Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #603… First: Admiration and recognition for two great Intruder Warriors: CHARLIE HUNTER and LYLE BULL who spent the night of 30 October 1967 keeping Hanoi awake… then the Senator asks the questions at a dinner-meeting in New York…
Good Morning: Day SIX HUNDRED THREE of remembering the air war fought fifty years ago called Rolling Thunder…
30 OCTOBER 1967… HEAD LINES from The New York Times on a cool, sunshiny Monday in New York…
(1) Page 1″ HUMPHREY OPENS VISIT TO VIETNAM: SAYS U.S. IS FIRM–TELLS PREMIER KY AT AIRPORT THAT NATION IS CONFIDENT THIEU REGIME WILL THRIVE–Security Guard Heavy–Vice President Decorated Wounded G.I.’s On Brief Trip to Mekong Delta”... “Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey in Saigon to represent United States at inauguration of President-elect Nguyen Van Thieu…Humphrey: ‘I come as a witness for those millions of Americans who trust in the steady progress being made in Vietnam as symbolized by this inauguration.” Page 1: “106 Vietcong Die Attacking Camps–Allies Repulse 1,000 of Foe Near Cambodia Border”… Page 1: “Socialist Norman Thomas, 83, Tells Youth To Carry On For Him In ‘Last Speech” “… “…campaigner who ran six times on the Socialist ticket for the Presidency spoke slowly and briefly to 109 students from 30 countries from organizations that promote international travel for youth… he said he loves his nation but criticizes the country for policies in Vietnam and efforts to fight poverty. The man who has been credited as the intellectual father of the ‘New Deal’…’I don’t like the sight of young people burning the flag of my country, the country I love. A symbol? If they want an appropriate symbol, then they should be washing, not burning, the flag.’ “… Page 2: “Expo 67 Closes In Canada, Setting An Attendance Record of 50.3-Million”… “…original forecast 35-million.”… Page 32: “House Units Poverty Bill Would Force Many Localities To Raise New Cash”... “…in order to keep their community action programs if the poverty bill adopted by the House Education Committee becomes law. Currently, the local share is acceptable in the form of work space, heat, power,volunteer services and similar non-cash forms… The bill would require that at least half of a community contribution of 20% to be in cash, the Federal contribution is 80%”…
Page 34: “More Negroes Join Jersey Guard As State Strives to Change “White Image'”... “…19-year old Negro recruit: ‘Any time doors open, Negroes have a responsibility to walk through, otherwise the doors may slam shut and never open again.’…Before last summer’s racial disturbances in New Jersey there were 8 Negroes among the 743 officers and men in the New Jersey National Guard. Now there are 23 and the number is growing….The recruiting program is in line with recommendations of the President’s Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (The Kerner Commission).”... Page 37: “Two Plans Are Backed By Public in Gallup Poll”... “Most Americans favor two plans for dealing with the Vietnam conflict according to a survey by George Gallup published in yesterday’s Washington Post. The plans are: (1) Turn the war over to the South Vietnamese by stages or (2) Turn the entire problem over to the United Nations. They were also polled on a proposal to halt the bombing of North Vietnam: 1,585 were polled at 320 places across the country. The vote on the bombing question?… 60% approved no bombing, 20% disapproved and 9% had no opinion.”…
30 October 1967…The President Daily Brief: SOVIET UNION: Early this morning the Soviets launched what appears to be another unmanned Soyuz-type spacecraft. We suspect there will be an attempt to rendezvous with the Soyuz capsule now in orbit. All this looks very much like a dress rehearsal for a manned event, perhaps within the next few days.
30 OCTOBER 1967…OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…New York Times (31 Oct reporting 30 Oct ops)… Page 1: “Over North Vietnam, the United States warplanes carried the air assault in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas into the seventh successive day yesterday. The planes struck at Kiernan air base, six miles southwest of Haiphong and at Kep field, 38 miles northeast of Hanoi. They also pounded the Yen Bai airfield, an inoperative field used as a storage area 65 miles northwest of Hanoi, and Kepha air base and army barracks 40 miles north of Haiphong. Fliers from the aircraft carrier Oriskany reported direct hits on the generator building of the preciously hit Ubongbi electric power plant 13 miles northeast of Haiphong. They also said they had destroyed the Ubongbi bypass bridge near the power plant. Navy jets shot down a MIG interceptor near Hanoi, the 96th claimed by American pilots in the war. The United States command said that an air-to-air missile downed the enemy plane.”…
President’s Daily Brief for 30 October 1967: “Phuc Yen airfield appears to be back in service, at least for limited fighter operations. A first look at high-altitude photography from a mission flown early Saturday morning showed craters on the main runway filled and runway apparently usable. Inflight messages scheduling MIG-17 flights out of Phuc Yen on Saturday and Sunday back up the evidence in this photography. While fighters may be able to land and takeoff from Phuc Yen, there are not many left around to do so. Judging from the photography, there any have been only six MiGs in North Vietnam capable of getting into the air Saturday morning. The weekend flight schedules out of Phuc Yen indicate some of those have gone to China. Aside from one bomb crater in the area, there was no visible damage to the Hanoi power plant. No smoke, however, was coming from any of the boiler-house stacks. The Canal des Rapides and Lang Son bridges were both heavily damaged, with spans destroyed.”
“Vietnam: Air Losses” (Chris Hobson) There were two fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 30 October 1967…
(1) LCDR EUGENE P. LUND and LTJG JAMES R. BORST were flying an F-4B of the VF-142 Ghostriders embarked in USS Constellation providing a MIGCAP for a wing strike on the Thanh Hoa Bridge and were vectored to intercept four MIG-17s headed to Haiphong from the north. LCDR LUND shot down one of the MIGs with an AIM-7 Sparrow then maneuvered quickly to fire at the MIGs wingman. As the second Sparrow accelerated away from the Phantom it exploded and LCDR LUND and LTJG BORST were thereafter flying a handicapped Phantom–partial power in the starboard engine. They gave up the chase on the second MIG and turned toward home. Approaching USS Constellation for a carrier landing the landing gear would not extend and the two MIG killers had to eject near the carrier. They were rescued by a Navy helicopter…. SILVER STARs and Caterpillar Club Membership on the same flight….OOHRAH-oops…
(2) CAPTAIN HUGH MICHAEL FANNING, USMC and CAPTAIN STEPHEN JAY KOTT, USMC, were flying an A-6A of the VMA(AW)-242 Batmen and MAG-11 out of Danang on a two Intruder night strike on the Canal des Rapides Bridge in Hanoi. The attack and weapon release was made but the A-6 crashed near Gia Lam airport close to the targeted bridge. Neither Marine came home with the POWs as had been hoped. In 1984 the North Vietnamese returned remains that were said to be those of CAPTAIN FANNING. Major snafu. After a full military burial in Oklahoma City a question of identification arose and the remains were exhumed. They could not be positively identified as those of CAPTAIN FANNING… Two valiant warriors perished on the battlefield 50 years ago this day in the very heart of our nation’s enemy. Left behind, but remembered with sorrow and admiration…
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM…
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CHARLES BRYAN HUNTER, UNITED STATES NAVY…
LIEUTENANT LYLE FRANKLIN BULL, UNITED STATES NAVY…
The NAVY CROSS… 30 OCTOBER 1967… HANOI, NORTH VIETNAM…
“The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY CROSS to COMMANDER (then Lieutenant Commander) CHARLES BRYAN HUNTER, United States Navy, for EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM on 30 October 1967 as a pilot in Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SIX (VA-196) embarked in U.S.S. CONSTELLATION (CVA-64). Exercising exceptional professional skill and sound judgment, COMMANDER HUNTER, planned and executed an extremely dangerous, single-plane, night, radar bombing attack on the strategically located and heavily defended Hanoi railroad ferry slip in North Vietnam. Although the entire Hanoi defensive effort was concentrated upon his lone bomber, he flawlessly piloted his aircraft to the target area and commenced his attack. Seconds before bomb release, six enemy surface-to-air missiles were observed to be tracking on his plane. Undaunted by this threat to his personal safety, COMMANDER HUNTER took swift and evasive action to avoid the missiles and then proceeded to complete his attack releasing all weapons in the target area with extreme accuracy. After release, he guided his plane through the intense anti-aircraft-artillery fire and four additional missiles which were fired at his aircraft. In spite of his intense enemy opposition. COMMANDER HUNTER completed his mission and was directly responsible for dealing a significant blow to the North Vietnamese logistics efforts. His indomitable perseverance and conspicuous gallantry 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 LIEUTENANT COMMANDER LYLE FRANCIS BULL, United States Navy, for EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM on 30 October 1967 as a Bombardier/Navigator in Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SIX (VA-196) embarked in U.S.S. CONSTELLATION (CVA-64)…” The citation corresponds to his pilot, Intruder partner, and companion warrior, Commander Hunter’s NAVY CROSS citation…. OOHRAH…
RIPPLE SALVO… #603… New York Times, 25 October 1967… “VIETNAM LESSON GIVEN BY KENNEDY”–Senator, at Temple, Shows Answers Are Not Easy”
“Senator Robert F. Kennedy turned interrogator last night before an audience of 750 persons to show there are ‘no easy answers’ to the Vietnam question. The setting was the Leon Lowenstein Auditorium at Temple Emanu-El…where the Senator was speaker at the temple Men’s Club dinner-meeting. After an impromptu address, Senator Kennedy answered several questions and then stepped back from the lectern, lifted his arm, and asked: ‘May I pose four questions?’ The audience applauded approval.
“The questions, in effect, were: ‘How many of you are in favor of unilaterally pulling out of Vietnam?’… ‘Stopping the bombing so it could lead to negotiations?’… ‘Increasing the bombing to include the Port of Haiphong?’… ‘Are happy with the Government’s present course?’
“The Senator repeated the first question. Up went what seemed to be a predominant wave of hand-showing. Then the second question, and there was another wave of hand-showing. The third question brought still another strong show of hands. The fourth question got the same strong reaction. Impartial observers could not decide which question was favored with the strongest majority. Some newsmen said pulling out of Vietnam and increasing the bombing shared equal honors.
” ‘As you see,’ remarked Senator Kennedy, who could not gauge the vote himself, ‘there are no easy answers, but we should talk about it in a reasonable way.’ Earlier, the Senator had deplored ‘violent demonstrations’ on the issue of Vietnam, saying that such incidents defeated the right of free expression and the purpose of peaceful demonstrations.'”…
(The Senator also had said he had learned that the attack on the Israel destroyer Elath by the United Arab Republic had been ‘a planned and calculated’ attack. He said the Arabs were victims of irresponsible leadership.”
RTR Quote for 30 October: GENERAL FRIEDRICH WILHELM VON SEYDLITZ once told Frederick “The Great” that “cavalry wins more battles not with the sword but with the riding whip.” …and…”In the attack, in a group of six men (charging six abreast), he is a scoundrel who lets himself be squeezed out behind.”
It is called “the spirit of attack,” and it is overwhelming when borne in a brave heart…. Vietnam 1965-68: in Rolling Thunder we charged six abreast, no scoundrels, to remove North Vietnam bridges, SAM sites and POL tanks, among other targets great and small–the last of the cavaliers… and never a scoundrel…
Lest we forget…. Bear
