
company as it engaged a well-defended Japanese strong point holding up
the progress of the entire battalion. When a rifle platoon supporting
a light tank hesitated in its advance, he voluntarily and with utter
disregard for personal safety left his comparatively secure position
and ran across bullet-whipped terrain to the tank, waving and shouting
to the men of the platoon to follow. Carrying his bulky radio and
armed only with a pistol, he fearlessly penetrated intense machinegun
and rifle fire to the enemy position, where he killed 1 of the enemy
in a foxhole and moved on to annihilate the crew of a light
machinegun. Heedless of the terrific fire now concentrated on him, he
continued to spearhead the assault, killing 2 more of the enemy and
exhorting the other men to advance, until he fell mortally wounded.
After being evacuated to an aid station, his first thought was still
of the American advance. Overcoming great pain he called for the
battalion operations officer to report the location of enemy weapons
and valuable tactical information he had secured in his heroic charge.
The unwavering courage, the unswerving devotion to the task at hand,
the aggressive leadership of Pfc. Benjamin were a source of great and
lasting inspiration to his comrades and were to a great extent
responsible for the success of the battalion's mission.
CURREY, FRANCIS S.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 120th Infantry,
30th Infantry Division. Place and date: Malmedy, Belgium, 21 December
1944. Entered service at: Hurleyville, N.Y. Birth: Loch Sheldrake,
N.Y. G.O. No.: 69, 17 August 1945. Citation: He was an automatic
rifleman with the 3d Platoon defending a strong point near Malmedy,
Belgium, on 21 December 1944, when the enemy launched a powerful
attack. Overrunning tank destroyers and antitank guns located near the
strong point, German tanks advanced to the 3d Platoon's position, and,
after prolonged fighting, forced the withdrawal of this group to a
nearby factory. Sgt. Currey found a bazooka in the building and
crossed the street to secure rockets meanwhile enduring intense fire
from enemy tanks and hostile infantrymen who had taken up a position
at a house a short distance away. In the face of small-arms,
machinegun, and artillery fire, he, with a companion, knocked out a
tank with 1 shot. Moving to another position, he observed 3 Germans in
the doorway of an enemy-held house. He killed or wounded all 3 with
his automatic rifle. He emerged from cover and advanced alone to
within 50 yards of the house, intent on wrecking it with rockets.
Covered by friendly fire, he stood erect, and fired a shot which
knocked down half of 1 wall. While in this forward position, he
observed 5 Americans who had been pinned down for hours by fire from
the house and 3 tanks. Realizing that they could not escape until the
enemy tank and infantry guns had been silenced, Sgt. Currey crossed
the street to a vehicle, where he procured an armful of antitank
grenades. These he launched while under heavy enemy fire, driving the
tankmen from the vehicles into the house. He then climbed onto a
half-track in full view of the Germans and fired a machinegun at the
house. Once again changing his position, he manned another machinegun
whose crew had been killed; under his covering fire the 5 soldiers
were able to retire to safety. Deprived of tanks and with heavy
infantry casualties, the enemy was forced to withdraw. Through his
extensive knowledge of weapons and by his heroic and repeated braving
of murderous enemy fire, Sgt. Currey was greatly responsible for
inflicting heavy losses in men and material on the enemy, for rescuing
5 comrades, 2 of whom were wounded, and for stemming an attack which
threatened to flank his battalion's position.
*THORNE, HORACE M.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Troop D, 89th Cavalry
Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Armored Division. Place and date: Near
Grufflingen, Belgium, 21 December 1944. Entered service at: Keyport,
N.J. Birth. Keansburg, N.J. G.O. No.: 80, 19 September 1945. Citation.
He was the leader of a combat patrol on 21 December 1944 near
Grufflingen, Belgium, with the mission of driving German forces from
dug-in positions in a heavily wooded area. As he advanced his light
machinegun, a German Mark Ill tank emerged from the enemy position and
was quickly immobilized by fire from American light tanks supporting
the patrol. Two of the enemy tankmen attempted to abandon their
vehicle but were killed by Cpl. Thorne's shots before they could jump
to the ground. To complete the destruction of the tank and its crew,
Cpl. Thorne left his covered position and crept forward alone through
intense machinegun fire until close enough to toss 2 grenades into the
tank's open turret, killing 2 more Germans. He returned across the
same fire-beaten zone as heavy mortar fire began falling in the area,
seized his machinegun and, without help, dragged it to the knocked-out
tank and set it up on the vehicle's rear deck. He fired short rapid
bursts into the enemy positions from his advantageous but exposed
location, killing or wounding 8. Two enemy machinegun crews abandoned
their positions and retreated in confusion. His gun Jammed; but rather
than leave his self-chosen post he attempted to clear the stoppage;
enemy small-arms fire, concentrated on the tank, killed him instantly.
Cpl. Thorne, displaying heroic initiative and intrepid fighting
qualities, inflicted costly casualties on the enemy and insured the
success of his patrol's mission by the sacrifice of his life.
*WARNER, HENRY F.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Antitank Company, 2d
Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near
Dom Butgenbach, Belgium, 20-21 December 1944. Entered service at:
Troy, N.C. Born: 23 August 1923, Troy, N.C. G.O. No.: 48, 23 June
1945. Citation: Serving as 57-mm. antitank gunner with the 2d
Battalion, he was a major factor in stopping enemy tanks during heavy
attacks against the battalion position near Dom Butgenbach, Belgium,
on 20-21 December 1944. In the first attack, launched in the early
morning of the 20th, enemy tanks succeeded in penetrating parts of the
line. Cpl. Warner, disregarding the concentrated cannon and machinegun
fire from 2 tanks bearing down on him, and ignoring the imminent
danger of being overrun by the infantry moving under tank cover,
destroyed the first tank and scored a direct and deadly hit upon the
second. A third tank approached to within 5 yards of his position
while he was attempting to clear a jammed breach lock. Jumping from
his gun pit, he engaged in a pistol duel with the tank commander
standing in the turret, killing him and forcing the tank to withdraw.
Following a day and night during which our forces were subjected to
constant shelling, mortar barrages, and numerous unsuccessful infantry
attacks, the enemy struck in great force on the early morning of the
21st. Seeing a Mark IV tank looming out of the mist and heading toward
his position, Cpl. Warner scored a direct hit. Disregarding his
injuries, he endeavored to finish the loading and again fire at the
tank whose motor was now aflame, when a second machinegun burst killed
him. Cpl. Warner's gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above
and beyond the call of duty contributed materially to the successful
defense against the enemy attacks.
*SMEDLEY, LARRY E.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company D, 1st
Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Nam
Province, Republic of Vietnam, 21 December 1967. Entered service at:
Orlando, Fla. Born: 4 March 1949, Front Royal, Va. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader with
company D, in connection with operations against the enemy. On the
evenings of 20-21 December 1967, Cpl. Smedley led his 6-man squad to
an ambush site at the mouth of Happy Valley, near Phouc Ninh (2) in
Quang Nam Province. Later that night an estimated 100 Viet Cong and
North Vietnamese Army regulars, carrying 122mm rocket launchers and
mortars, were observed moving toward Hill 41. Realizing this was a
significant enemy move to launch an attack on the vital Danang
complex, Cpl. Smedley immediately took sound and courageous action to
stop the enemy threat. After he radioed for a reaction force, he
skillfully maneuvered his men to a more advantageous position and led
an attack on the numerically superior enemy force. A heavy volume of
fire from an enemy machinegun positioned on the left flank of the
squad inflicted several casualties on Cpl. Smedley's unit.
Simultaneously, an enemy rifle grenade exploded nearby, wounding him
in the right foot and knocking him to the ground. Cpl. Smedley
disregarded this serious injury and valiantly struggled to his feet,
shouting words of encouragement to his men. He fearlessly led a charge
against the enemy machinegun emplacement, firing his rifle and
throwing grenades, until he was again struck by enemy fire and knocked
to the ground. Gravely wounded and weak from loss of blood, he rose
and commenced a l-man assault against the enemy position. Although his
aggressive and singlehanded attack resulted in the destruction of the
machinegun, he was struck in the chest by enemy fire and fell mortally
wounded. Cpl. Smedley's inspiring and courageous actions, bold
initiative, and selfless devotion to duty in the face of certain death
were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and
the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 21, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF
HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE
AGENCY
21 December
1926: MACKAY TROPHY/DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSSES. Maj Herbert A.
Dargue led a Pan Am goodwill flight from San Antonio around South
America, to Washington DC. For the 22,065-mile flight, Major Dargue
used five Loening Amphibians with 420-horsepower Liberty engines. On 2
May 1927, 4 aircraft and 8 of 10 aviators (including Capt Ira C. Eaker
and 1Lt Muir S. Fairchild) completed the flight. They received the
Mackay Trophy and DFCs for their effort. The other plane crashed in
Argentina, killing the crewmen. (24)
1944: Gen Henry H. Arnold became General of the Army (5 stars) and the
first airman to hold this rank. (4) (24)
1948: The Navy announced that the development of a stallproof
automatic pilot that could land planes by radar in the "most
unfavorable" weather. (24)
1950: Boeing delivered the first KC-97A Stratofreighter to the USAF.
The company unveiled the first C–97 model converted to a
tanker-transport earlier in the month. The KC–97A, a propeller driven,
four-engine aircraft, had a flying boom and four added fuselage tanks
with a 14,990-gallon capacity. (18)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force units flew 530 sorties, making 30
cuts in the main rail line between Sinanju and Sukchon and attacking a
supply complex near Kunu-ri. (28)
1959: General Thomas S. Power accepted the first production-model
Hound Dog guided air-to-surface missile at North American Aviation's
plant in Downey for the Air Force. (6)
1962: President Kennedy cancelled the Skybolt air-to-surface missile
program. (6)
1964: General Dynamics pilots Richard Johnson and Val Prahl flew the
F-111A, a variable sweptwing fighter, for the first time at Carswell
AFB. It was formerly known as the TFX. (12)
1965: The USAF phased out its last two active-duty KC-97s, when one
from the 100 AREFS at Pease AFB, and another from the 384 AREFS at
Westover AFB, flew to the aircraft storage area at Davis Monthan AFB.
At one time, the USAF had 36 KC-97 squadrons with 780 aircraft. (1)
1966: An Atlas launched the first SV-5D Precision Recovery Including
Maneuvering Entry (PRIME) vehicle into space from Vandenberg AFB. The
PRIME vehicle explored and advanced the development of possible manned
and unmanned lifting body vehicles capable of operating like
spacecraft in orbit and maneuvering like aircraft in the atmosphere.
(16)
1968: APOLLO VIII. Through 27 December, Astronauts Col Frank Borman
(USAF), Capt James A. Lovell, Jr. (USN), and Col William Anders (USAF)
flew the Apollo VIII mission, the first to use the Saturn V booster.
They set FAI records for maximum altitude and greatest mass lifted,
234,672.5 miles and 282,197 pounds, respectively. They also achieved
man's first circumlunar space travel by orbiting the moon. (9) (16)
1970: A Gruman pilot, Robert Smyth, flew the F-14A Tomcat on a
10-minute first flight at its Calverton plant at Long Island, N. Y.
1980: NASA's AD-1 oblique-wing research aircraft flown for the first
time. Its wing could be pivoted 60 degrees from a perpendicular
position to reduce drag and permit higher speeds and longer range
without increasing fuel usage.
1984: The B-52G reached its initial operating capability with the
Harpoon missile. (16)
1991: Rockwell's AC-130U Spectre gunship made its first flight. (16)
2000: At Edwards AFB, Boeing's X-32A Joint Strike Fighter concept
plane made its first supersonic flight, when Lt Col Edward Cabrera,
the USAF's lead X-32 test pilot, took the jet to 30,000 feet and
exceeded Mach 1 (660 mph). (3).
2001: NASA's X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) completed its highest,
fastest and longest flight to date. A B-52 from the Dryden Flight
Research Center at Edwards AFB dropped the lifting body-shaped craft
at 45,000 feet. It descended three miles at transonic speeds before
its drogue parachute deployed for the landing. (3)
2002: The first C-5 Galaxy (No. 85-0004) with Avionics Modernization
Program equipment made its maiden flight, two months ahead of
schedule. Departing and recovering at Dobbins AFB, the 5.2-hour C-5
mission demonstrated the basic flying qualities of the new avionics
and navigational system. (22)
2005: After nearly five years, the AFFTC completed its C-130J
operational testing and evaluation at Edwards AFB. (3)
2006: The YAL-1A Airborne Laser returned to the AFFTC at Edwards AFB
after Boeing installed solid-state beam control and fire control laser
illuminators, and strengthened its fuselage and chemical-fuel tanks.
Plans called for the YAL-1 to test-fire its lasers against an
instrumented target board on the side of the NC-135E Big Crow
aircraft. (3)
2007: Air Force technicians successfully launched a United Launch
Alliance Delta II booster, with the fifth modernized NAVSTAR Global
Positioning System satellite, from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., into
space. It joined a constellation of on-orbit satellites that provided
global coverage and global positioning services to users around the
world. (AFNEWS, "Delta II with GPS Payload Successfully Launches," 21
Dec 2007,
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Fellow Air Warriors,
Tonight will mark the 51st Anniversary of the beginning of Operation Linebacker II.
In late 1972 having just been reelected, Congress and even his own Secretary of Defense were not helping President Richard M. Nixon to deal with the intransigent North Vietnamese negotiators. Though congress was in Christmas recess President Nixon expected them to try to force him to accept a unilateral withdrawal by withholding funds need to continue the war. That is why he decided to launch an overwhelming assault using B-52 strategic bombers against North Vietnam before congress reconvened. This campaign was christened "Operation Linebacker II".
Tonight marks the 51st Anniversary of the beginning of eleven nights of bombardment of the capitol city of Hanoi and the port city of Haiphong by USAF, USN and USMC aircraft ordered by President Nixon. The principal thrust of the attacks and the forces that bore the greatest risks were the B-52s from their bases at Guam and in Thailand. They were supported by tactical air assets from land and sea based aircraft of the Air Force, Marines and Navy. The reason for the implementation of this daring strategy was to force the communists back to the peace talks in Paris, France. President Nixon was determined to bring an end to the Vietnam War and to bring home all 591 POWs.
On night #1 we lost three B-52s, one F-111A and one A-7C.
Please let us never forget their extreme courage and sacrifices by raising a toast to them tonight and every night up to and including December 29th.
Hear! Hear!
On Night #2 the BUFFs continued to strike targets in Hanoi and Haiphong. Despite using the same routes, altitudes, tactics* as before and 180 SAM launches there were no B-52 losses or casualties.
Although there were no B-52 losses or casualties, we did suffer an OV-10 shot down with one KIA and one survived.
* IMO, anytime the same method of operation is used more than once, or worse, repeatedly, it ceases to be a "tactic". More correctly it should be regarded as a "procedure". Worthy of note is what the Aggressor Squadrons at Nellis AFB preached all the time; "Never be predictable".
Thanks to Joe C
TO: WW RRs & Fellow Americans
SUBJ: Jim Farmer Narrative of the 3rd Night of OLB II
Raise your toasts again tonight!
Joe C.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Years ago someone suggested I write down my story for the benefit of my sons. It's not as compelling as yours, but the best I've got. Cheers
Linebacker II - Straw 2 Bravo
Jim Farmer
In April of 1972 our March AFB B-52D Crew, designated E-10, was told that our 26-hour training flight orbiting Alaska scheduled in two days had been canceled. We were to be prepared to deploy to anywhere in the world within 30 minutes. Two days later our squadron was flying all its BUFFs to Guam. A couple of days after that we were flying combat missions to South Vietnam. That was our introduction to "Bullet Shot." Our Crew was composed of Capt Deverl Johnson, A/C; 1st Lt Jim Farmer, Copilot; Maj Frank Gould, Radar Navigator; Capt Vince Russo, Navigator; Capt Paul Fairbanks, EW; and TSgt Walt "Budda" Barcliff, tail gunner.
Deverl Johnson, who had earned his commission as pre-academy Air Force cadet, was a former F-4 navigator, and had spent a year in Vietnam flying 0-2's before assuming his B-52 responsibilities. He was a devout Mormon with four children and was dedicated to his family. Deverl was a good pilot and an excellent Aircraft Commander.
Frank Gould, at 39, was the oldest member of the crew. Frank was a New Yorker, sharp as tack, with a wonderful sense of humor. He was proud that his radar photos of the first night were presented as examples of how to do it right for the third night's briefing.
Vince Russo is a consummate professional. He was completing his second master's degree during his Bullet Shot tour. He continued his flying in the reserves while becoming a civilian military analyst for the Government in D.C.
Paul Fairbanks was a high school math teacher for three years before joining the Air Force. He did not have much luck in interesting the Air Force Academy in his desire to teach there prior to Linebacker II. Afterwards, the Air Force sent him to earn his masters and PHD in math. He spent the remainder of his career teaching at the Academy.
Walt Barclif was a gunner's gunner - always ready to do whatever needed to be done. He loved Thailand.
As a crew we had been together over a year before Bullet Shot, pulling alert, training, and flying. We were a SOLID crew professionally and personally.
Linebacker II came towards the end of our second 120-day tour. We had flown both out of Guam and U-Tapao. As we had been flying "press-on" missions to the North the previous month from Thailand, we had experienced what it was like to fly in the vicinity of active SAMs. We were not happy about those missions; the targets' significance never seemed high enough for us to be hanging our asses out for them I didn't want to die over a suspected truck park.
In December we rotated back to Guam. Paul and I had had our wives with us in Thailand. They/we stayed at a secure facility on Patta Beach. They joined us on Guam as well. The benefit to being on Guam was that we no longer had to fly missions to the North since they were done out of U-Tapao
We knew something very big was up prior to the first Linebacker II briefing. Rotations were canceled. The base was shut down and missions stood down. That had never happened before. There was to be a massive briefing, scores of crews, not just the usual three. It didn't take much to have an idea of what was about to happen. We were not really shocked when the commander announced that our target was Hanoi. There were two emotions experienced by each crewmember assembled in the room at that time. First was in response to the obvious danger of flying straight and level into the most heavily defended city in the world. The second was the pride and motivation associated with doing something that might very well result in our fellow aviators being released from their years of captivity in the Hanoi Hilton. By God, this was a mission worth hanging your ass out for, finally!
I don't remember much of the first evening's mission, other than there was a lot of radio chatter, more SAMs then ever before, and lots of parachute beepers going off. Deveral saw a BUFF off our 9:00 go down looking like someone pouring a pitcher of fire out of the night's sky. We and our cell made it in and out of the target on our 14 ½ hour mission in one piece. The line of contrails from all the BUFFs in front of us on the way home was a sight to be seen.
We were on crew rest for the second night's missions.
The third night's briefing for me was more onerous. I remember my good friend Mike Kenny (a tall, Texan copilot who is not unlike Slim Pickens in the Movie "Dr. Strangelove") wearing his cobra skin cowboy boots to the briefing. We were to be Straw 2. The second aircraft in the second of three cells, hitting exactly the same target we had hit the first night, using exactly the same flight plan. We had been briefed that the SAM sites linked to figure out what was going on by finding and observing number one and then pick off number two. Second aircraft, in the second cell - not good! Additionally during the first night's briefing we were told that this was to be a three day push. I assumed that if I knew that, so did the enemy and he would pull out all the stops that night.
Anticipating that our chances of getting hit were strong, I put a pair of socks, extra water, a ham sandwich, candy bars and the survival knife I had purchased in survival school in my flight suit. If I did survive getting shot down, those would be useful while evading the enemy.
Watching and listening to a base full of B-52s taking off at one minute intervals for two hours is another sight that is not to be missed. Everyone was a pro! From the guy that packed the lunches, to the guys that loaded the bombs, to the guys that turned the wrenches to Charlie tower who orchestrated the launch. It was something!
The flight to the target was long and tedious. I remember being very tired ½ hour out from the target. Adrenalin, and years of exacting training would take care of that. Sure enough! Going into the target that night was going to be hot. SAMs were going off everywhere. The night was clear, except for a low cloud deck. The SAMs lighting off were very interesting, almost beautiful to see. At first they were a broad dull light until they pierced through the clouds. Then they changed to a large bright light flying up from down below. Almost all of them seemed to be shot ballistically. That is, they didn't appear to be guided or changing directions. All except for the one that got us - that one definitely was being guided.
We were straight and level over the target and just about to start bomb release when it lit off. It was on its way when we initiated bomb release. The EW called uplink indicating we were the target and it was being guided. We could not evade - you did not want to take the chance of tossing a bomb into the Hilton. It was apparent to me that we were going to get hit. I announced it to the crew. The missile exploded about one second after our last bomb released. I'm sure they passed each other in the air. We initiated our post target turn and I believe the gunner had significant wounds when he reported more SAMs were being sent our way. The pilot, navigator, and radar navigator also had sustained significant wounds. I had a small one, but didn't realize it. The good news was that our wings were still on and we were not on fire.
Immediately after the post target turn the pilot assumed a best range airspeed (predetermined at 215 kts indicated) and the flight plan egress heading by using the whiskey compass illuminated by a flashlight. The engines that were working were being fed by gravity. At that point we had about a 500/mm rate of descent to maintain the 2l5 kts. I tried to get out a "mayday" on guard by opening my window (yes, unbelievable isn't it) at 40,000 ft and transmitting on my PRC-90 survival radio. I later discovered that I was talking into the speaker but it was dark and I couldn't see the difference. At that point we were very busy keeping the plane flying. We were able to do that because we were flying a D-model. It had inboard ailerons in addition to the main control surface, the spoilers (which were mop from battle damage). The D-model had these normally insignificant flight controls (about the size of a garage door) which were controlled by a trim tab about the size of a shoe box top. They were connected by wire cables to the pilot's controls. So there we were, flying this monster with a control surface about the size of a large shoe. It worked though.
What really was amazing was how calm and professional everyone was during the time before the bailout, which probably lasted 20 minutes. The people that had things to do, did them. Those that didn't, kept quiet. Frank, who was the most injured, complained about the inadequacy of the first aid kit. He said that he was going to write it up when we got back. It was a comment right out of Catch-22. I miss that guy. I remember thinking that I won't have to pay for a stopwatch that I was issued but had lost. The ability to deal with such a set of circumstances effectively is a testament to all the training we each received.
We were streaming fuel from the holes inflicted by the SAM. As engines quit we had to increase our rate of descent. We were tiring to make it back to friendly territory in Thailand; however, at 20,000 feet, with a 1,500 ft / mm rate of descent and having difficulty maintaining wings level, the Aircraft Commander gave the order to bail out. We knew that we had not crossed the Mekong River. We were going out into enemy territory.
We had a controlled bailout situation. We went out in an orderly and sequential fashion. Earlier that month an EW and copilot ejected simultaneously and their seats collided and someone died. The tail gunner goes first. He pulls a lever causing the entire radar and machine gun assembly to fall off; then he just steps out The Navigator is next, ejecting down. Then the EW, ejecting up, followed by the Radar ejecting down. Finally the copilot and pilot eject up. Given the time and airspeed involved the crew was spread over four to five miles in a straight line.
The pilot and I heard the Navigator's, EW's, and Radar's seats fire. I then turned to Deverl and said "See ya' round", straightened my back and squeezed the trigger. We went out between 16,000 and 17,000 feet. Deverl later talked about how weird it was to be flying a B-52 solo with a big empty hole where the copilot used to be.
The seat worked properly and I waited for my chute to open automatically at or below 14,000 feet. Consequently the next thing I knew was that I was free falling. It was pitch black out. I was holding on to my helmet with both hands as we had been briefed that guys had problems losing them during the ejection process. It was a good thing to have on when landing through the jungle canopy. Just as I was attempting to stabilize my fall by getting into the spread eagle position my chute deployed with a real hard thump. Looking up I could see that two of my 28 panels were shredded. Not to worry. It was cold at that altitude.
While hanging in the chute a HUGE fireball exploded below me. The BUFF had impacted the ground. When it's pitch dark outside and there is only one light source it is impossible to judge distance. I was convinced that I would land in the fireball. That was scary. I pulled on the opposite riser attempting to head in the other direction Actually the plane was probably miles away.
I have no idea how long it took to reach the ground. It felt like a long time. By the time I approached the ground I was getting first light. I could make out a ground cloud deck or fog below me. I prepared for a tree penetration - keep your legs together and reduce exposure to your chin by turning your head.
I could feel and hear myself passing through the jungle canopy. Then I was on the ground with my chute still in the trees. I was on a slope, dense with trees - almost forest-like. It was dry which surprised me since I had always expected the jungle to be wet. I was very relieved that I wasn't injured. I immediately drank some water to ward off shock and examined my survival kit to see what might be useful. Just then I heard a low flying jet. I proceeded to send out a "mayday" on my survival radio. It was Paula 4, an F-4, probably on his way back from escorting the BUFFs. He asked me my call sign and asked if Iwas ok. I indicated that I was Code 1, which is what we'd call to maintenance if everything was working fine. He advised me that he'd relay my message and position, then suggested that I head for the high ground. That seemed like an excellent suggestion as I thought I heard activity downhill - perhaps vehicles I ran for a long time uphill. Finally I found a hiding place among the vegetation and laid down, hidden by a log and waited for the rescue forces. I was sure they would be coming soon.
It wasn't too long, perhaps an hour, before there was a Sandy (an A-7 search and rescue fighter) calling for me on the survival radio. I had inserted the radio's earpiece, which enabled me to listen without making a lot of noise. I assume I was also whispering into the mike as I was concerned about attracting the attention of anyone that might be around. The Sandy made two passes 90 degrees from each other. Per his instructions I gave him a hack as the Doppler effect indicated that he was passing by. He indicated that he thought he knew which ridge I was on, would relay my position to the chopper and for me to maintain my position if I could. Then he was gone.
Perhaps an hour or two later I heard the Jolly Green Giant (a huge Air Force rescue helicopter) come up on the rescue frequency. They were coming to get me. I was still hidden under the log. I didn't dare look around. Using my survival compass and the sound of the helicopter I proceeded to vector the chopper towards my location. The chopper sounded pretty close when he indicated that there was a problem. The ground fog prevented him from seeing the ground. That meant that he couldn't descend or lower the rescue device. He made several attempts to get me but not being able to see the ground prevented him from doing so. Then he said that there was a hole directly below him. If I could make my way to him he should be able to get me. He sounded about 100 yards away. So I went for it, running as fast as I could, not looking around to see if I was being observed, making a hell of a lot of noise as I crashed my way through the jungle. Running toward the sound of the aircraft I finally made my way to where it was directly overhead, but I couldn't see it through ground fog. As I was running the hole had closed up. He couldn't do anything for me. In addition to that he indicated that he was low on fuel and had to leave to gas up. If there were any bad guys around I had just announced my position and the helicopter which was directly above me was about to go away THAT moment was the emotional low point of my life.
At that point Echo (the Electronics Warfare Officer) came up on the rescue frequency, and told the helicopter that he's on a ridge nearby above the ground cover. Would they swing by and get him on their way out? That's what they proceeded to do. Now, Paul and I are good friends. We did a lot together. Our wives were back at the base together sharing an apartment. We are both competitive people but it seemed whenever we competed against each other, he would somehow edge me out. It didn't matter whether it was tennis, basketball, chess, ping pong, whatever; he'd find a way to edge me out. We once had a tennis game go 14-16, he won.
At that point I'm scared as hell and pissed at Paul because that SOB may just edge me out again Fortunately there didn't seem to be any of the enemy around About an hour later the chopper returned and hoisted me up without incident When I got pulled into the chopper Paul was sitting there with a big you-know-what kind of grin on his face. A second chopper had picked up the Pilot, Navigator and was searching for the Radar. Ours started to look for the gunner. A PJ had to go on the ground to find him and get him hoisted up. We were told that the other chopper was in contact with the Radar. He was complaining that he was missing his Martini hour (which is just what Frank would have said) so we headed back to the chopper's base.
Our arrival at NKP was a big deal - lots of people, lots of brass, someone opened a bottle of champagne and I could not hear a damn thing after three hours in the Jolly Green Giant. SAC had a KC-135 right there to whisk us back to their control. We didn't get a chance to appropriately thank our rescuers, nor did we have a chance to talk to the people coordinating the search for Frank. Perhaps we could have told them that we went out in a straight line and they might look between where the EW and copilot were found.
The other chopper took the Pilot and Nav to another base where they were hospitalized. Paul, Walt, and I were flown to U-Tapao. Walt stayed there while Paul and I went back to Anderson AFB on Guam.
As I mentioned earlier, our wives were on Guam at the time. Fortunately by the time the Air Force had found them, we had already been rescued and were on our way back. Paul and I were asked to brief the brass. We were NOT to come in flight suits. I had to borrow a blue uniform from my buddy Mike. "Welcome back to SAC's idea of combat reality." The briefing room was large. I had never seen so many full colonels in my life. During the course of the briefing I described how dangerous and unexpected the downwash of the helicopter was with tree limbs falling all around me. It would have been good to have my helmet on. When asked why I didn't, my response was that SAC required them to be a shiny white. I didn't think running around the jungle like that was a good idea. Some full colonel asked me why I didn't apply colored bug repellent to it. I don't believe that I answered him. The next day, all helmets in SAC (including stateside) were camouflaged.
With the Pilot and Nay in a hospital in Thailand, the Radar missing and the gunner probably still in Thailand, Paul and I helped pack Frank's personal items. SAC sent us back to March AFB, California. We arrived on December 24th. That evening I went to Frank Gould's home to explain to his wife and 14-year-old daughter what I knew. The next day, Christmas, I flew on a 747 from LA to my family's home in New York. The flight was so empty it had as many flight attendants as passengers. I felt very guilty that holiday as I was home and my friends were still flying missions, and getting shot at.
There was nothing to do back at March since all the planes were overseas. However, the prisoners were soon released and March was one the bases to which they returned. It was wonderful to follow their release on TV. I felt honored to be present at the time they stepped off their plane, back on U.S. soil (actually tarmac). My buddy Mike rotated back and proceeded to break both legs while skiing. Mike went on to be the first operational B-1 pilot, a below-the-zone full Colonel, and Director of Operations at Ellsworth with flight responsibilities for two B-1 and two KC-10 squadrons. His crew, which was the B-52 Tactical Evaluation crew for Southeast Asia needed a copilot, so I went with them to Thailand. From the media's point of view the air war in SEA was over when the prisoners came home; however, we were still flying combat missions daily out of U-Tapao. That's where I understood the meaning of Frank's expression "a complaining soldier is a happy soldier." With everyone else gone or going home, we were still there on open-ended continuous "temporary duty". Morale was so low no one bothered to bring it up in conversation; however, one day a C-141 with a hydraulic problem diverted to U-Tapao for overnight repairs. Its passengers were the A-7 Sandy squadron rotating back to the states. Needless to say, that was a very exciting and expensive night for me in the O' Club. It was worth every penny. Not only did I meet the entire squadron, I talked at length with Arnie Clarke, Sandy One, lead of the rescue mission. He's the guy I whispered to from under a log just a couple of months earlier. I've seen Arnie several times recently. We each have a recreation place near each other in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. He's a true hero with several tours, shot down twice himself and a recipient of the Air Force Cross.
There is another interesting aside to this story. A couple of years later at my 10th high school reunion I was interested in what had happened to a girl I had known. In talking with her brother I learned that she had married a guy who was an Air Force A-7 pilot. He was in the squadron responsible for our rescue. I thought, by golly, I'll bet I bought him a drink or more in U-Tapao without ever knowing the connection. Many years later when they were guests at our home, we discovered that he was in charge of the A-7 Command Post that night. When he got a call to launch the A-7's, Capt Steve Donahue got into a heated discussion with some general by telling him that they couldn't launch until first light. Sandies couldn't do SAR at night. What a small world!
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
This is Night 4
SUBJ: 21-21 DEC 1972
Another night of heavy losses.
One A-6A, one AC-130A and two B-52s.
Both aviators in the Intruder were KIA as well as all but two on the AC-130A.
The two B-52s were Scarlet 01 and Blue 01. Both D-models.
I believe the tail gunner in Scarlet 01, MSgt Louis LeBlanc was credited with shooting down at least one MiG-21 on a previous sortie.
Out of a total of 30 crew members 19 were killed, 9 became POWs and only two survived.
Hear, hear! to those who gave their all on this night 51 years ago.
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SkipsList" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to skipslist+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skipslist/CACTjsm0YFkN-Vwmk3oOidQns0MfPmrfUD0wxppSQbtWg%3DEueUQ%40mail.gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.