Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #872… HUMBLE HOST SPENDS MORE TIME IN THE WEBER COUNTY LIBRARY EVERY WEEK THAN HE SPENT IN THE U. OF MARYLAND LIBRARY DURING THE ENTIRE TWO YEARS SPENT GATHERING CREDITS TO QUALIFY FOR THE NAVY’S NAVCAD PROGRAM BACK IN 1953-55… Digging around in old newspaper, books and magazines is akin to panning gold. I am panning for nuggets of Rolling Thunder history, but always happy to lift the little specks of RTR gold dust from my pan at the end of a daily search when pebbles of RTR history prove elusive. I also enjoy dawdling through the pages of history, living in my wake. My Salvo for this post is unrelated to Rolling Thunder, but is posted as indicative of the fun in bringing a point in history forward to present times. Then connecting those two points to project what may be in the future. Today I bring the salaries of pro-football players to the fore…1968 vs. 2018… but first…
Good Morning… Day EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO of the hunt for Rolling Thunder history…
HEAD LINES from the OGDEN STANDARD-EXAMINER for 24 and 25 July 1968…
THE WAR: 24th, Page !: “1,400 HOMELESS AS VIETCONG BURNS VIETNAM VILLAGE”… “Allied forces battled Vietcong and North Vietnamese troops southwest and east of Saigon tody and uncovered sizable weapons caches in other areas near South Vietnam’s threatened capital. In the northern provinces, another vulnerable sector, the Vietcong kept up the pressure on outposts an provincial capitals with a second day of mortar attacks and light ground probes… Australian and New Zealand soldiers were locked in heavy fighting with one or two Viet Cong platoons holed up in bunkers about 25 miles east of Saigon…. they pulled back about noon and let the dive bombers pound the bunkers…. 25th, Page 1: “YANK CRAFT RIP REBELS NEAR CAMBODIAN BORDER– Raids Aim To Halt Red Push”… “Fifty of America’s most powerful bombers, the U.S. Air Force’s B-52s, attacked enemy base camps along the Cambodian border north of Saigon and in the central highlands Wednesday and today. Senior U.S. officers said the heavy raids were made because of ‘a lot of enemy activity.’… flying in formations of five planes each, 10 waves of the Stratofortresses dropped 1,500 tons of explosives….There was speculation that the enemy activity around Loc Ninh might mean one of two things, or a combination of both: (1) a renewal of the strategy last fall when sustained assaults were made on key district towns along the border in a prelude to the Tet offensive in February against the major cities and capitals, and (2) a series of attacks on targets in outlying regions to draw allied troops away from the major cities before the anticipated third enemy offensive of the year.”… Page 1: “VIETNAM DEATH TOLL AT LOWEST IN NINE MONTHS”… “The total of Americans killed in combat in Vietnam Dropped to 157 last week, the lowest weekly toll in more than nine months. Casualties reported for South Vietnamese and enemy forces were slightly less than those for the week before. It was the fourth consecutive week that the number of U.S. combat dead was below 200, reflecting the prolonged lull in ground fighting…the total U.S. wounded rose from 1,337 in the week ending July 13 to 2,014 last week… (the weekly report did not provide a total for the war– about 10,000 so far)…
PEACE TALKS: 24th, Page 1: “RECOGNIZE SOUTH VIETNAM’S ROLE, HARRIMAN SAYS”… “F. Averell Harriman bluntly told North Vietnamese negotiators today that to progress toward peace ‘you must be prepared to recognize the role’ of south Vietnam’s government in working out a settlement of the Vietnam war. Harriman’s assertion in the 14th session of the Paris peace talks followed directly on President Johnson’s Honolulu meeting with President Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam at the end of lst week. North Vietnam regularly denounces the Saigon government as an American ‘puppet.’… Harriman told newsmen he had not seen definitive evidence that the lull in the war around Saigon, which began in mid-June, was finally coming to an end. But he added: ‘What is disturbing is that the terrorist actions on theaters around Saigon have started again.'”…
24th Page 1: “SNIPERS TURN CLEVELAND INTO A BATTLEFIELD–TEN DEAD–4,000 TROOPERS SENT IN–3 WHITE OFFICERS KILLED”… “Snipers armed with rifles, shotguns, carbines and bayonets opened fire on a police tow truck at the start of a night of terror that left 10 persons dead, including three white policemen. Four thousand National Guardsmen patrolled the area today, restoring to least some surface calm to the East Side Negro neighborhood that saw burning and looting follow the outburst of shooting Tuesday night. The battle started, according to the police, when the snipers opened fire on policemen removing an abandoned auto. Three officers fell dead. The coroner listed seven Negros among the victims and two of them were snipers….Among those arrested was Fred Ahmed Evans, who has claimed a position of black nationalist leadership. Police quoted Evans as saying there were 17 men in his group and that he surrendered after his rifle failed to fire while he was aiming it at a policeman.”… Page 1: “REDS HEADED FOR MEETING WITH CZECHS–PRAGUE CONFIDENT RUSSIA WON’T RESORT TO FORCE”… 25th, Page 1: “TENSIONS EASE IN CLEVELAND–NO SHOOTINGS–NEGRO MAYOR TOOK BIG RISK–AND WON”… “Considerable progress has been made in easing tensions after the gun battle that claimed 11 lives on Cleveland’s east side Tuesday night, but the danger has not passed, Mayor Carl B. Stokes said today. Stokes made the assessment at a news conference following a night in which only Negro community leaders patrolled the trouble areas. White police and National Guardsmen were restricted from to the perimeter of the area. Stokes said there were three fires and 13 arrests and 36 stores were looted during the second night of disturbances. ‘I feel we owe a great deal to the citizens of the community and its black leadership, who prevented more trouble,’ the Mayor said.”…Page 1:”CZECHs SEE DIFFICULT RED TALKS”… “Czechoslovaks were warned today the forthcoming showdown talks with the Soviet Communist Party politburo will be ‘very difficult.’ They were urged to support the reformist Prague leadership with a new demonstrations of confidence. The comments came in an editorial in Prace, the newspaper of the 5.3 million-strong Czechoslovaks Trade Union federation.”… Page 1: “HOUSE OKAYS BILL TO RESTRICT LONG GUN MAIL-ORDER SALES”… Page 4: “Detroit ‘Disturbance Recalls” year ago–Arrest 14 In Flareup”…
24 and 25 JULY 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…Ogden Standard-Examiner… 25th, Page 1: “The U.S. Command…announced the loss of two more fighter-bombers, a Navy F-4 Phantom downed about 150 miles north of the demilitarized zone and an Air Force Phantom which ws hit by enemy fire in South Vietnam and crashed into Danang harbor. All four fliers were rescued. The Navy plane was the 868th U.S. warplane lost in combat over the North, while the other Phantom was the 286th such combat loss in the South.
VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) there were nine fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 24 and 25 July 1968…
(1) 24th… COMMANDER O.G. “Tex” ELLIOTT and LTJG ANDRIS DAMBEKALN were flying an F-4J of the VF-33 Tarsiers embarked in USS America on a flak suppression mission supporting an attack on a ferry 12 miles west of Vinh. On recovery from a successful attack on a firing AAA position they were hit by ground fire passing through 4,500 feet. COMMANDER ELLIOTT was able to keep the damaged aircraft flying but hydraulic and engine failure require the pair of aviators eject about five miles at sea. LTJG DAMBEKALN had no difficulty and was rescued by helicopter. COMMANDER ELLIOTT had extreme difficulty getting the canopy to leave the aircraft so the ejection seat would fire. He manually pushed the canopy clear and ejected in the nick of time. This is a similar problem suspected in the loss of Major General WORLEY two days earlier. COMMANDER ELLIOTT was rescued to fly and fight again…
(Webmaster note: The Vietnam Air Losses record of this incident indicates that the problem was due to “venturi effect occurred between 400 and 500 knots that kept the front canopy from releasing. Phantoms were later fitted with a gas-operated pistons that pushed up the leading edge of the front canopy after the rear canopy had left the aircraft”)
(2) & (3) 24th… CAPTAIN T.O. GILL and 1LT R.G. PIERCE were flying an F-4D of the 497th TFS and 8th TFW out of Ubon as were CAPTAIN HARLEY BENJAMIN HACKETT and 1LT JOHN ROBERT BUSH on a night armed reconnaissance mission in the area west of Cape Mu Ron. CAPTAIN GIL’s aircraft was hit by ground fire while attacking trucks on a road in that area and badly damaged. CAPTAIN HACKETT provided CAPTAIN GILL vectors toward Danang for an emergency landing. As CAPTAIN GILL headed south, a Navy aircraft reported witnessing the flash of an explosion on the water about 15 miles at sea. This was later presumed to be the F-4 of CAPTAIN HACKETT and 1LT BUSH. CAPTAIN GILL and 1LT PIERCE proceeded toward Danang but were forced to eject over Danang Bay where they were rescued. A search for CAPTAIN HACKETT and 1LT BUSH was unsuccessful, and the two warriors resting in peace where they fell fifty years ago this day. “Leave a Remembrance”… VVMF “Wall of Faces“… if the spirit strikes you…
(4) 24th… LCDR DAVID SCOTT GREILING was flying an A-7A of the VA-82 Marauders embarked in USS America and leading his section of A-7s on a night armed recce in the Cape Mu Ron area shortly after the GILL/HACKETT flight had encountered both truck targets and ground fire. LCDR GREILING reported truck lights and rolling in for an attack. A few seconds later his wingman observed an explosion on the ground, which he assumed was his leaders bombs. After completing his own attack he tried unsuccessfully to reach LCDR GRIELING on the tactical frequency. He assumed the worse and reported the loss. Subsequent searches were unsuccessful that night and the next day, but a crash site was found 500-feet below the ridge line of a mountain at the attack site. It was assumed that LCDR GREILING had most probably perished at that site and he was listed as MIA. On 17 July 1969 his status was changed to POW based on an intelligence report from Poland. A Polish seaman who was regularly inport North Vietnam included LCDR GREILING’S name as a possible POW. Since the source had been right on 28-30 of his reports, the decision was well founded. LCDR GREILING did not come home with the POWs. In September 1974 the Secretary of the Navy approved a Presumptive finding of Death for him and changed his status from POW to “Died while Captured.” Now, fifty years later COMMANDER GREILING either lies where he fell, or the North Vietnamese must know where his remains are being held. His family deserves resolution to the question. LEFT BEHIND…. But remembered with admiration and appreciation for his supreme sacrifice for our country… “Leave a Remembrance”…VVMF, “Wall of Faces“…
(5) 25th… CAPTAIN ALFRED LEONARD TRIPP and 1LT MICHAEL FRANC HENDRICKSON were flying an OV-10A of VMO-2 and MAG-16 and were downed by small arms fire as it was diving to mark a target for a division of fighter-bombers to strike and failed ot recover from the marking pass. Neither aviator was able to eject prior to the crash, which occurred 25 miles south of Danang. This was the first loss of an OV-10 in the theater. CAPTAIN TRIPP and 1LT HENDRICKSON rest in peace on this 50th anniversary of their last flight… “Leave a Remembrance”…VVMF, “Wall Of Faces“…
(6) 25th… CAPTAIN JOSEPH A.I. HUILLIER was flying an F-100C of the 136th TFS and 31st TFW out of Tuy Hoa and went down making his second night bombing run on a storage area 20 miles west of Tam Ky. He was hit by ground fire and went in with the aircraft, observed by an Army helicopter pilot. This was the third loss by the Air National Guard in the Southeast Asian fighting…. CAPTAIN HUILLIER gave his life for our country 50 years ago and is remebered for his service and ultimate sacrifice…
(7) 25th … LT CHARLES CARROLL PARISH and LT ROBERT St. CLAIR FANT were flying an F-4J of the VF-102 Diamondbacks embarked in USS America and went down on a night raid on the railroad marshaling yards at Vinh. As the Phantom was pulling off the target LT FANT observed a bright orange flash as the aircraft snap-rolled on its back, LT PARISH regained control momentarily then the Phantom went out of control and an ejection sequence was initiated. LT FANT successfully abandoned from the rear seat, floated to earth and was captured. He would be returned home in March 1973. LT PARRISH ejected successfully, but was either killed by gunfire in the descent or his chute only partially deployed and he was killed in action at that time. The cause of the loss was either AAA or an early detonation of one of the Phantom’s own bombs. LT PARRISH is remembered with admiration and respect on the 50th anniversary of his last flight for our country…
(8) 25th… CAPTAIN KENNETH JAMES HOFFMAN and A1C GARY RAYMOND McKENDRICK were flying a C-7B Caribou of the 457th TAS and 483rd TAW out of Cam Ranh Bay and stalled on a low altitude maneuver (air drop?) and crashed. Both CAPTAIN HOFFMAN and A1C McKENDRICK were killed but two other members of the flight survived to fly and fight again…
(9) 25th… “THE WILD RIDE OF MAJOR CURTIS G. LAWSON, USMC”… who, with his B/N 1LT PAUL GORDON BROWN, were flying an A-6A of the VVMF(AW)-533 Nighthawks and MAG-12 out of Chu Lai, Call Sign Hellborn 20, were conducting a twilight armed recce north of the DMZ when hit by an intense barrage of 37mm antiaircraft fire. The two Marines ejected and went their separate ways by parachute… Chris Hobson tells the story: “Both crew ejected and came down about 10 miles northwest of Thon Cam Son. The pilot, MAJOR LAWSON, came down in the Dai River and swam to the river bank where he stayed in the water and hid. Several hours later he contacted a Misty FAC that was looking for him. The area was too well defended to attempt a rescue until it could be softened up by air strikes. As it was getting dark MAJOR LAWSON was told to stay put until the next morning. A Misty FAC put a series of strikes after first light the next morning. Following a number of abortive attempts, Jolly Green 31 of the 37th ARRS, flown by MAJOR CHARLES E. WICKER and MAJOR R.E. BOOTH approached the survivor over the river (at a few feet of altitude) under steady and heavy ground fire. The escorting A-1s and the helicopter door gunners put down a fierce suppressive fire as the helicopter swept along the river at 70 knots until it reached MAJOR LAWSON. The flight engineer, SSGT J. ENRIQUEZ and the PJ, SGT S.M. NORTHERN continued firing with their M-60s as they deployed the jungle penetrator into the water. MAJOR LAWSON swam towards the helicopter as it landed in the water and was dragged aboard before a rapid departure under the continuing protective fire of the four A-1s. The two crewmen had fired a total of 2,400 rounds of their M-60 ammo before both guns seized due to overheating. 1LT BROWN was not so fortunate as MAJOR LAWSON as he landed in a populated area and was captured. He was sent to Hanoi and was released on 14 March 1973.” (Humble Host stumbled on tracking down the awards earned for this exciting adventure and unbounded courage under fire by a lot of people working to get one brother out of big trouble…Surely this tale has been told in greater detail somewhere… anybody know where?)…
RIPPLE SALVO… #872… The following is a feature article from the Sunday 2 June 1968 New York Times written by William N. Wallace in the midst of a major storm between management and players, and the leagues of professional football. Fifty years ago the National Football League was learning to live with the American football League. The players were playing for peanuts, as had all their predecessors in the business of pro-football ($100 a game). But the first BIG television contracts were emerging and the sport was on steroids. The players wanted some of the swag. The essay is titled:
A.F.L. PAY SCALE IS UPPER MIDDLE CLASS … I quote WILLIAM N. WALLACE…
“How much are pro football players actually paid? Jackie Kemp of the Buffalo Bills surveyed the scale in the American Football League and while his figures do not relate to specific player but averages by position and team, that is more information than was available before. Kemp, the head of the AFL Player’s Association, compiled the data so the athletes would have better guidelines in negotiating their contracts with their owners. The figures may not be 100 per cent accurate because players might have overstated or even unstated their salaries for personal reasons. they were not under oath.
“The highest paid players are, of course, the quarterbacks. the average salary among 19 AFL quarterbacks, regular and reserves is $25,000. Flankerbacks come next at $23,000. Then come fullbacks, $22,400; halfbacks $19,600; centers $18,600; ends, split and tight, $18,300; defensive linemen $18,000; guards, safety men and linebackers all $17,500; offensive tackles $16,000; cornerbacks $15,900; and kickers $14,200.
“Of the 400 players queried by Kemp, 350 answered, this was a far higher percentage than that of a similar National Football League survey that has never been made public. The highest paid players in the AFL of those who replied would seem to be a Kansas City flanker. He reportedly receives a salary of $60,000. By elimination that would be Otis Taylor, believe it or not. It is not known if Joe Namath was one of the Jets who replied. The highest paid Jet has a salary of $32,000. that would seem to have been about right for Namath’s initial contract, which just ran out. Sonny Werblin always conceded that Joe’s salary was not so big. It was the cradle-to-grave fringe benefits that run up Namath’s score.
“The salaries of reporting players for each team were tallied to deduce an average player salary by team. The San Diego Chargers were first with their average player salary of $20,732. Then in order: Boston, Oakland, Kansas City, Houston, Buffalo, the Jets, Miami and Denver. The Jets average ws $17,976 and Denver’s $16,170. Remember these are salaries for five months of production for athletes.
“The prevalence of no-cut contracts was spelled out. Of 46 San Diego players responding, 26 said they had a no-cut provision in their contracts, meaning the club could not drop them from the payroll even if they lacked the ability to make the varsity squad. Kansas City, for example, has a firmer policy. Only 12 of 43 responding Chiefs had no cut contracts.
“Offensive players make more than defensive ones, the average being $18,000 against $17,000. That is not surprising because the few big quarterbacks, flankerbacks or running backs salaries would lift the averages.
“It was possible to make educated guesses on specific salaries from the data. The Boston Patriots apparently pay their fullback, Jim Nance, $50,000 a season. Buffalo’s highest salary is $45,000. Who would that go to? Probably Kemp, which makes him the highest paid quarterback in that league. San Diego’s high salary is $55,000, which probably goes to Lance Alworth, the flankerback. The highest paid halfback gets $38,000 and presumably he plays for a tem on which someone else makes more. That brings the team down to Boston, Buffalo, Houston, Kansas City or San Diego. eliminate the first three because they do not have half-backs who could command such a salary. That brings the subject to Mike Garrett of the Chief or Paul Lowe of the Chargers.
“The kind of identification is not popular with the owner, who have long preferred to deal with the player individually and privately in the dark, in effect. (This was before the day of player agents). The trouble has been that an articulate athlete could bargain more effectively than his passive teammate, although the latter clearly was the more valuable to the club. A difficulty with public knowledge of salaries is the inevitable comparisons. For example, Lowe of the Chargers built his salary up over several years of outstanding play. However, last season Dick Post, an unknown rookie, took the injured Lowe’s job away. Post, if he is as impatient as most athletes, might point to Lowe’s pay scale and say, ‘Hey, I want what he’s getting. No, I want more, because I’m playing ahead of him, and I want it now.’
“That approach can take payrolls up into the clouds because pro football players are seldom cut in salary. A coach explained recently. ‘If you cut their pay, you insult them, destroy their self-confidence. Then they are not worth a damn to you. You might as well have dropped the guy instead of sending him the contract cut. To get the most out of these player, you have to keep them believing in themselves and you do that in their pay envelopes.’ “… End quote…
FOR COMPARISON a few 2017/18 National Football League salaries… The ten top salaries: Quarterbacks all: (1) Atlanta’s Ryan $30 million per season; (2) Vikings Cousins $28 million; (3) 49ers de Grappolo $27.5 million; (4) Lions Stafford $27.5; (5) Raiders Carr $25 million + $5,000; (6) Saints Brees $25 million; Colts Luck $24.6 million; (7) Ravens Flacco $22.1; (8) Packers Rogers $22 million; (9) Seahawks Wilson $21.9 million; (10) Steelers Roethlisberger $21.850… (Average Quarterback salary 50 years before= $25,000 per season)
2017/18 Average salary per Oakland Raider player $2,990,000 per season. A Raven average: $2,540,000 per season. Lowest of 32 payrolls averages (49ers) pay “2,070,000 per player. The NFL has a range of minimum salaries per season: First Year Rookies minimum salary: $465,000 and $26,470 per game. Second Year minimum of $540,000. Third Year $690,000.
U.S. Inflation rate: $100. in 1968 > $724.11 in 2018… AFL Quarterback 1968 $25K, NFL QB 2017/18 $25M… Drew Brees makes 1,000 times more than Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath made in their day… And all those Oakland Raider guys, for example, you see “taking a knee” are packing out $2.9 million per year. Artie Donovan, an old Baltimore Colt, made $18,000 a year and he never took a knee. In fact, none of the generation that made pro-football what it is today ever took a knee.
Let we forget… Bear
