RIPPLE SALVO… #178… “… ONE MISHAP–IS ONE TOO MANY…” but first…

Good Morning: Day ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-EIGHT of a thousand visits to the days of OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER…

26 AUGUST 1966… WHAT THE HOME FOLKS WERE READING…New York Times… A great Friday for a walk down 5th Avenue…

Page 1:…”Rusk Terms U.S. Ready To Defend Peace Anywhere”…”Secretary of State Dean Rusk told Congress today that the United States might have to use its armed forces in ‘collective defense against armed aggression’ even in the absence of clear-cut American treaty ties with the nation attacked…’No would-be aggressor should suppose that the absence of a defense treaty, Congressional declaration, or U.S. Military presence, grants immunity to aggression,’ the Secretary said in a statement before the Senate Preparedness investigating sub-committee. The sub-committee, which is headed Senator John Stennis, Democrat of Mississippi, invited Mr. Rusk to appear as the lead-off witness in hearing designed to weigh the United States’ military commitment to more than 40 nations around the world and determine what manpower, equipment, and resources are needed by the United States and its allies to meet those commitments. ‘The United States, as an important and responsible member of the United Nations, may be required in the future, in accordance with the established charter procedures, to take action that cannot now be anticipated with any precision,’ Mr. Rusk declared. State Department sources later confirmed the significance of the Secretary’s warning, especially in view of the mounting Congressional concerns that the United States was becoming too tied down militarily in Vietnam to handle crises that might erupt elsewhere around the world.”… Page 1: “House By 378 to 3, Bars Plan Easing Use Of Reserves”…”By a 378 to 3 roll call vote the House defeated a Senate proposal to give the President special power to use the National Guard troops and Reserves in Vietnam. The effect of the action is to permit such use of the National Guard troops and Reserves only if President Johnson declares a national emergency.”... “First Picture Shows Cover Of Clouds”… The first photograph taken from the vicinity of the moon by a United States spacecraft was received at a tracking station near here (Madrid, Spain) last night.”…The picture was on Page 1 of the NYT and showed Earth partially covered by a wide and deep bank of clouds... Page 1: “Mooncraft Flies 18,000-Mile Test”…The Nation’s most powerful rocket and its newest spacecraft flew an apparently successful test three fourths of the way around the world today. The flight was intended as a final check-out before the first manned earth orbit flight by Apollo, which is to land United States astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.”…

Page 2: “A ‘New Isolationism’ Denounced By Humphrey”...”Vice President Humphrey denounced some critics of the Vietnam War today as advocates of a new isolationism that would stress domestic affairs to the detriment of foreign policy. Citing domestic and foreign policies ‘as one and inseparable,’ Mr. Humphrey scored ‘otherwise responsible Americans,’ whom he did not identify for their recent public assertions that the Administration should spend its money and resources rather than in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. ‘I say that to do so would require, a few months hence, the investment of far more men, money and resources to Southeast Asia, and possibly other parts of the world–than we have committed today, and at far greater danger to all of us.” …’We are engaged today,’ he said, ‘in an unparalleled effort to erase poverty, hunger, ignorance and injustice in America. We are equally engaged in Southeast Asia in a struggle against overt terror and aggression at the same time.’ Two thousand delegates attending the Jewish War Veterans 71st Annual Convention was the Vice President’s audience.”… Page 1: “San Diego’s Pro Football Club Is Sold for $10-Million”…”The San Diego Chargers of the American football League were sold for $10 million to a group of 21 businessmen, including Pierre Salinger, a former White House press secretary…it was the highest price for a football team in professional football history.”…

26 AUGUST 1966…OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… NYT (28 August reporting 26 August)…Page 1: “Raids Approach A Record As U.S. Pushes Air War”…”United States war planners attacked North Vietnam in near record numbers this week. The military spokesman refused to disclose the exact number of planes that crossed the 17th Parallel, but said it was only ‘a few fewer’ than the record number for raids in the North set last Wednesday (which was about 400 sorties). The pilots flew a record number of 156 missions yesterday (26th). Bad weather over the Red River Valley confined yesterday’s strikes to the coastal and panhandle regions. Air Force pilots reported touching of 11 ground explosions in one raid 36 miles south of Donghoi, two miles from the DMZ–and three more in another attack slightly to the west. They also said they had smashed two railroad bridges and two highway bridges on Route 15 near Vinh (Happy Valley). Navy pilots attacked more than 300 cars, trucks and boats. They reported heavy damage to a railroad yard 17 miles northeast of Thanh Hoa. The increased numbers of strikes is part of an Amerian plan to intensify pressure on North Vietnam gradually. An Air Force officer said : ‘I would say we are just going to keep sending more and more airplanes up there until they quit. I don’t think there is any stopping point before that.’…”… “VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES” (Hobson)… Page 72…One fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 26 August 1966…

(1) An Oriskany A-4E of the VA-164 Ghost Riders suffered an electrical failure on an armed reconnaissance mission and the pilot was forced to eject before he could make a recovery on the carrier at Yankee Station. He was rescued by Navy helicopter…

RIPPLE SALVO… # 178…. FRIENDLY FIRE… Ripple Salvo #177 (25 August) carried a statement by General Westmoreland addressing the growing problem of “friendly fire” incidents in Southeast Asia. His communication to all the forces in Southeast Asia included the fact that between 1 July and 24 August there had been twelve incidents wherein friendly fire from aircraft or artillery had killed 143 civilians or military personnel and wounded 234. His plea–“one mishap is one too many”–was not enough to stem the inherent risk of modern war… Even as the plea was being passed to the troops and their commanders there was this: (NYT 26 Aug 1966, page 1)…”U.S. Plane Strafes GIs Near Saigon; Casualties Put At 20″…”A United States Air Force plane today strafed and dropped napalm on a battalion of United States Army’s First Infantry Division on an already bloody battleground north of Saigon. Twenty of more Americans were reported killed or wounded. The infantrymen supported by armored units earlier had stormed the jungle stronghold of an entrenched Vietcong battalion in heavy fighting which proved costly for both sides. At least 47 enemy troops were known dead and American losses before the mistaken attack by the Air Force plane, were also high. American infantrymen had just begun sweeping the scene of yesterday’s pitched battle when the plane struck them. “It took five minutes on the radio to get him to quit firing at us,” said Second Lieutenant Walter Harrison of Taylor, Texas.. The battleground is only 30 miles north of Saigon. There is more to come on this incident…. (and, tragically, there are more incidents to come…)

Lest we forget… Bear ………. –30– ……….