Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #796… BEATEN AT KHE SANH THE NORTH VIETNAMESE PULLED BACK IN TO THE LAOTIAN MOUNTAINS TO REGROUP, LICK THEIR WOUNDS, AND LOOK FOR A MORE VULNERABLE OBJECTIVE. The North Vietnamese 2nd Division disappeared off the scopes of American intelligence for more than a month as they closed on the last of the American Special Forces camps at Kham Duc, located close to the Ho Chi Minh trail about 50 miles west of Chu Lai. In April Westmoreland decided to reinforce the outpost with Americal Division troops. A major engagement at the site was assured. The battle is great military reading as a “small engagement” lasting three days, May 10-12, 1968.
Wikipedia: “From the very first day of the struggle at Kham Duc, it was clear that ground units were not prepared for an emergency evacuation, due to the lack of experience in terms of integrating the numbers and types of aircraft in such a small geographical area. U.S. aircrews had to improvise by establishing their own procedures in order to extract both military and civilian personnel from the besieged camp. Despite having lost two C-130 aircraft, U.S. pilots were undeterred from completing their missions, indeed, their bravery was exemplified by LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOE M. JACKSON, USAF, who received the MEDAL OF HONOR for the rescue of the three-man Combat Control Team.
“The U.S. Army lost one killed in action and 71 wounded at Kham Duc and the U.S. Marines lost 12 killed and 21 wounded at Ngok Tavak, a part of the outpost. The combined services reported the highest number of missing in battle in Vietnam with 31 U.S. military personnel reported missing –left behind–in action. Of the 31 missing, 19 were from the 2/1st Infantry: of these, 3 were rescued within 5 days. One was captured and kept as a POW until March 1973, and 15 listed as killed-in-action (9 remains recovered, 6 not recovered). The U.S. lost 9 aircraft: 7 within the vicinity of Kham Duc and 2 helicopters in Ngok Tavak. The PAVA, however, claimed to have killed 300 American soldiers and captured 104 enemy troops, including two American advisors, as well as capturing vast quantities of weapons and ammunition that were left behind. For South Vietnam, several hundred Special Forces and indigenous CIDG soldiers were believed to have been killed, as well as about 150 civilians who perished in the crash of the C-130 airlifter piloted by MAJOR BERNARD BUCHER, who would be awarded the AIR FORCE CROSS, posthumously. The total number of PAVN/VC casualties is unknown, but the U.S. military claimed to have killed roughly 345 soldiers.” (Wikipedia source)…
Humble Host veers from Rolling Thunder to honor the brave men of Kham Duc and the Air Force “Troop Carrier” warriors who defied the odds to lift as many of the 1,800 friendlies at Kham Duc out of the hell that the camp became by 12 May, Mother’s Day 1968, as was humanly possible. Readers are encouraged to absorb the whole story of a battle that the Americans did not win in Vietnam. Kham Duc was a bloody bad experience made tolerable only by the valor and heroics of the survivors FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK… For more, link to…
(1) BATTLE OF KHAM DUC …Wikipedia…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kham_Duc
(2) COMBAT CONTROLLERS, First in, Last out…
http://www.sgtmacsbar.com/Articles/KhamDuc/KhamDuc.html
(3) MAP OF AREA CHU LAI WEST TO KHAM DUC… (Vietnam ’70-’71-riverrun pictures)
http://www.174ahc.org/images/khamduc2.jpg
GOOD MORNING… Day SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-SIX of an old warrior’s remembrance of a page of American history 50 years in the past…
HEAD LINES from THE NEW YORK TIMES on Friday, 10 May 1968…
THE WAR: Page 1: “JETS STRIKE FOE IN SAIGON STREETS– Refugees Pour From Battle Area by the Thousands–Civilian Casualties Up”… “South Vietnamese jets dropped bombs within 10 blocks of the downtown business district yesterday to check the advance of enemy troops. The bombardment rattled the windows of downtown buildings and sent thousands of refugees streaming from the embattled Khanhhoi area, which lies just across the murky Bennghe Canal from central Saigon. By late last night, Saigon officials said the number of civilian casualties had nearly doubled during the last 24-hours, to 250 dead and more than 2,500 wounded from Khannhhoi, the southern fringes of the city and the Chinese district, Cholon…The sharp increase in casualties reflected the increased tempo of fighting around Saigon. On Wednesday, the fighting appeared to be waning. But by noon yesterday it was clear that the pressure was still on. Allied commanders fought back with tanks, airplanes, helicopter gunships, armored personnel carriers and machine guns. The number of Americans killed in the war last week was 383, the highest in nine weeks…This did not reflect casualties from the new enemy offensive… Although the command will not say how many allied troops are ranged against the enemy the figure is known to run well into the thousands. ‘The city is not and never has been in any danger of being taken,’ a general said. ‘We’re chewing them up every day and we’re keeping them on the other side of the river and the canals–away from the central city. In halting the attack …the South Vietnamese freedom fighter planes struck eight times yesterday with each plane dropping two bombs. The bombs kicked up so much smoke and dust, it was difficult to tell precisely what they were hitting, but from five blocks away the targets appeared to be a combination of houses and vacant lots…. TALLEY OF CASUALTIES… “Meanwhile, the Command released figures saying allied troops had now killed 2,540 of the enemy in Saigon and 11 nearby provinces since the Vietcong, along with some North Vietnamese soldiers, launched their current offensive –mini-Tet– early Sunday morning. It put American casualties at 53 dead and 487 wounded and South Vietnamese casualties at 203 dead and 719 wounded.”…
PEACE TALKS: Page 1: “BOTH SIDES VOICE HOPE ON VIETNAM TALKS DUE TODAY–Harriman and Thuy, Hanoi’s Negotiator, Reach Paris–U.S. Sets No Time Limit”… “The chief negotiators for the United States and North Vietnam, both emphasizing their serious intent and modest hope for moving toward a settlement, arrived here today for the first formal talks on the Vietnam war. The talks are to begin tomorrow. There has been no announcement of the hour, but diplomatic circles expect the first session to be held in the afternoon. The site will be the International Conference Center, a grey stone building near the Arc de Triomphe. At the center, the former Majestic Hotel, French workers were busy tacking down red carpets today.”…..Page 11: “JOHNSON PLEDGES ROLE FOR SAIGON–It will Be Full Participation in Any Peace Talks”… Page 9: “THIEU ADAMANT ON RAIDS IN NORTH–Says Bombing Cannot End Unless foe Stops Fighting”…
Page 1: “CZECH IS INSISTENT ON LIBERAL STAND–President Affirms Policy at VE-Day Fete in Presence Of Soviet Marshal”…”Presient Ludvik Svoboda declared today that the Czechoslovakia Communist party was determined to pursue its liberalizing policies.”… Page 1: “RUSSIAN SOLDIERS SAID TO BE ON THE MOVE NEAR CZECH BORDER–Activity Is Reported From Poland and East Germany–Prague Doubts Threat–Speculation In Moscow Ties Troop Shift To a Mass Rally In Border Town”… “…the prevailing view is that the Soviets have decided to launch a war of nerves against Czechoslovakia with press criticism and military moves in neighboring countries, but stopping short of an actual intervention such as occurred in 1956 in Hungary.”… Page 3: “SOVIET BLOC ATTITUDE ON PRAGUE REMAINS IN DOUBT AFTER TALKS”… Page 5: “Prague Broadcast Urges Soviet Not To Intervene”…
10 MAY 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… The New York Times (11 May reporting 10 May ops)… Page 1″MIGs SIGHTED BELOW 19TH PARALLEL”… “A United States military spokesman disclosed that North Vietnamese MIG fighter planes were operating below the 19th parallel in North Vietnam–farther south than ever before. Enemy jets were sighted north of the coastal city of Vinh yesterday and Tuesday they brought down a Navy F-4 Phantom there. The F-4 was first announced as lost to unknown causes. Neither the rescue crew of the jet nor the airmen in their flight had seen enemy planes, but information gathering electronic devices provided the solution to the crash. ..Enemy aircraft had seldom been spotted previously anywhere but in the vicinity of Hanoi and Haiphong and north toward the Chinese border.
“The MIG’s apparently have moved farther south to counter the heavy concentration of American airpower below the 20th parallel since March 31. That was when President Johnson announced a restriction of the bombing in North Vietnam and appealed to the Hanoi Government for a settlement of the war. Although the 20th parallel is the northernmost boundary imposed after the President had announced the bombing restriction, there have been no reported raids above the 19th parallel in recent weeks.
“Air commanders have been directing all the planes that formerly bombed throughout North Vietnam into the lower third of the country, striving to stem the flow of men and supplies into South Vietnam. As the flying weather in the region has improved, with the dissipation of the northeasterly monsoon, the number of attacks has grown. The military spokesman would not say where the MIG’s that have been sighted around Vinh are based, but the best jet strips in North Vietnam are near Hanoi and Haiphong. Hanoi is 70 miles north of the 20th parallel and about 160 miles above Vinh…. Page 3: “Hanoi Claims 2,900th Plane”… “Hanoi newspapers announced today that the 2,900th American plane was shot down over North Vietnam on Wednesday. Antiaircraft guns brought down the plane, fn F-4 Phantom jet, in Hatinh province south of the 19th parallel south of the 19th parallel, the newspaper said. The account did not mention the fate of the Phantom crew.”…
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were three fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 10 May 1968…
(1) MAJOR B. R. TELSHAW was flying an O-1E Bird Dog of the 20th TASS and 504th TASG out of Danang in the area of Hue when hit by ground fire in the engine. MAJOR TELSHAW was able to crash-land his aircraft a few miles west of Hue…
(2) An O-2A of the 22nd TASS and 504th TASG out of Danang was inexplicably lost due to fuel exhaustion–second in two days. The two airmen aboard survived the crash landing.
(3) MAJOR DAVID B. COON was flying an F-105D of the 357th TFS and 355th TFW on a directed air support bombing mission against a target in South Vietnam in close proximity to the geographic point where the boundaries of Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam meet. MAJOR COON was hit by ground fire recovering from his first attack and was forced to abandon the aircraft in short order. He was rescued by an Army helicopter. Chris Hobson notes that this was the only F-105 lost on a combat mission in South Vietnam during the war…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) ON 10 MAY FOR THE FOUR YEARS OF THE OPERATION…
1965… NONE…
1966… CAPTAIN JOHN EDWARD BAILEY, USAF… (KIA)…
1967… COMMANDER ROGER MORTON NETHERLAND, USN… (KIA)… and MAJOR LEONARD EDWARD NISKE, USAF… (KIA)…
1968… NONE…
Humble Host flew #159 an armed recce in Happy Valley (Hiway 15) as the sun was setting. Caught five trucks rolling south. Blew two away with Mk-82s. The other three went into the trees and we dropped where we thought they went hoping we could get some fires started for the next cycle of bombers to dive on… 1.8 hour flight with last .5 after sundown (“pinkie night trap”)…
RIPPLE SALVO… #796… AMONG THE BRAVE… THE AIRLIFTERS OF KHAM DUC…
LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOE M. JACKSON, USAF… THE MEDAL OF HONOR… “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 12 May 1968. LCOL JACKSON distinguished himself as pilot of a C-123 aircraft. LCOL JACKSON volunteered to attempt the rescue of a 3-man USAF Combat Control Team from the Special Forces camp at Kham Duc. Hostile forces had overrun the forward outpost and established gun positions on the airstrip. They were raking the camp with small arms, mortars, light and heavy automatic weapons, and recoilless rifle fire. The camp was engulfed in flames and ammunition dumps were continuously exploding and littering the runway with debris. In addition, eight aircraft had been destroyed by the intense enemy fire and one aircraft remained on the runway reducing its usable length to only 2,200 feet. To further complicate the landing, the weather was deteriorating rapidly, thereby permitting only one air strike prior to his landing. Although fully aware of the extreme danger and likely failure of such an attempt, LCOL JACKSON elected to land his aircraft and attempt the rescue. Displaying superb airmanship and extraordinary heroism, he landed his aircraft near the point where the combat control team was reported to be hiding. While on the ground, his aircraft was the target of intense hostile fire. A rocket landed in front of the nose of his aircraft but failed to explode. Once the combat control team was aboard, LCOL JACKSON succeeded in getting airborne despite the hostile fire directed across the runway in front of his aircraft. LCOL JACKSON’s profound concern for his fellow man, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed forces of his country…”
LIEUTENANT COLONEL WILLIAM BOYD, JR.., USAF…THE AIR FORCE CROSS… “For extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a C-130 pilot at Kham Duc, Republic of Vietnam, on 12 May 1968. On that date, Colonel BOYD flew an emergency evacuation mission into Kham Duc Airfield as it was being overrun by hostile forces. Realizing that the friendly ground forces and Vietnamese civilians remaining at Kham Duc had virtually no chance for survival except evacuation by aircraft, Colonel BOYD, without regard for his personal safety flew through a veritable hell of hostile fire into the besieged field and successfully evacuated more than one hundred troops and civilians….”
MAJOR BERNARD L. BUCHER, USAF… THE AIR FORCE CROSS… (POSTHUMOUS)… “For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as a C-130 Aircraft Commander in the Republic of Vietnam on 12 May 1968. On that date, MAJOR BUCHER volunteered to attempt the rescue of friendly forces from the Kham Duc airfield. Hostile forces had completely encircled the airfield. The surrounding terrain was extremely hazardous with 300- to 500-foot hills at each end of the runway. Shell fragments, munitions, and other debris littered the entire runway. After careful evaluation of the danger and realizing the hopeless position of the remaining defenders if they were not evacuated. MAJOR BUCHER elected to try the landing. Approaching the field from a steep angle of attack to avoid as much of the hail of enemy fire as possible, he successfully landed his aircraft and immediately began loading the defenders. An abandoned bulldozer and a crashed helicopter blocked much of the runway. After an amazing ly successful takeoff, MAJOR BUCHER’s aircraft was seen to crash and catch fire…”…
MAJOR JESSE W. CAMPBELL, USAF … THE AIR FORCE CROSS… “For extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a C-123 aircraft pilot in the Republic of Vietnam on 12 May 1968. On that date, MAJOR CAMPBELL volunteered to attempt the rescue of a three-man USAF Combat Control Team from the Special Forces camp at Kham Duc … MAJOR CAMPBELL was the co-pilot to LCOL JOE M. JACKSON, who was awarded the Medal of Honor… pilots got AFCs and other crew were awarded DFCs…
LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED J. JEANNOTTE, JR., USAF… THE AIR FORCE CROSS… “For extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a C-123 aircraft commander in Southeast Asia on 12 May 1968. On that date, COLONEL JEANNOTTE and his crew landed at Kham Duc airfield to evacuate the last United States personnel prior to abandoning the airfield to hostile forces. In spite of heavy hostile small arms, mortar and artillery fire, and the fact that the airstrip was essentially under hostile force control, COLONEL JEANNOTTE and his crew landed and located these personnel. Although unable to complete the pickup due to the location of these personnel and his inadequate fuel supply, COLONEL JEANNOTTE was able to direct a follow-on aircraft to a pickup point which allowed a successful evacuation.”…
RTR quote for 10 May: GENERAL STONEWALL JACKSON: “Take no counsel of your fears.”…
Lest we forget… Bear
