Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #658… and ESPECIALLY RIVER RATS AND YANKEE AIR PIRATES… Christmas 1967 in Vietnam, Thailand and Yankee Station rates another visit… Humble Host hopes you can find the time this Holiday to call-up the 1967 Bob Hope USO Vietnam tour that made 22 stops for shows for the troops in the whirlwind 15-day visit. Google: “Bob Hope Vietnam Tour 1967.” Stops include Takhli, Korat, Ranger, Coral Sea, Danang, Ubon, Cam Ranh Bay, Saigon on Christmas Day and a dozen other make-shift arenas filled with bright, brave and appreciative troops escaping from their respective roles in the fight to spend an hour under the spell of a great American–Bob Hope… more than song and dance…
Good Morning and Merry Christmas… where were you fifty years ago? This is post #658 recalling the air war fought by America air crews…The secret name of the operation was ROLLING THUNDER… To the world it was known as “the bombing of North Vietnam”…
25 December 1967…HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a partly cloudy, pleasant Christmas Monday in NYC…
Page 1: “President Johnson Pledges to Continue Drive For Negotiations–Holiday Greeting to Nation Includes a Repetition of Promise to Pontiff–He Reports on Journey–Stresses Reasons To Be Thankful Despite War and Suffering”... The President’s Statement…
“Now that the holy day itself has come, i wish each of you a full measure of happiness. I hope all of you may remember, this Christmas, the brave young men who celebrate the holy season far from their homes, some in trailers, some in rice paddies and foxholes, but all of them serving their country–serving their love ones–serving each of us.
“I hope, too, that your hearts may be filled with peace within, as your country so earnestly seeks peace in the world.
“Our country has known many wartime Christmases. It may seem difficult, at such times, to even say ‘Merry Christmas.’ But when you think of the bravery of the human spirit, and the compassion of the human heart, and the power of life in triumph over pain and darkness, you are properly thankful. Your own spirits are lifted higher; and you say it–and mean it–as I do now. Merry Christmas.”
Page 1: “Incidents Mar Cease-Fire Called By Allies In Vietnam”... “The 24-hour Christmas cease-fie went into effect Christmas eve and within the first 12 hours the United States command reported 38 enemy incidents. All were said to involve a few shots or grenades or rockets firings, but seven American soldiers were reported wounded and nine of the enemy were reported killed. ‘Curtailing offensive military operations hopefully will serve a dual purpose. First allow the military forces to observe Christmas and second, provide the opportunities for the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces in the South to take advantage of the chieu hoi, or open arms program,’ said an American spokesman.”
Christmas Day, 1967… Operation Rolling Thunder… New York Times…No coverage of air war..
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were five fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on Christmas Day 1967…
(1) MAJOR G.W. FRITSCHI, USMC and CAPTAIN A.D. SMILEY, USMC were flying an TF-9J Cougar of H&MS-13 and MAG-12, USMC at Chu Lai on a visual reconnaissance mission in the Ashau Valley area. The TF-9 Cougars, few in number, were used by the Marines as Fast Facs. On this mission, MAJOR FRITSCHI and CAPTAIN SMILEY were diving from 1,700-feet to mark a target when hit by ground fire. they were able to keep the Cougar in the air for a short while but were forced to eject 12 miles southwest of Hue’…They were rescued by Air Force helicopter… The TF-9Js were replaced by TA-4Es as Marine Fast Facs…
(2) MAJOR BILLY E. LANGFORD was flying an O-2A of the 20th TASS and 504th TASG our of Danang on a FAC mission seven miles south of Chu Lai when downed by ground fire. MAJOR LANGFORD was killed in action in the ensuing crash fifty Christmases ago…
(3) CAPTAIN TERRY TRELOAR KOONCE and an unnamed observer were flying a T-28D out of the 606th ACS and 56th ACW out of Nakhon Phanom on an armed reconnaissance and were downed on an attack on a vehicle in Ban Karai Pass. The aircraft was downed by own bomb shrapnel or bomb debris and flew into the ground killing CAPTAIN KOONCE and his observer. CAPTAIN KOONCE’s body remains where he fell on Christmas fifty years ago….Left behind but not forgotten… He and his companion rest in peace…How does a family celebrate the birth of Christ on the anniversary of the death of a warrior son?…
(4) MAJOR D.C. ESCALARA, USMC and 1LT THOMAS ANTHONY GRUD, USMC were flying and RF-4B of VMCJ-1 and MAG-11 out of Danang and had completed a reconnaissance mission. Landing at Danang MAJOR ESCALARA attempted a MOREST arrested landing. The cable snapped and struck the aircraft forcing the horizontal stabilizer to the full nose up position. MAJOR ESCALARA hit afterburner and attempted to climb out of the situation. Unfortunately, the aircraft stalled forcing the two aviators to eject. MAJOR ESCALARA was successful and survived. 1LT GRUD’s parachute did not have time to fully deploy and he was killed…
(5) MAJOR JERRY A SELLERS and CAPTAIN RICHARD W. BUDKA were flying an O-2A of the 20th TASS was flying a night visual reconnaissance mission in the Demilitarized Zone and downed by automatic weapons fire. Both MAJOR SELLERS and CAPTAIN BUDKA were killed in action on Christmas night 1967, 50-years ago… MAJOR SELLERS was awarded the Air Force Cross, posthumously, for his heroic action and sacrifice… The Citation…
“Air Force Cross Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War...The President of the United States of America…takes pride in presenting the Air Force Cross (Posthumously) to Major Jerry Alan Sellers, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Forward Air Controller and O-2 Pilot of the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Danang Air Base, Vietnam, in action near Con Thien, Republic of Vietnam, on 25 December 1967. On that date, Major Sellers, while flying a night reconnaissance mission received a call for assistance from a United States ground patrol. This patrol had been attacked by a superior hostile force and was in imminent danger of being overrun. Weather and terrain conditions made target acquisition virtually impossible. Major Sellers elected to turn on his lights to locate the target and his aircraft was immediately bracketed by anti-aircraft fire. He then attempted to direct an AC-47 gunship to the area from which fire had been received but the pilot could not see the target. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own safety, Major Sellers illuminated the target with his landing lights and directed accurate fire into the hostile positions. His aircraft was struck by hostile fire and crashed. By deliberately exposing himself to the hostile fire, Major Sellers, enabled the patrol to be withdrawn, ultimately saving their lives by the sacrifice of his own. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Major Sellers reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force,”… OOHrah…
CAPTAIN RICHARD WALTER BUDKA, also a Covey FAC of the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, was awarded the Silver Star (Posthumously) for his role in the action… he had served 225 days in combat in Vietnam… His body was recovered and he rests in peace on this 50th anniversary–50 Christmases lost– of his heroic death …
Chris Hobson points out: “It is noteworthy that from the four O-2s that had been shot down during the year (1967) not one crewman had managed to escape, whereas, 15 of the 36 occupants of O-1s had survived being shot down during the year.”
RIPPLE SALVO… #658… On this Christmas Day 2017 Humble Host will include thoughts of the brothers-in-arms who perished on the battle fields of Vietnam fifty years ago and prayers for so many among our aging ranks who are hurting but never-the-less counting the blessings of 50 years of life after dodging death in the skies of North Vietnam… Thank you, Jesus…. I will be especially thinking about a good friend, valiant warrior, great writer and champion of Naval Aviation for more than 60 years as a tailhooker, writer and editor of Naval Air News and Wings of Gold…and a dozen or so of my sloppy essays… ZIP RAUSA, hang in there… loveyaman…
RTR Quote for Christmas: ISAIAH 9:6.. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”….
Lest we forget… Bear
