Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO… #126… WE ARE STILL HERE, WE ARE STILL FREE, AND WE ARE STILL BRAVE…RIGHT?
Good Morning: Have a Happy Fourth… it’s day ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX of a day-by-day recalling of Operation Rolling Thunder…Fifty years Ago..
4 JULY 1966…ON THE HOME FRONT… NYT… A very hot Monday at 100-degrees in New York City–possible thunderstorms for fireworks…
Page 1: “Chinese Say Raids By U.S. Free Them to Act In Vietnam”…”Communist Chinese declared today that American bombing raids on Hanoi and Haiphong oil installations had freed the Chinese ‘from any bounds or restrictions in helping North Vietnam.’ The new veiled threat of direct Chinese intervention in Vietnam was contained in an official government statement that represented the United States raids as attacks on the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong and described the development as: ‘A barbarous, wanton and criminal act of aggression and war. China has consistently and unreservedly done its utmost to support and aid Vietnam politically, morally and materially and in other fields. In accordance with the interests and demands of the Vietnamese people we will at any time take such action as we deem necessary. This is our unshakable proletarian internationalist duty.'”… “Most analysts here (Hong Kong) believe Peking continues to be extremely reluctant to involve itself directly in Vietnam and that its presently preoccupation with a nationwide purge is likely to have intensified the reluctance. However, other analysts did not discount the possibility of some irrational pressures caused by the purge.” another report quoted Chou en Lai: “Since the United States imperialists have come from the sea and the sky, why can’t others come back on the ground?”…
Page 2: Walt Rostow, the President’s National Security Advisor, on CBS’s “Face the Nation” said: “There is no guarantee what the Chinese would do; but they have said today is quite consistent with what they have said in the past. They have said two things, first, that they will fight if we engage them. I would assume this is correct. They have said they will continue their support for the North Vietnamese in their effort to win in the south. So near as we can make out that statement does not change the situation.”... Page 1: “Kennedy Fears Air Strikes May Delay Peace Efforts”…”Senator Robert F. Kennedy predicted today that the bombing of the North Vietnamese oil supplies at Hanoi and Haiphong would hurt rather than help the prospects for peace negotiations. ‘I think that they (NVN) have been under fire before and they are going to be strong and react strongly.'” Page 5: “Hanoi Says It Will Seek Victory Despite Raids”…”Vietnam renewed today its pledge to final victory despite stepped up United States air attacks that ‘hurt the sacred heart of the Vietnamese homeland.’ …”The war can come to an end only when the United States aggressors acknowledge their defeat, stop their war of aggression, withdraw all troops, and recognize the independence and sovereignty of Vietnam…there is no doubt to their wicked design: To use acts of war to force people to negotiate and recognize their domination. Once again we tell the aggressors straight in their face: Never will you be able to attain that goal of yours even if you have enough strength to conduct the war for many more decades. The Vietnamese have fought, are fighting, and will determinedly fight until final victory.”
4 JULY 1966…PRESIDENT’s DAILY BRIEF… CIA (TS sanitized) and delivered to “the ranch”…. South Vietnam: Ky will probably announce his cabinet changes tomorrow. It is expected that several more Catholics will be given ministerial rank; the moderate Buddhist element in Saigon is said to be considerably disturbed by these prospects. These Buddhists are afraid that the changes may bring a switch from an anti-struggle or anti-Tri Quang attitude in the government to outright opposition to all organized Buddhism.
4 JULY 1966… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…NYT..(5 July reporting 4 July ops) “Some Fuel Tanks Escape”… “United States bombers struck again yesterday (4th) at the Do Son fuel storage depot because the previous bombing last week left undamaged important storage tanks and other facilities…the effectiveness of the new raid on the depot 12 miles southeast of Haiphong was not yet known…pilots had reported clouds of dust and smoke over the target and that all the 500-pond bombs and Zuni rockets had fallen within the target area. A Soviet-made surface-to-air missile site was also damaged.”… “Vietnam: Air Losses”…(Chris Hobson)…Three aircraft down, three aviators rescued from the sea snakes…
(1) 1LT B.L. MINTON was flying an F-105D of the 355th TFW was hit flying at 12,000-feet, east of the DMZ when hit by AAA. He was able to fly the burning aircraft for another few minutes further to sea before ejecting. He was rescued.
(2) LCDR FRED BALDWIN was flying an A-4C of the VA-216 Black Diamonds embarked in USS Hancock on an armed reconnaissance mission south of Mu Ron Ma when hit by ground fire. The engine failed shortly thereafter and LCDR BALDWIN ejected and was rescued by a Navy helicopter…
(3) LT NEIL HOLBEN was flying an A-4E of the VA-155 Silver Foxes on a night armed reconnaissance off the coast of Route Pack 2 when hit by anti-aircraft fire. He ejected when the controls froze and was rescued from the sea by Navy helicopters before North Vietnamese boats could close his position… Three good ‘chutes, three great rescues, three tales to tell…..and three great shots by the shooters…
RIPPLE SALVO… #126… On this 240th birthday of our beloved nation, “indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL,” I have selected an Op Ed from the NYT as an appropriate message for this national holiday. It is entitled:
“IS THERE AN AMERICAN GOAL?” (author unknown, published in the New York Times 50 Years Ago Today)….
“Yes, we believe there is, but many people have become increasingly confused about it of late years. (and still are)
“Some think it is material prosperity. But contrary to popular opinion, material prosperity is not the American goal. Material prosperity is only one of its byproducts. Others are sure it is Freedom. But Freedom alone is not the goal. Freedom is the political climate we have laboriously won in which we can strive to achieve our goal.
“What then is our goal?
“At the risk of seeming slightly out of character, we will try to cut through the welter of political bombast generally reserved for Independence Day by stating simply and directly what we believe it is.
“The goal of the American way of life is, and always has been, the eventual creation of a self-reliant, individually responsible, self-disciplined, well educated, and spiritually motivated people, and to help when we are able, other people of goodwill in other lands to do the same.
“LET US THEN, ON THIS DAY, PRAY THAT GOD WILL GIVE US THE STRENTH AND THE GUIDANCE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD THAT GOAL.”
Happy Birthday fellow citizens… we have a long way to go…
Lest we forget…. Bear ……… –30– ……….
