Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #910… THE AIR FORCE SOUTHEAST ASIA MONOGRAPH SERIES includes an essay entitled “The Air Force Heroes in Vietnam.” Humble Host is honored to have the opportunity to purloin and publish the stories of the Air Force warriors who are included in this elite group of MEDAL of HONOR awardees, many of whom have already entered the RTR archives, TO WIT, warriors Bud Day, Lance Sijan, Leo Thorsness, Merlyn Dethlesen and Bernie Fisher. Joining this exclusive cadre of intrepid warriors in this post is COLONEL WILLIAM A. JONES, JR., Commanding Officer, 602nd SOS. …I quote…
“The road to command of a flying squadron is long and difficult. many a lieutenant, fresh out of flying training, begins the journey with high hopes. Twenty years down the road when the opportunity finally comes, only a few are qualified. The chosen few have a history of outstanding performance and a unique blend of flying experience and leadership ability. To be the boss of a squadron in combat is both a rare honor and a severe challenge. LIEUTENANT COLONEL WILLIAM A. JONES, JR. got his chance to command in combat 23 years after he began active duty at the end of World War II. His outfit, the 602nd Special Operations Squadron, flew A-1H and A-1J aircraft from Nakhom Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base. On the first of September 1968, Bill Jones was required to prove his worth as a man, as a leader, and as a pilot. As dawn broke over Thailand, he took off on his 98th combat mission as Sandy 1, the lead ship in a flight of four A-1s headed west on a search-and-rescue mission. COLONEL JONES would be the on-scene commander during an effort to recover a downed F-4 Phantom pilot.”… but first…
Good Morning… Day NINE HUNDRED TEN of a closer look at one of the most interesting chapters of American history during my eight decades of being a part of that history. The focus is on Operation Rolling Thunder, the Vietnam war, and the Yankee Air Pirates who carried the war into the heart of North Vietnam…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times on Saturday, 31 August 1968…
THE WAR: Page 5: “ENEMY OVERRUNS POST IN LOWLANDS, THEN SHELLS BASE FROM THE CAPTURED SOUTH VIETNAMESE OUT-POST”… Page 4: “GREEN BERETS PLEASED BY RENEWED ATTENTION–John Wayne Film and Increased Involvement in the Fighting seen To Raise Spirits”…
Page 1: “HUMPHREY TAKES CONTROL OF PARTY–O’Brien Gets Post–Vice President Names Aide National Chairman As Well As Campaign Chairman–Vows A Flexible Policy–Says He Won’t Be Bound To The Literal Language Of Democratic Platform”… Page 1: “JOHNSON CAUTIONS SOVIETS ON RUMORS OF A NEW INVASION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA–Tells of Reports of Further Moves In Eastern Europe–Rumania Is Indicated–No Prediction Is Made, But President Says There Is Enough Information to Stir Anxiety In the Capital… Page 1: “ROUNDUP OF WRITERS IN PRAGUE REPORTED”… Page 1: “REBEL DEMOCRATS DESIGN STRATEGY–Two Groups Of Dissidents Plan Political activities–They Will Not Support Ticket…”… Page 1: “McCARTHY OFFICES RAIDED AT DAWN BY CHICAGO POLICE–Senator Scores Action–Violence Perplexes City”…
31 AUGUST 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (1 Sept reporting 31 Aug ops) Page 10: “DRAMATIC RESCUE MADE BY HELICOPTER–Crew Braves Enemy Fire To Save Navy Pilot”… “A Navy helicopter crew flew through sheets of flak yesterday and rescued a downed pilot in the face of enemy soldiers only 100 feet away. ‘You guys are the greatest,’ Lieutenant Commander Harvey Eikel, 32 years old of New Braunsfels, Texas, told the helicopter pilots when he was safe aboard after dodging North Vietnamese search parties for two hours. ( See RTR post for 30 August 1968)…VIETNAM; AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) There were four fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 31 August 1968…
(1) CAPTAIN T.G. DORSETT and CAPTAIN D.G. KENNY were flying an RF-4C of the 12Th TRS and 460th TRW on a photo mission along the South Vietnamese/ Cambodian border when hit by small arms fire. They headed for Danang but were forced to eject 25 miles west of the base. Both aviators were rescued by Air F0rce Helos…
(2) LCOL P.A. KAUTTU and 1LT G.A. D’ANGELO… were flying an F-4C of the 559th TFS and 12th TFW out of Cam Rnh Bay on a training flight and suffered a control problem leading to an ejection east of Cam Ranh Bay. They were rescued to fly and fight again…
(3) LCDR JOHN EUGENE BARTOCCI was flying an F-8H of the VF-24 Checkertails and returning to the USS Hancock from a night combat air patrol. He perished as a consequence of a ramp strike… Night landings are unforgiving of human error. F-8s coming aboard 27c decks at night, rates as the toughest carrier landing of them all…
(4) CAPTAIN J.R. WILSON and 1LT WILLIAM LOUIS KINCADE were flying an F-4D of the 432nd TFW out of Udorn against truck targets on the east side of the Ban Karai pass and were downed by ground fire 25 miles west of Dong Hoi. Captain Wilson, the pilot, ejected but was seriously injured. His successful rescue would stretch into the next day and include many heroic performances by the SAR forces, including that of LCOL WILLIAM A. JONES, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his participation. The fate of 1LT Kincade remains unknown. He is “presumed killed in action, body not recovered.” He is remembrered with admiration and respect as he rests in peace, left on the battlefield where he fell 50 years ago this day…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) ON THE FOUR 31 AUGUST DATES OF THE FOUR YEARS OF THE AIR WAR OVER NORTH VIETNAM…
1965… NONE…
1966… NONE... but the rescue of LCDR THOMAS A. TUCKER from the waters of the Haiphong Harbor by the Commanding Officer of HS-6 ROBERT S. VERMILYA and his crew 52 years ago this day is worthy of review. Search the RTR archives for 31 August 1966. The Mighty Thunder archive includes a post fon that date titled “The Remarkable Rescue”…
1967… LCDR HUGH ALLEN STAFFORD, USN… (POW)… and … LTJG DAVID JAY CAREY, USN… (POW)… details at RTR for 31 August 1967, Ripple Salvo #543… and… LCDR RICHARD CLARK PERRY, USN… (KIA)… Humble Host suggests a review of the extraordinary production “MISS JESSIE“…the story of VA-164’s great lady and her association with the squadron and Dick Perry, RIP, one of Naval Aviation’s finest, who perished 51 year ago this day.
1968… LT WILLIAM LOUIS KINCADE, USN… (KIA)… Body not recovered… and… LCDR JOHN EUGENE BARTUCCI, USN… (KIA)…
RIPPLE SALVO… #910… THE MEDAL OF HONOR… “A member of the American Armed Forces can merit the Medal of Honor in only one manner: by deed of personal bravery or self-sacrifice, above and beyond the call of duty, while in combat with an enemy of the nation. The gallantry must be certified by two eye witnesses, and be clearly beyond the call of duty. Moreover, it must involve the risk of life and must be the type of deed that, if not performed, would evoke no criticism of the individual.” (General John D. Ryan, USAF, Air Force Chief of Staff)… Here is the narrative of LCOL WILLIAM A. JONES, JR’s deed of honor for your evaluation… I quote from the Air Force Monograph… (Continued from above)…
“Arriving over an area to the northwest of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam, Colonel Jones sent Sandy 3 and 4 into high orbit to remain out of range of the enemy’s antiaircraft weapons and to conserve fuel. Colonel Jones and his wingman, Captain Paul A. Meeks, would be the low element, searching for the survivors, locating and destroying the enemy guns, and escorting the helicopters in for the pickup. As the Sandy’s crossed Laos inbound to North Vietnam, Liner, a flight of F-4 Phantoms, has made radio contact with Carter 02 Alpha, the downed Phantom pilot. Bill Jones recalled, ‘Liner was able to talk to the survivor. I heard him a little bit on the way in and he thought he knew where the survivor was. Liner flew over, wiggling his wings, but it turned out this was way off, about eight miles, and we got no more contact for almost another hour. We wasted a considerable amount of time–almost an hour–searching in the wrong area.
“An F-100 fighter, reestablished radio contact with the downed pilot and directed the Sandys to proceed eight miles to the east. The F-100 pilot warned Colonel Jones that he would be in range of 37-millimeter guns and automatic weapons. Bill knew also that they were close to Route 137, a heavily defended enemy supply road running through North Vietnam into Laos. The enemy threat was not the only problem. Bill Jones and Paul Meeks faced. The survivor’s position still had not been pinpointed, and the terrain and weather became more challenging as the A-1s headed east. Below, rugged hills rose abruptly from the valley floor, and above a broken cloud laver obscured the tops of the highest hills. Nevertheless, there was only one way to find a man hidden in the forbidding countryside. Bill Jones made low pass after low pass crossing the area in a widening search pattern.
“Without warning, the A-1 was rocked by a violent explosion from just beneath the fuselage. The North Vietnamese had already found the range. While his cockpit filled with smoke, Bill regained control and jinked from side-to-side to spoil the gunner’s aim. As the smoke cleared, he scanned the instruments and looked the aircraft over. Apparently the Skyraider had been shaken but not seriously damaged by a multi-barreled antiaircraft gun. Once again the enemy had set up a flak trap for rescue aircraft, using the downed pilot for bait. Time became a critical factor. The survivor must be located and extracted before the North Vietnamese could beef up their already formidable defenses. Again, Bill Jones rolled over the valleys and hillsides as Sandy 2 and the fighters called out the enemy gun positions. His patience and courage were rewarded when Carter 02 Alpha transmitted excitedly that there was an A-1 directly over his position. Bill had found his man.
“In the same instant another AAA gun opened up on Sandy 1. Again the daring pilot attracted a barrage of accurate fire. The enemy was actually firing down on the A-1 from the top of the nearby hill. It was too late for Bill Jones to unleash his own weapons on that pass. He could not risk calling the fighters in for a dive bomb attack on the enemy because the gun position ws too close to the downed pilot. Bill racked the Sandy into a tight turn and reversed course, diving back toward his tormentors. He triggered rockets and cannon fire at the hillside, pulled off, and rolled in again.
“On the next firing pass, the A-1 was riddled with 14.5 millimeter automatic weapons fire. This time there was no doubt that Colonel Jones was in serious trouble. The rocket motor for the ejection system, located right behind his head, had been ignited by an exploding shell. Bill remembered later. ‘I looked back over my shoulder and saw fire coming out of the back end of the airplane. The instrument panel was clouded with moke. Fire seemed to be everywhere. I knew that there wasn’t anything for me to do but get out. I pulled for altitude and headed for a clear area. Then I reached down and grabbed the extraction handle with my right hand and pulled. The canopy went off immediately and I waited for the ejection for what seemed like an eternity. But nothing else happened!’
”Here I sat in this thing with fire all around and I said to myself,’This just can’t happen to me. This is not the way it’s supposed to be. I’ve got to get back and see my family. This simply can’t happen!’ I reached down and grabbed the secondary escape handle, which releases the extraction mechanism, so I could climb over the side.’ The fire burned more intensely when the blast of fresh air hit the cockpit after the canopy was jettisoned. The strap that fastened Bill’s oxygen mask was burned through, exposing his face to the searing flames. His hands were scorched and Colonel Jones remembered: ‘They looked like mozzarella cheese!’ The cockpit was a smouldering shambles and most of the instruments were unreadable.
“Despite the pain, Bill tried desperately to broadcast the exact position of the downed pilot and the hostile guns. His radio calls were blocked as every pilot on the scene screamed at Bill to bail out of the flaming bird. His radio transmitter failed almost immediately and the receiver operated on only one frequency. As the flames began to die down in the blackened cockpit, Bill Jones had two thoughts. He must make it back to Nakhon Phanom to report the exact location of Carter 02 Alpha an he must not complicate the rescue effort by becoming a survivor himself. he would not bail out! Peter Meeks joined on the colonel’s wing as the two Sandy’s headed west. Home lay 90 miles and 40 agonizing minutes dead ahead. The two pilots communicated through hand signals and Paul took the lead position.
“Having suffered severe burns on his hands, arms, shoulder, neck, and face, Bill Jones flew by instinct. Two thirds of his windscreen had been shattered by the explosion and the wind-blast on his face caused excruciating pain. His eyes were rapidly swelling shut when Bill trimmed the aircraft to align the remaining portion of the left windscreen with the airstream, affording some protection against the windblast. Now the crippled A-1 was trimmed for uncoordinated flight and skidded through the sky as the ships passed slowly over the Laotian countryside. Approaching Nakhon Phanom Paul learned that the weather had deteriorated and the A-1s would have to make a ground controlled approach through a heavy overcast. Despite his mangled hand and blurred vision. Colonel Jones eased the Skyraider into close formation as Paul led him down through the clouds. Bill lowered the landing gear by emergency system and guided the A-1 to a perfect touchdown and no-flap landing.
“Colonel Leonard Volet, the first person to reach the gutted aircraft remembers, ‘I couldn’t believe what I saw. Everything was burned to a crisp, including Colonel Jones’ helmet, oxygen mask, survival vest, neck, arms. Yet, he kept flailing about the cockpit reaching for his maps as we struggled to lift his nearly 200-pound frame and equipment out of the aircraft. We got him out, but he refused medical attention until he ws satisfied that we knew where the survivor and guns were located. The indomitable Bill Jones continued to debrief an intelligence officer as he lay on the operating table.
“Meanwhile, near Dong Hoi, the massive rescue effort continued. Later that day, 1 September 19687, Carter 02 Alpha, CAPTAIN J.R. WILSON was rescued to fly and fight again. LCOL BILL JONES’ supreme effort had not been in vain.”…
AMONG THE BRAVE… CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY… COLONEL WILLIAM A. JONES, JR., USAF… the MEDAL OF HONOR…
Citation: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of hs life above and beyond the call of duty. COLONEL JONES distinguished himself as the Pilot of an A-1H Skyraider aircraft near Dong Hoi, North Vietnam on 1 September 1968. On that day, as the on-scene-commander in the attempted rescue of a downed U.S. pilot, Colonel Jones aircraft was repeatedly hit by heavy and accurate antiaircraft fire. On one of his low passes, Colonel Jones felt an explosion beneath his aircraft and his cockpit filled with smoke. With complete disregard of the possibility that his aircraft might still be burning, he unhesitatingly continued his search for the downed pilot. On this pass, he sighted the survivor and a multiple-barrel gun position firing at him from near the top of a karst formation. He could not attack the gun position on that pass for fear he would endanger the downed pilot. Leaving himself exposed to the gun position, Colonel Jones attacked the position with cannon and rocket fire on two successive passes. On the second pass, the aircraft was hit with multiple rounds of automatic weapons fire. One round impacted the Yankee Extraction System rocket mounted directly behind the headrest, igniting the rocket. His aircraft was observed to burst into flames in the center fuselage section, with flame engulfing the cockpit area. He pulled the extraction handle, jettisoning the canopy. The influx of fresh air made the fire burn with greater intensity for a few moments, but since the rocket motor had already burned, the extraction system did not pull Colonel Jones from the aircraft. Despite searing pains from severe burns sustained on the arms, hand, neck, shoulders, and face, Colonel Jones pulled his aircraft into a climb and attempted to transmit the location of the downed pilot and the enemy gun position to the other aircraft in the area. His calls were blocked by other aircraft transmissions repeatedly directing him to bailout and within seconds his transmissions were disabled and he could receive only on one channel. Completely disregarding his injuries, he elected to fly his crippled aircraft back to his base and pass on essential information for the rescue rather than bail out. Colonel Jones successfully landed his heavily damaged aircraft and passed the information to a debriefing officer while on the operating table. As a result of his heroic actions and complete disregard for his personal safety, the downed pilot was rescued later in the day. Colonel Jones’ profound concern for his fellow man at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of this country….”
Unfortunately, Colonel Jones was killed in the crash of his private airplane before the presentation of the award. President Nixon presented the award posthumously to Colonel Jones’ widow and three young daughters. He is remembered with great admiration and respect on this 50th anniversary of his heroic flight…
RTR quote for 31 August: PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN during a MOH presentation: “I would rather have this medal than be president.”…
Lest we forget… Bear
