Bear Taylor 
RIPPLE SALVO….. DIS-UNITY OF COMMAND… but first….
Good Morning: Day THIRTY-TWO of a look back to Operation Rolling Thunder… Fifty Years Ago…
1 APRIL 1966 (NYT)…ON THE HOMEFRONT…. A rainy Friday in New York… Clear and 52 in D.C…. Page 1…The President was using his “bully pulpit” to jaw bone the nation’s mayors into reducing public spending and helping to enlist public support in cutting personal spending. He said: “We must hold down unnecessary spending from housewives to business to government.” The writer called LBJs pitch a “fervent appeal.” Of note in the speech was a fact that “…the average manufacturing worker is earning $110 per week.”… Other front page news: Congress was off on a two week recess. Prominent on the page under the headline: “Vietcong Kill 5 in Saigon Billet,” …”Big U.S. building blown up after machine gun fight that left 80 American officers injured.” The five dead included three officers and two SVN cops. Vietcong terrorists exploded the bomb. Page 2: “Demonstrations in Danang,” with sub head line, “Dilemma in Vietnam.” The protests by Buddhists were cited as leaving the United States a poor set of choices — let Ky fall or back him at any cost. Tom Wicker writing in Washington put it this way: “Continuing political unrest in South Vietnam may bring the Johnson Administration face to face with a tormenting double question — let the government fall or keep it in power.” On page 4: “Johnson Says Enemy’s Losses in Vietnam in ’66 (in 3-months) Total 50,000.” The article provided force totals: Total strength of NVN/VC at 237,000 with 80,000 NVN and 40,000 VC and 17,000 support troops. U.S. strength in zone: 230,000. American casualties for three month period: 2782 KIA/ 14,037 WIA/ 453 M (180 MIA)…Page 5: A draft card burning by 7 anti-Vietnam War protesters in Boston drew a crowd of 250, 50 of whom attacked and beat the 7 protestors…Ho Chi Minh had his day on the radio in Hong Kong broadcasting to the Communist meeting in Moscow. He urged unity in the communist bloc, read a letter of greeting to the Soviet Union, and stated his desire for closer cooperation between the Soviets and China in supporting North Vietnam…Page 17…The Minority leaders, Everett Dirksen and Jerry Ford, told a press conference there will be no tax raise and the key to stop inflation from taking $5 billion out of the economy is to cut non-defense spending….Other news bit…Walt Rostow has been added to LBJs inner staff at $30K per year…Sports page NBA West playoff Lakers vs. St. Louis Hawks…
1 APRIL 1966…ROLLING THUNDER… On board U.S. Enterprise at Yankee Station, an A-3B Tanker from VAH-4 Det M, folded a nose gear on the catapult shot, went over the bow, and into the water. Killed in Action were: CDR WILLIAM RONALD GRAYSON, LTJG WILLIAM FREDERICK KOHLRUSCH and ADJ2 MELVIN THOMAS KRECH. No easy days. You can do everything right and still lose your life. “Fate is the hunter”, in the words of Ernest Gann. Light and unremarkable Rolling Thunder ops… Two significant developments in the Rolling Thunder operation:
(1) Air Force ops in the Southeast Asian theater were now under the command of SEVENTH AIR FORCE (Blue Chip) at Tan Son Nhut vice 2nd Air Division.
(2) ROLLING THUNDER 50… The new JCS target execution list was delivered on 1 April… The Execution Order from the President reflected months of discussions in Washington. the principal issue was whether or not to expand the targeting of North Vietnam to include POL. The JCS had convinced SecDef to include the POL system in the RT50 list. McNamara submitted the bombing plan to the White House on Tuesday, 28 March. His memorandum concluded:
“In the longer term the recommended bombing program…can be expected to create a substantial added burden on North Vietnam’s manpower supply for defense and logistics tasks and to engender popular alienation from the regions should shortages become widespread. While we do not predict that the regime’s control would be appreciably weakened, there might eventually be an aggravation of any differences which may exist within the regime as to the policies to be followed.”
The following is from “The Pentagon Papers” (Gravel Edition)…
“As for McNamara’s proposals, the President approved only giving commanders discretion to launch 900 sorties into the Northeast quadrant during April and permission to strike roads, railroads, and bridges outside or just on the fringe of the prohibited circles around Hanoi and Haiphong. He did not consent to measures involving more viable escalation of the air war. McNamara returned to the Pentagon to inform the Chiefs that, while these operations had not been vetoed, they were not yet authorized.
“The President had authorized the extension of armed reconnaissance into the northeast quadrant and strikes on 3 of the 5 bridges recommended by McNamara but deferred any decision on the crucial portion, the strikes against the 5th bridge, the cement plant, the radar and above all the 7 POL targets. The JCS execution message for ROLLING THUNDER 50, which was sent out on 1 April, directed implementation of what had been approved. In addition, it ordered CINCPAC to ‘plan for and be prepared to execute when directed attacks during April’ against the 5th bridge, the cement plant, the radar, and the 7 POL sites. a penciled notation by Secretary McNamara with reference to these targets also mentions April: ‘defer’ until specifically authorized but develop specific plans to carry out in April.”
RIPPLE SALVO… DIS-UNITY OF COMMAND… Napoleon wrote that unity of command is the first necessity of war. Unity of command: unity of effort under one responsible commander. How is this for unity of command? From the “Pentagon Papers”…
“Although the President’s reason for postponing the POL decision are not known, and although the initial postponement seemed short, a matter of weeks, it is evident from the direct evidence available that the proposal to strike the POL targets ran into stiffening opposition within the Administration, presumable at State but perhaps in other quarters as well. Before the question was settled it had assumed the proportions of a strategic issue, fraught with military danger and political risk, requiring thorough examination and careful appraisal, difficult to come to grips with and hotly contested. The question remained on the agenda of senior officials for close to three months, repeatedly brought up for discussion and set aside inconclusively. Before it was resolved a crisis atmosphere was generated, requiring the continuing personal attention of all the principals.”
“There can be little doubt that the POL proposal instigated a major policy issue.”
My conclusion: Unity of command, a paramount principle of war, in Washington, the seat of all the decisions relative to Rolling Thunder, was in shambles in 1966, fifty years ago.
Lest we forget, Bear
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