ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED 15 OCTOBER 1966

RIPPLE SALVO… #228… CAPTAIN JERRY COFFEE’s “ONE MORE ROLL”… but first…

Good Morning: Day TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT of a ROLLING THUNDER DIARY…

15 OCTOBER 1966… WHAT THE HOME FOLKS WERE READING in the New York Times… On a cloudy, rainy, windy and miserable Saturday…

Page 1: “Demonstration Cities Bill Passed By House 178-141″…”The House handed President Johnson one of his biggest legislative victories of the year tonight when it approved by 178 to 141 a billion dollar attack on city slums and urban sprawl. The margin of victory for the measure known as the Demonstration Cities Bill was larger than most Administration strategists had expected. Observers attributed this to the fact that by the time the final roll arrived, the bill which has survived nine months of trimming amendments, apathy and confusion has only one more major hurdle to cross before it reaches President Johnson’s desk–a Senate-House Conference– that is expected to meet next week to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of  the bill.”… Page 1: “Senate Puts Off Early Increase In Social Security”…”Senate leaders dealt a death blow tonight to House plans to push through an immediate cost-ot-living increase in Social Security benefits. They also announced to the surprise of many that they had decided not to make any cutbacks this session in Medicaid, the Federal-state program of medical aid to the poor…Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana, the Majority Leader, announced that there would not be any new legislation considered in the Senate between now and the scheduled adjournment of Congress next week. Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois, the Minority leader said: “I agree.”…

Page 1: “Israel Tells U.N. Syria Plans War To Destroy Her”…”Israel accused Syria tonight of planning to destroy her by war. In a speech to the Security Council, Abba Eban, Israel’s Foreign Minister cited 30 declarations by official Syrian sources expressing ‘an intention to destroy Israel.’ The Soviet Union, Bulgaria and Jordan staged a determined effort to prevent or delay the presentation of the Israeli Foreign Minister’s case. The reason according to Western participants was that the three nations realized that Syria could offer no substantial arguments to counter Mr. Eban’s charges. Rejecting assertions by Syria and her Arab allies that Israel was preparing military operations against Syria, Mr. Eban asked for a United Nations inspection of both sides of the frontier. The Foreign Minister demanded ‘a solemn and emphatic consideration’ by the Council ‘of hostile and illicit infiltration’ against Israel supported by the Syrian Government.”… Page 1: “U.S. And Russians To Seek U.N. Plea On Atomic Spread”…”The United States and the Soviet Union plan to appeal to the General Assembly soon to urge all states to refrain from actions that could lead to the spread of nuclear weapons. Agreement on this move was reached by Arthur J. Goldberg, the United States delegate and Nikolai Fedorenko of the Soviet Union at a private meeting yesterday. Diplomatic sources said the appeal was being pushed as an interim measure until agreement could be reached on a treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.”…

Page 1: “Raid On Cambodia Confirmed By U.S.”…”The United States acknowledged today that because of ‘pilot error’ two American helicopters attacked a Cambodian Army post near South Vietnam on September 20. The State Department expressed profound regret in a statement for the ‘tragic mistake’ and said compensation for any loss of life of property damage would be offered by the South Vietnamese government. It was explained that South Vietnam was assuming responsibility for the compensation because American forces were acting at the request of the South Vietnam government.”… Page 2: “U.S. Warns It Will Again Bomb A Buffer Zone Area If Foe Acts”…”The United States announced today that it would resume bombing the eastern part of the demilitarized zone ‘if there is North Vietnamese Army or Vietcong activity in the area.’ In a statement read at a regular afternoon brief of newsmen here (Saigon) said that ‘for two weeks the Americans had suspended military operations in the buffer zone’s eastern or coastal section. Blame for possible resumption of United States and South Vietnamese bombing of the zone’s coastal section rests primarily on Hanoi.’  The United States statement said: ‘We regret the Control Commission’s teams repeated efforts to enter the Northern sector (NVN half of buffer) have been consistently rebuffed by North Vietnam or Vietcong military action in the area in question. The Government of South Vietnam and the United States will be obliged to respond. There was speculation that the final order to lift the bombing ban had come by way of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who viewed the zone yesterday in a Marine helicopter before ending a four-day visit to Vietnam. Official sources said however that there is still no intention to send ground troops into the zone to follow up the bombs.”…

Page 19 (Sports): “Football Merger Bill Passed By Senate”…”A bill providing anti-trust for the merger of the National and American Football Leagues was approved today in the Senate.”

15 October 1966…The President’s Daily Brief… CIA (TS sanitized)… South Vietnam: Ky can count on the support of most of the military if the latent cabinet crisis come to a head, according to the calculations of Saigon military politicians. If military leaders become too obvious in their backing of Ky, however, relations between civilians and military in the government would worsen. Distrust between the two groups has already had a part in bringing on the cabinet difficulties.

15 OCTOBER 1966… A ROLLING THUNDER DIARY… NYT (16 Oct reporting 15 Oct ops)… Page 1: “U.S. Bombing Of The North At Record With 175 Raids”…”United States military headquarters announced today the heaviest raids on North Vietnam so far and also announced that American plane losses there had passed the 400 mark. United States planes flew 175 missions–flights involving more than one aircraft–over the North yesterday, two more than the previous day, when a new record was set. The 175 missions included 400 to 500 individual plane strikes. An American spokesman said plane losses now total 403, a figure that included three previously unannounced. In another development in the air war, United States B-52s staged three raids today, including one bombing attack in the demilitarized zone and a second just south of it. The zone separates North and South Vietnam…

In announcing that 403 American airplanes had been lost over North Vietnam, the United States spokesman included the loss Thursday night of an F-4C Phantom that crashed while making a rocket run on a target. The two fliers aboard were listed as missing (1LTs BORDEN and MEADOWS were KIA). The U.S. spokesman also announced that 129 American planes had been downed in South Vietnam. This total included an F-100 Super Sabre that was shotdown by groundfire while on a strike 38 miles east of Can Hu in the Mekong River delta. The pilot ( CAPTAIN ELLIS) was killed. Helicopter losses were officially listed as 213 over South Vietnam and 3 over North Vietnam.”… “Vietnam: Air Losses” (Hobson) : There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 15 October 1966… oohrah!

RIPPLE SALVO… #228… This is good page of the diary to insert the beautiful poem  “ONE MORE ROLL” composed by Captain Jerry Coffee, USN (Ret)… I quote…

One More Roll

We toast our faithful comrades

     Now fallen from the sky

And gently caught by God’s own hand

     To be with Him on high.

To dwell among the soaring clouds

     They knew so well before

From dawn patrol and victory roll

     At heaven’s very door.

And as we fly among them there

     We’re sure to hear their plea:

“Take care my friends, watch your six,

     And do one more roll–just for me.”

Lest we forget…               Bear              ……….  –30–  ……….