Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SURVIVAL… #853… COMMENTATOR MAX LERNER, 1975… “THE PARAMOUNT PURPOSE OF A NATION IS SURVIVAL… ” On 6 July 1968 the unclassified version of testimony given to the Senate Preparedness Investigation Subcommittee on 26 April 1968 was released to the public. Included were the frank and blunt assessments of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Earle G. Wheeler. The New York Times ran the release under the head line, “CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS VOICES CONCERN ON U.S. POLICY TRENDS”…. See below, but first…
GOOD MORNING… Day EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE of a closer examination of the 1960s: the roots of our nation’s problems in 2018… What is there in our history of the 1960s to help us understand, and correct, the course we are on in this century?… Operation Rolling Thunder, the offensive bombing of North Vietnam 1965-1968, is one of those points of reference…
HEAD LINES from The New York Times on Saturday, 6 July 1968…
THE WAR: Page 1: “ALLIES DISCOVER BIG ARMS CACHES–THREE MUNITIONS STOCKPILES FOUND NEAR SAIGON STIR CONCERN OVER ATTACK”… “the largest single clash came yesterday when United Sates Marines fought an all-day battle with an enemy force of undetermined size near Giolinn, just south of the demilitarized zone. The marines reported killing 78 enemy troops while suffering four dead and 40 wounded. Another Marine unit spotted 60 enemy soldiers marching in the open about 60 miles south of Danang. The Marines called in artillery fire and said that 27 of the enemy were killed with no marine losses. In their attacks to curb infiltration, allied troops moved deliberately, as they have done increasingly in recent weeks, looking for caves and tunnels that might contain enemy supplies and munitions. One reconnaissance company found seven partly assembled rockets 12 miles north of Saigon…. captured documents indicate the enemy was planning to attack Saigon at two different times in the past month but was forced to call them off as a consequence of 70 allied battalions in II Corps “moving back and forth” intensively searching and destroying.”… Page 1: “America’s Impact On Vietnam Is Profound”... Page 6: “WITHDRAWAL AT KHE SANH COMPLETED BY MARINES”… Page 6: “Early Discharges Due Vietnam G.I.’s”…
PEACE TALKS: Page 1: “THANT IN PARIS, CONFERS ON TALKS–Assesses’ Vietnam Outlook and Sees Negotiators”… “In a hastily arranged one-day trip to Paris,Secretary General Thant held private meetings today with the American and North Vietnamese delegations to the Vietnam talks for an on-the-spot appraisals. Mr. Thant, who flew in this morning from Geneva and returned there tonight, said he had offered no new proposals for breaking the deadlock in the two-month-old talks. Although Mr. Thant took the initiative of arranging the meetings, he said he was not attempting to play a mediating role. “I don’t see any possibility of a third-party involvement at this stage… I’m just on a mission of exploration, I have nothing to offer,’ he told the press… Mr. Averell Harriman told reporters that American negotiators were ‘always very glad’ to have the Secretary General ‘take an interest in these affairs because the United Nations at some stage could be very helpful. But, he added,’not at the present time, of course.’…
Page 1: “WARREN DEFENDS JOHNSON’S NAMING OF A SUCCESSOR–But He Will Return To Court In October If Senate Has Not Confirmed Fortas–In Rare News Parley–Refuses Comments He Was Resigning To Bar Possible Nixon Appointee”… Page 1: “ISRAELIS ARE COOL TO ANY U.N. FORCES–Insist on Treaty–Reported Offer By Cairo for Contingent In Sinai Dismissed as Insincere”… Page 6: “COPTER CRASH KILLS BROTHER OF GENERAL WESTMORELAND’S WIFE”… Page 2: “BRITISH GROCER SIR ALEC ROSE KNIGHTED FOR WORLD SOLO VOYAGE–Mariner Spends Day Opening Telegrams, Including One Sent by Chichester”… SPORTS: “76ers Trade Chamberlain To Lakers For 3 Men–Chambers, Clark and Imhoff in The Trade.”…
6 JULY 1968… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times Page 2: “In the air war B-52 bombers continued to pound supply routes and gun emplacements. Fighter-bombers flew 130 missions in North Vietnam below the 19th Parallel.”… VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 6 July 1968…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) ON 6 JULY FOR THE FOUR YEARS OF THE OPERATION OVER NORTH VIETNAM…
1965… CAPTAIN DON IRA WILLIAMSON, USAF… (KIA)… On 6 July 1965 (Hobson date another reference puts date on 7th) Captain Williamson launched on an armed recce mission in an F-105D in the North Vietnam panhandle 15 miles south of Vinh. He was downed by ground fire but safely ejected and was seen on the ground and in emergency radio contact with search and rescue aircraft. The search was terminated on 8 July when contact was lost. Hanoi press published a story and photos that led U.S. intelligence to conclude that Captain Williamson might be dead, but in any case, the enemy knew he was either dead or alive. For nearly 25 years the Vietnamese knew but weren’t telling what they knew. Captain Williamson was promoted to Colonel in absentia as MIA–he had been seen on the ground. Suddenly, in 1989 the Vietnamese discovered and returned Captain Williamson’s remains to his family for burial, finally.
1966… MAJOR ROOSEVELT HESTLE, JR., USAF … (KIA)… and … CAPTAIN CHARLES ELZY MORGAN, USAF… (KIA)…On 6 July 1966, Major Hestle and Captain Morgan were downed by a surface-to-ar missile 35 miles north-northwest of Hanoi in an F-105F Wild Weasel. No parachute or beepers were observed or heard. They were declared MIA at that time. On 31 July 1989 the Vietnamese returned the remains of Captain Morgan. The status of Major Hestle was controversial from the start. There were several eye witnesses who contend they saw Major Hestle on the ground. On 22 June 2017 Mrs. Hestle, who fought tenaciously for POW/MIA causes over the decades, received a letter notifying her that her husband Colonel Hestle “has now been accounted for” and concluded that he had been “killed during the Vietnam war.” (no date)… His burial was on 13 April 2017 in Arlington. Finally… …and… MAJOR JAMES FAULDS YOUNG, USAF… (POW)… Major Young was downed on 6 July 1966 while flying an RF-101 photo recon mission in the heartland of North Vietnam. He was captured immediately and spent the next 2,412 days in brutal captivity. COLONEL JAMES YOUNG went west, glory gained and duty done on 18 November 2006. He was AMONG THE BRAVE with 2 awards of the Silver Star, 3 DFCs, 3 Bronze Stars with Combat V, and a cigar box full of Air Medals.
1967… MAJOR KENNETH RAYMOND HUGHEY, USAF… (POW)… and … 1LT MELVIN POLLACK, USAF… (POW)… On 6 July 1967 Major Hughey and 1Lt Pollack were flying an F-4C of the 480th TFS in a strike on the Huong Vi railway yard five miles northwest of Kep, North Vietnam, and were downed by AAA as they recovered from a dive bombing attack. They were captured and interned for the duration of the war. Young 1Lt Pollack was on his first tour, but had logged 78 combat missions when downed. Major Hughey was on a second tour in Southeast Asia, having flown an earlier tour as a Forward Air Controller. On 6 July 1967 he was flying his 564th combat mission—564— AMONG THE MOST BRAVE, for sure… COLONEL HUGHEY’s Five Star book is entitled OUTLAW LEAD… (Catchy book title for a gentleman writer whose second career was as a lawyer who logged a decade as a Los Angeles Prosecutor of a thousand criminals… oohrah…
1968… NONE…
LATE BREAKER… Story in Florida Times-Union, jacksonville.com concerning LCDR LARRY R. KILPATRICK who ws downed on a night recce strike near Ha Tinh on 17 June 1972. Humble Host recommends a reading of the article entitled “Family Still Looking For Answers After Tooth of Cecil Field Pilot Found in Vietnam” by Joe Daraskevich. It was posted on 4 July 2018… Read at:
RIPPLE SALVO… #853… NYT (AP), 6 JULY 1968, Page 2:
“CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS VOICES CONCERN ON U.S. POLICY TRENDS”… I quote…
WASHINGTON, JULY 6 (AP)– Gen. Earle G. Wheeler, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, says that from the standpoint of national survival, he is becoming apprehensive about trends of some United States policies. But, he told the Senate Preparedness Investigation Subcommittee, the trends that gave rise to his view “do not necessarily have to continue by any manner of means.”
The United States has the ability “and certainly I hope we have it in the area of will and determination of the American people to maintain ourselves as the leading world power,” General Wheeler said. He commented at a closed session of the subcommittee on April 23. His testimony, in heavily censored form, was made public by the subcommittee today along with that of two civilian officials of the Defense Department who sought to minimize and explain the civilian-military differences.
All three testified at an inquiry into American offensive and defensive capabilities in the event of a nuclear war, with the emphasis on the Soviet Union as the potential enemy.
CALLS FOR BETTER FORCES…
The sessions explored in detail differences between the Joint Chiefs and civilian military officials. The Joint Chief have recommended development of a larger international ballistic missile, an advanced manned bomber and a ballistic missile ship. General Wheeler told the subcommittee that he did not fear the security of the United States with its present forces. but he said,”I believe that a better force would be had if these programs were funded and were pursued.”
Senator Stuart Symington, Democrat of Missouri, led up to a key question to General Wheeler with a statement of his own views. The senator said that Soviet nuclear capability was growing, that the United States was lagging in development of new fighter planes and submarines, and that it ws losing world respect for not making more progress in Vietnam and because North Korea’s seizure of the intelligence ship Pueblo.
If those trends continue, he then asked General Wheeler, “are you not becoming apprehensive about our policies from the standpoint of our survival. “The answer is ‘Yes,’ Senator,” General Wheeler replied. “You put your finger on what I believe to be the key point–if these trends continue.”
RESEARCH CHIEF TESTIFIES…
In separate testimony, Dr. John S. Foster, Jr., Director of Defense Research and Engineering, discussed the conflict over the Joint Chiefs’ proposal for a larger missile. He agreed that such a weapon would provide “more pay load per dollar” but said, “The larger the missile the fewer we need and consequently the more attractive this few become as targets.”
On the advanced manned bomber, Dr. Foster said, “we would be using resources perhaps better sent on increasing the penetration capability of the present bombing force.
Dr. Alan Enthoven, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Analysis, testified that singling out matters of disagreement between military and civilian defense officials creates the impression “that there are very great and continuing disagreements between the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” The fact is, I believe, that there is a very large measure of agreement between them,” Dr. Enthoven testified…. End quote…
RTR quote for 6 JULY: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, Inaugural Address, January 2017: “At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction; that a nation exists to serve the citizens”… “We are one nation…We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. From this moment on, it’s going to be America first.”…
Lest we forget…. Bear
