Bear Taylor 
COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1961-1973)… and honoring the stouthearted Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers and air crewmen who fought the North Vietnamese in their heartland during the years of Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)…
GOOD MORNING. It is Monday, 10 August 2020, and Faithful Scribe has another tale of guts and glory to tell. WHEN NAVAL AVIATION ROARED. Tale #19 of 50. The spirit of attack borne in the brave heart of LCDR George Raymond FOX and two wingmen on 7 November 1967 take out more than 30 enemy logistic barges and smaller craft. Incredible results with a total of 22 bombs. The strike was flown from the deck of USS INTREPID (CVS-11) on the second of her three combat cruises. The ship spent 103 days in combat and this strike came on the fourth and last line period of the cruise. USS INTREPID and Carrier Air Wing TEN departed Norfolk on 11 May 1967 and returned 30 December 1967. The Air Wing lost 14 aircraft, 12 in combat, and left six aviators behind: three killed in action and three POWs, who returned home in 1973…
Sources for the following tale of courage and professional competence are the USS INTREPID recommendation for awards, a letter to CINCPACFLT dated 24 November 1967, and the CINCPACFLT approval of the awards dated 23 February 1968. These letters were among thousands of documents located at the Navy Annex in Suitland, Maryland made available for my research in 1985… The following is quoted from the INTREPID letter recommending the award of the DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS for LCDR Ray FOX and Individual AIR MEDALS for two of his wingmen, LTJG Douglas Dale PETERSON and LTJG Carl David LAWLEY, all serving with the “Blue Blasters” of VA-34…
“On 7 November 1967, units of Attack Carrier Air Wing TEN embarked in USS INTREPID (CVS-11) were assigned to strike the Me Xa Highway Bridge and Thuong Tra Boat yard, twelve miles northeast of Haiphong, North Vietnam. Lieutenant Commander FOX was the leader of the fourth division of (A-4C) bombers consisting of five aircraft and was assigned the Thuong Tra Boat Yard target. Lieutenant (Junior Grade) LAWLEY was his wingman and Lieutenant (Junior Grade) PETERSON was his fifth man. Ten minutes prior to manning aircraft on INTREPID, Strike Operations assigned LCDR FOX’s division to search and destroy ten to twelve camouflaged one hundred twenty-five foot steel barges which late intelligence reports indicated were steaming along the Song Ha River east of the Thuong Tra Boat yard. The importance of these motorized barges to the ongoing “seal-off operation” to isolate Haiphong was emphasized in current strike operations guidance from CINCPACFLT. If the barges could not be located, LCDR FOX’s division was to strike the boat yard. The first four aircraft in LCDR FOX’s division were loaded with four eight hundred pound M-117 bombs and LTJG PETERSON’s Skyhawk was loaded with four MK-82 five hundred pound bombs and two MK-81 two hundred fifty pound bombs. Although this was far from the ideal ordnance load to use against small moving targets, it was the only ordnance available because of the major strike being conducted simultaneously. In the short time available LCDR FOX thoroughly briefed his division in spotting and identification procedures to minimize radio transmissions that would interfere with the execution of the major strike (Me Xa Highway Bridge) nearby. He particularly stresssed the tactics and weapons employment deliveries to be used against the (camouflaged and moving) barges which were considered very difficult targets to bomb.
“LCDR FOX led his division of five A-4Cs in trail of the main Strike Group until after coastal entry a few miles northeast of Haiphong in order to utilize the support aircraft assigned to it. This was an extremely wise decision as surface-to-air missiles were fired at the group as it passed east of Haiphong and accurate 85mm, 57mm and 37mm fire was encountered near Nui Tap Tinh about eight miles northeast of Haiphong. Despite the AAA fire and surface-to-air missiles, LCDR FOX broke away from the major Strike Group and began a vulnerable reconnaissance northeastward on the Song Da Bach River. Near the town of Hoang Thach, LCDR FOX spotted twelve (12) large, heavily loaded camouflaged barges dispersed among a fleet of thirty to forty small water-borne logistic craft (WBLC), which appeared to be shuttling to a nearby transshipment point. Despite adverse bombing winds in excess of 25 knots, cloud cover, moving targets, and heavy antiaircraft automatic weapons fire streaming from the barges and shore sites, LCDR FOX, with devastating accuracy, precisely delivered two M-117 bombs on a cluster of four of the large barges. A large secondary explosion blew two of the barges apart and a large fierce fire engulfed the other two. With pinpoint accuracy, LCDR FOX scored direct hits on a second cluster of four large barges with his two remaining bombs. Shortly after the bombs detonated a secondary explosion occurred and all four barges ignited into a raging fire that sent black smoke soaring thousands of feet. The heavy black smoke and orange fire appeared to be caused by large quantities of petroleum. LTJG LAWLEY dropped his bombs on an estimated twenty-five smaller craft that were nested near the transshipment point. After the bombs detonated LCDR FOX, circling the target, observed a tremendous explosion which destroyed almost all of these WBLCs. Other members of the flight continued to roll-in and score more hits on the barges and small craft. LTJG PETERSON, the last member of the division took careful aim despite the rising columns of smoke and scored direct hits on two large barges which apparently were carrying explosives. They erupted in a violent explosion and virtually disappeared from underneath the fireball. Another burned persistently. Maintaining scrupulous flight integrity and with the aid of accurate flak surveillance calls, the division safely exited the area despite heavy antiaircraft fire. Fifteen miles southeast of the area, as the division coasted out, the smoke from the blazing barges could still be observed.
“Careful analysis of the pilot debriefs and observations from other strike aircraft exiting the area indicated that more than thirty-four barges and WBLCs were destroyed and many others damaged by LCDR FOX’s division. His inspiring leadership and professional airmanship denied the enemy use of substantial amounts of war materials. By his prowess the results of his exploit far exceed the parameters of expected levels of damage.”…Unquote…
BITS OF RIBBON. CINCPACFLT approved the the DFC for LCDR FOX and Individual AIR MEDALS for LTJG LAWLEY and LTJG PETERSON. Oohrah…
NEXT POST. Tale #20 of 23. A lone USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64), VA-196 Intruder crew goes to Thai Binh on the night of 23 June 1967. The A-6A Intruder mission told in detail… Two JO’s get Green Weenies and a night to remember…
Lest we forget… Bear
