Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #342… DEFINED and IDENTIFIED… but first…
Good Morning: Day THREE HUNDRED FORTY-TWO of remembering life in the company of heroes and patriots in an air war with North Vietnam…
10 February 1967… Head lines from the New York Times on a snowy Friday in New York City…
Page 1: “More Snow Falls”...”as city digs out. May turn to rain but weatherman says to “expect a fall of four inches or more, but it could be less.”…??? Page 1: “Rusk Bars a Halt in Raids ‘Till Hanoi Eases War Effort”…”Secretary of State Dean Rusk ruled out today any cessation of American bombing of North Vietnam until the other side shows a willingness to reduce its military effort in South Vietnam. Mr. Rusk accused the ‘communist side’ of waging a systematic campaign to bring about a permanent cessation of American bombing ‘without any corresponding military actions on their side.’ He rejected a recent North Vietnamese suggestion that stopping the bombing could lead to negotiations. At the same time, Mr. Rusk said: ‘Let me say quietly and sincerely to all the capitals on the other side, let good sense take charge for all of us on this situation.’ His statements were made at a news conference at the State Department.”... Page 1: “Soviet Troop Cut in Germany Seen”… “The Soviet Union was reported to be planning to withdraw several army divisions from East Germany…the loss of manpower is to be made up by the stationing of additional rockets and other weapons in East Germany.”… Page 1: “Soviet Hints China Places New Curbs on Help For Hanoi”...”The Soviet Government indicated today in a protest note to Peking that the Chinese had blocked or put new restrictions on the shipment of Soviet military and economic supplies to North Vietnam…although much Soviet aid to North Vietnam comes by sea, most comes through China by train.”… Page 1:”Johnson Asks $6.2-Billion in Foreign Aid for Two Years”…”President Johnson proposed today the smallest foreign aid appropriation in the 20-year history of the authorized program. He asked that $3.1-billion be authorized for each of the next two fiscal years…cut back due to needs at home and the cost of the struggle in Vietnam. He added: ‘Nothing could be more short-sighted and self-defeating. This country–the wealthiest in human history–can well afford to devote less than 7/10ths of 1 per cent of its national income to reduce the chances of a future Vietnam.”
Page 6: “Yachtsman Near New Zealand”… “Sir Francis Chichester, the British yachtsman sailing alone around the world was sighted today 150-miles north of New Zealand traveling southeast through moderate seas.” oohrah
Page 2: “Victory For Mao Best For U.S.”… “A conference of academic specialists on China closed today in Chicago with several participants asserting that it was more in American interests in the short run to see the militant faction of Chairman Mao Tse-tung win Communist China’s power struggle than his opposition…The opposition would try to heal the Chinese-Soviet split and would press for unity of action with Moscow on the war in Vietnam, possibly leading to a direct clash with the United States.”
10 February 1967… The President’s Daily Brief…CIA (TS sanitized)…SOVIET UNION: We now think there if a rather good chance that the new spacecraft the Soviets tested for the second time on Monday is intended for manned missions to the moon. We do not know yet what lunar mission this vehicle could perform, but a circumlunar flight–looping around the moon and returning to earth–seems well within its capabilities…the next favorable time for such a mission will be between 26 February and 5 March… NORTH VIETNAM: The Improvement and expansion of North Vietnam’s rail lines is continuing. More key lines are being made so equipment employed in China. In fact, when current improvements are completed, goods coming from or through China will be able to get as far as Hanoi without transloading… FRANCE: The French put up a satellite on Wednesday–their first in nearly a year. it was, at best, not altogether successful. Yesterday France asked if US radar could be used to help search for fragments in space resulting from the malfunction of the vehicle’s third stage…
10 February 1967…U.S. State Department Office of the Historian… During this period in early February two super secret meetings were underway–one in Moscow where the U.S and North Vietnam were represented and one in London where Kosygin and Wilson were talking. The State Department in Washington was sending “Top Secret: SUNFLOWER” messages to both sites to keep the U.S. representatives and the Ambassadors all on the same frequency. The following document is such a message…
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v05/d51
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM… MAJOR PATRICK HARDY WOOD, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE…AIR FORCE CROSS…
“The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the AIR FORCE CROSS (Posthumously) to PATRICK HARDY WOOD, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Rescue Crew Commander of an HH-3E Helicopter of the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, SEVENTH Air Force, in action near Mu Gia Pass, North Vietnam, on 6 February 1967. On that date, MAJOR WOOD flew two sorties in an effort to rescue a pilot downed deep in heavily defended hostile territory. An intensive search under constant fire failed to locate the pilot and the first sortie was canceled due to rapidly deteriorating weather. MAJOR WOOD undertook a second attempt fully aware that fighter cover and flak suppression support were unavailable due to marginal weather. Despite intense and accurate 37-mm fire, MAJOR WOOD successfully located and hoisted the downed pilot into his aircraft. At this point, the hostile forces, thwarted in their attempts to capture the downed pilot, and with the possibility of luring other aircraft to destruction, directed all their fire power toward MAJOR WOOD’s aircraft. Heavy 37-mm fire exploded above the aircraft on a climb out, and one hit was taken in the cabin. Although his aircraft was severely damaged, MAJOR WOOD attempted to clear a ridge line which would have provided a sufficient altitude for a safe bailout for his crew. In the face of known highly dangerous area, extremely adverse weather conditions, and exceptionally heavy hostile fire, MAJOR WOOD pressed his humanitarian efforts to save a fellow airman. through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, MAJOR WOOD reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
10 February 1967…OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER...New York Times… No air ops over North Vietnam–truce. Page 2: “U.S. Says Plane Flew Over Hainan Accidentally”…”An unarmed United States Navy plane accidentally flew over part of Communist China’s Hainan Island today (9th). In a terse statement the Department of Defense said the propeller driven plane had ‘inadvertently’ intruded over Chinese territory as a consequence of ‘navigational error.’ The incident is being investigated and the plane returned safely. Carriers Enterprise, Kitty Hawk and Hancock are stationed and operating at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin.”… Page 2: “Five Violations Charged”…”Communist China charged that American aircraft had violated its territorial air space five times on Tuesday and Wednesday. The charges accompanied Peking’s 422nd ‘serious warning against United States provocations.’ “… “Vietnam: Air Losses” (Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft downed in Southeast Asia on 10 February 1967…
RIPPLE SALVO… #342… HERO: “A person of great courage, spirit, especially one who has undergone great danger or difficulty”… PATRIOT: “One who loves his country and guards its welfare.” Heroes and Patriots. ROLLING THUNDER: Hundreds of Ready Rooms full of men who lived in danger for the love of their country… living the dream.
When we were kids we looked for and found such men and women to hold as models to honor and emulate as we grew and set out to pursue, and with good fortune, realize our dreams. For those who grew up during World War Two, there was no shortage of heroes and patriots to inspire us to follow their courageous examples. In addition, we were encouraged to read and study the great heroes from the pages of history from ancient Greece and Rome to our own Columbus, Nathan Hale, George Washington, Kit Carson, Lewis and Clark, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, JEB Stuart, Sargent York, Audie Murphy; we all had our favorite and personal heroes, living and dead. I suspect most still do.
Humble Host is honored to have this opportunity — this blog of a thousand nights — to pause each day for a few minutes of respectful thought to recognize and remember the legion of heroes who fought the good fight over North Vietnam fifty years ago. In the first rank of those heroes are the men whose names and experiences are recorded within the covers of Stuart Rochester’s and Frederick Kiley’s study, account and analysis of the “American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973,” titled “Honor Bound.” I quote from page 592…
“The company of men who walked the Hanoi March, trekked the Ho Chi Minh Trail at the point of a bayonet, and battled the enemy behind the lines from Briarpatch to Dogpath survived the jails and jungles of Southeast Asia against great odds. Blessed in many instances with advantages of skills and seasoning when compared with U.S POWs of previous generations, they were also endowed with qualities of heart and soul, grace and courage, that in the end mattered more than their relatively high ranks. Those who made it back gave their countrymen an occasion to celebrate patriotism and heroism unencumbered by the vexing moral and political issues that beclouded so much of the war effort. In helping to achieve a healing, uplifting closure to the bitterly divisive conflict, the POWs, even when they were no longer incarcerated, continues to wield a symbolic power out of proportion to their small numbers. Their proud return to a grateful nation remains one of the few truly shining moments in a troubled era.”
The men who were the American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia were and remain men of great courage and spirit who lived through years of great danger and difficulty and came out the way they went in, loving their country and willing to sacrifice everything to guard its welfare. They are Heroes and Patriots by definition and worthy of emulation by generations of Americans to come.
Lest we forget… Bear
