Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #750… SEVEN STATE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS constitute Humble Host’s contribution to your Sunday reading… I hope you have time to peruse this unique collection of memoranda and notes from 25 and 26 March 1968 as the Wise Men provided President Johnson guidance for the way ahead in Vietnam. It is an American privilege to have access to the formerly Top Secret and sensitive documents of our government. While the people and the issues change over time, access and study of what our leaders were thinking and talking about as they addressed those issues decades ago provides both a fuller understanding of the issues of their time and an insight to the unseen actions in the White House, Pentagon and Foggy Bottom of today. One of the collateral blessings of octogenarian status is being able to outlive some of the over-classification of the nation’s secrets…. enjoy the blessing…. but first…
GOOD MORNING: Day SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY of a remembrance of a war fought fifty years ago that provided so many lessons–paid for in blood and treasure–that go unlearned and ignored by our leaders, who should know better, as we slog through the quagmires of the 21st century expending blood and treasure…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times on Monday, 25 March 1968…
THE WAR & KHE SANH: Page 1: “FOE KEEPS UP FIRE ON KHE SANH BASE–625 Shells Hit Outpost on 2nd Day of Heavy Attack–B-52 Jets Retaliate”… “North Vietnamese soldiers fired 625 rocket, mortar and artillery shells into the United States Marine Corps at Khe Sanh yesterday in the second day of heavy bombardment. In reply the United States sent six waves of B-52s and nearly 400 fighter-bomber planes, and fired tons of artillery shells. ‘We don’t read in anything special in the heavy shelling,’ an Army colonel said. ‘We continue to maintain an alert posture. Of course, the more he fires at us, the better chance we have for return fire and for directing the B-52s.’ … Casualties of the bombardment of the outpost remain light despite the two-day score of 1,265 incoming rounds….In the last two days, 13 B-52 missions have been flown in the vicinity of Khe Sanh. Three to 12 of the jets constitute a mission, and each plane carries 30,000 to 50,000 pounds of bombs.. Since january 21 more than 350 of the B-52 missions have been directed against the 20,000 North Vietnamese soldiers who, it is estimated, surround the base. In addition, there have been 20,000 single fighter-bomber attacks. Countless artillery shells have rained in from the 175.mm guns at Camp Carroll and the Marine Corps base known as the Rock Pile…. In South Vietnam the 50,000 soldiers participating in the operation known as Quyet Thang, or Determination to Win, the largest allied offensive of the war, found little action in their sweep near Saigon.”… Page 1: “WORK ON ‘McNAMARA LINE’ IN VIETNAM NEAR STANDSTILL”…”The construction of the ‘McNamara Line”–the proposed barrier against infiltration from North Vietnam–is far behind schedule, and many military men doubt that the project will ever be completed.”… Page 2: “U.S. Copter Assault Company Has Tragic Day”… “…the pilots of the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company were moving our, once again… But today was tragically different. The company’s guns, for the first time, accidentally killed an American infantryman.”… Page 2 “Marines to Start New Village Plan–Pacification Teams Toi Move From Ham;let to Hamlet”… Page 2: “TOP MARINE OPPOSES WAR POLICY CHANGE”… “General Leonard F. Chapman, jr., the new United States Marine Commandant, opposes any change in basic United States military strategy in Vietnam. He said today that the United States could gain its objectives ‘if we just persevere.’ General Chapman acknowledged that the Tet Offensive ‘was a setback to many things, particularly the pacification program.’ But he predicted the net effect of the offensive would prove favorable to the United States because of the violence used against the South Vietnamese civilians. “I believe we were and are doing the right thing.’…He delined to forecast what decisions President Johnson might make on war strategy.”…
Page 1: “SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS ISRAEL FOR JORDAN RAID–RESOLUTION SAYS ATTACK ON KARAMEN WAS FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF U.N. CHARTER–Censure is Unanimous–Craft Is Changed To Include Criticism Of All Violent Incidents In The Area… Page 1: “IRISH PLANE CRASHES IN SEA OFF WALES–61 ARE FEARED LOST”… Page 1: “Panama Has Two Presidents As Robles Defies Deputies–They Vote Him Out Then Select Delvalle To Succeed Him”… Page 5: “SPOCK BID TO TEST WAR LEGALITY EXPECTED TO BE OPPOSED TODAY–Department of Justice Wants Draft Foes’ Trial Focused On Conspiracy Charge”… Page 1: “STUDENTS HAVE BECOME WORLD WIDE FORCE FOR CHANGE”… “Students have become a world-wide force for political activism and educational reform. From Berkeley to Tokyo they are fighting for a voice in university affairs. From Warsaw to Madrid they are battling against what they consider an unresponsive political establishment. The movement has no unifying leadership. It is fed by an international grapevine and shaped as goals that are shared beyond international boundaries. The motivation for dissent and rebellion seems more often idealistic than ideological, less political than socio-economic and intellectual.”…
25 MARCH 1968…THE PRESIDENT’S DAILY BRIEF (TS-SI declas in part)… NORTH VIETNAM: Still more evidence that Hanoi is embarked on a major new infiltration effort into South Vietnam has appeared in communications intelligence over the weekend. The first units in the new wave–the ones that apparently set out from North Vietnam in late January–already seem to be turning up in an enemy base area in South Vietnam’s northernmost Quang Tri Province… EASTERN EUROPE: Brezhnev and Kosygin worked hard in Dresden over the weekend to head off further deterioration in bloc solidarity. It was hard going at times, and the results are sure to be less than they hoped for. difficulty in reaching consensus, especially on economic matters, is evident in several portions of the communique where it says simply that views were exchanged on certain questions…. redacted… The communique does say to take “immediate” measures to “consolidate the Warsaw Pact and its armed forces.”…
STATE DEPARTMENT historical documents…see Ripple Salvo…
25 MARCH 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times… All copy concerned ops south of the DMZ as reported above…”Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There was one fixed wing aircraft lost on 25 March in Southeast Asia…
(1) CAPTAIN RICHARD WHAN HOPPER and MAJOR DONAL LYLE McHUGO were flying a B-57B of the 8th TBS and 35th TFW out of Phan Rang on an armed recce mission in southern Laos about 20 miles southwest of the A Shau Valley, when hit by small arms fire in the port engine causing CAPTAIN HOPPER to abort the mission after the second bomb run. The flight ended tragically as the plane became uncontrollable on final at Danang Air Base and crashed killing both CAPTAIN HOPPER and MAJOR McHUGO… They are remembered with respect and admiration on this day, fifty years after their last and fatal flight with one of the famous “Doom Pussy” Canberra Night Fighter squadrons, “who flew into the jaws of the cat of death.” The Doom Pussy….
AMONG THE BRAVE… EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM… THE NAVY CROSS… LIEUTENANT JAMES WILSON PATE, JR. USN and LIEUTENANT ROGER W. KRUEGER, USN… NORTH VIETNAM…24 MARCH 1968…
“The President of the United States takes plesure in presenting the NAVY CROSS to ROGER W. KRUEGER, United States Navy, for EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM on 24 March 1968 as a Naval Flight Officer in Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE (VA-165), embarked in U.S.S. RANGER (CVA-61). Lieutenant KRUEGER served as the bombardier/navigator for the first U.S. Navy A-6A night, all-weather attack against the heavily defended and strategic Kinh No railroad yard, located on the vital northeast railroad of North Vietnam. Although encountering extremely intense enemy antiaircraft defenses, a barrage of four surface-to-air missiles, and a near miss that forced the aircraft into momentary uncontrollable flight and degraded his weapon system, Lieutenant KRUEGER continued to operate the attack system and to provide the necessary navigational and attack parameters to accomplish a successful weapons release on this vital target. During egress, the flight encountered a line of thunderstorms and heavy enemy defenses necessitating an aerial refueling in order to safely outmaneuver these obstacles and complete the return to the ship. Lieutenant KRUEGER’S heroic actions, professionalism, and fearless devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”
“The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY CROSS to JAMES WILSON PATE, JR….. “… The citation for the award is very similar to that of LIEUTENANT KRUEGER’s but highlights Lieutenant PATE’s role as a pilot who, upon “encountering extremely intense enemy antiaircraft defenses, a barrage of four surface-to-air missiles, and a near miss that momentarily forced his aircraft into uncontrollable flight. Lieutenant KRUEGER continued to press his attack and succeeded in dropping all weapons on target…”…
Humble Host commends the Awards Board in USS Ranger and Commander Carrier Air Wing TWO on the chutzpah to reward Junior Officers with the same awards presented to the senior pilots in his Air Wing Two… and then supporting those recommendations up the line to make them happen…
RIPPLE SALVO… #750… HUMBLE HOST BUNDLES SEVEN HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT HISTORIAN… These documents are dated 25 and 26 March 1968. Three documents dated 25 March deal with preparation of the President for the four meetings on 25 March with his generals, the Wise Men and the smaller circle of advisors in his Executive Department. These seven documents taken together are a history lesson unto itself… this is how the President should go about reaching a major National Security decision… Humble Host will suggest President Trump investigate a council of Wise Men to go with his Inner Circle…He needs all the friends with tough hides and clear vision he can muster to assist with the rocks and shoals ahead for our 2018 ship-of-state. Access to the seven documents is made easy by the fact that they are in sequence. Access to document 153 leads to 154 with a tap on the faint carrot in the far right hand margin of the 153 document… and so forth… Here’s what you are in for…
153. Dated 25 March: a memo from Secretary Rusk to the President commenting on a suggestion by the President’s Counsel Harry McPherson that lays out a path for the next effort to get a set of peace talks going… Note that Rolling Thunder remains the country’s bargaining chip and a part of every conversation in this series of documents…
http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d153
154. Dated 25 March: a memo from Walt Rostow to the President that preps him for the meeting with the Wise Men the following day. “Here’s some possible questions you may want to ask them to get them going.” LBJ gets to sleep on the primer…
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d154
155. Dated 25 March: an Editorial Note that identifies the “Wise Men” and summarizes their first meeting since November 1967. Thedinner meeting at the State Department–Foggy Bottom–convened at 7:30 for dinner and lasted until 11P.M…. that includes briefings and other preparation for their muster with the President on the morrow–26 March…
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d155
156. Dated 26 March: the Notes of a 1.7 hour meeting of President with General Wheeler and the incoming COMUSMACV General Creighton Abrams, no stranger to the Vietnam was. Three plus pages of heavy conversation…you get to be the fly on the wall in the Oval Office that you always wished you could be… Time of meeting: 10:30 A.M. to 12:15 P.M…. The President’s first of four consecutive meetings on Tuesday, March 26…
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d156
157. Dated 26 March ( Meeting #2– 1:15 to 3:05 P.M.): the Notes for the President’s meeting with his Foreign Policy Advisors (“Wise Men”). The President kicks it off with:”I want to hear from people who are not regular advisors from time to time… I want to hear your voices and what you think will be helpful to me.” GREAT set of notes…
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d157
158. Dated 26 March (Meeting #3– 3:15 to 4:30 P.M.): the Notes of second meeting of the President and the Wise Men. The four pages include verbatim transcripts from tape recordings… a continuation of the first meeting after a ten minute break… good reading…
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d158
159. Dated 26 March (Meeting #4– 6:00 to 7:40 P.M.): An Editorial Note that summarizes a final meeting with a reduced circle of advisors to sum uipthe day… Not your average day for a President… aren’t you glad you were there?..
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v06/d159
RTR Quote for 25 March: ALFRED THAYER MAHAN: “The study of history lies at the foundation of all sound military conclusions and practice.”…
Lest we forget… Bear
