My spy-pilot life

**vinhtruong** · 12-13-2010, 10:31 PM

My spy-pilot life

HCM’ Trail or Harriman’s Super-Highway?
(Or W A Harriman was a real Cog-in-the-machine, a freewheeling diplomat)

For North Vietnam, the Trail was what the great Prussian philosopher of war Carl Von Clausewitz called a “center of gravity”. This refers to an enemy’s “hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends” Clausewitz asserted that a commander able to identify and disrupt the “centers of gravity” could strategically impair the enemy’s ability to wage war.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a communication and transportation system that considered of a North VN logistical supply network, command-and-control structure, and troop staging areas. Geographically, it was located along a complex network of paths and roads stretching from North Vietnam through Laos and into South Vietnam. There was also a Cambodian extension. The Trail was one of Hanoi’s strategic keys for fighting the war in the South. It provided a decisive logistical advantage, as well as the benefit of moving forces quickly from sanctuaries in Lao and Cambodia to battlefields in South Vietnam. The foremost authority on military geography, John Collins, has noted that “the Ho Chi Minh Trail…was nothing more than a skein of rustic traces through the wilderness when it opened in the late 1950s. Dedicated men, women, boys, and girls
bent bandy-legged beneath heavy loads trudged down those paths, all but ignored by senior officials in the United States and the Republic of South Vietnam (RVN) because the invoices were unimpressive: a little rice, a few pitted handguns captured from the French, homemade weapons pieced together like Rube Goldberg toys. This depiction of the Trail changed dramatically in the 1960s, after a series of establishment 559, 759, and 979 Groups, initiated from the axis of evil’s scam, the cohesion of the KGB/CIA unit
According to Geneva agreement on 20, July, 1954, all Communist cadres must return to North Vietnam, above 17th parallel. At Qui Nhon harbor, the ships from Socialist Communists countries such as Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, were anchored at the piers for pick them up to North. However, they still remain on spot of few for standby in new events.
Soon after William Colby’s 1959 appointment to the ever more important Saigon station; there began a troubling reappearance in South Vietnam of Old Communist Viet Minh (allied patriots) fighters who had emigrated to the North in 1954, after the French-Indochina War.
At its April, 1959- 15th Plenum, the North Vietnamese Communist Party Central Committee had voted in secret session to return covertly to South Vietnam thousands of such Viet Minh veterans. These infiltrators were to work with party cadres who’d remained in South Vietnam to execute a conquest intended from its inception to be deniable and thus undercut any rationale for foreign intervention. To infiltrate on such a scale, the Central Committee created a special Army unit, the 559th Transportation Group; the numbers commemorating its May 1959 founding which in tandem with North Vietnam’s Trinh Sat secret intelligence service would train people and move them southward. From his headquarters in North Vietnam’s Ha Tinh Province, the infiltration commander, Brigadier General Vo-Bam, cautioned, “This route must be kept absolutely secret”
Therefore, when the first group headed south in August, 1959, they wore untraceable peasant garb and carried captured French weapons.
The returning Viet Minh marched 15 kilometers each day among busy detachment of Army engineers sent to improve and expand these simple footpaths they called the Truong Son Route
(Long Mountain Chain Route) because it meandered through a similarly named mountain chain, Westerners often would call this network the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
CIA found gathering information about the Truong Son Route difficult. Indeed, this landlocked Laotian wilderness was largely unmapped, with misty valleys so blanketed by jungle that flyovers and aerial photos disclosed nothing. To find what was there required putting men on the ground. Because Harriman would like to check out and verified the North Vietnamese Troop had actual presented there for the accept-cooperating the “War-Game” or not. Therefore, CIA recruited French coffee planters at Khe Sanh on South Vietnam’s northwest frontier to travel every few weeks along Route 9 to the quiet village of Tchepone, Laos, 45 kilometers away. Despite keeping their eyes peeled, the planters brought back little intelligence because infiltration parties were small and crossed Route 9 at night. Harriman also ordered CIA to insert agents-teams “Loi-Vu” to Province Attopeu at Southern-Laos for checking the presentation of Hanoi’s and Pathet-Laos’s troops there.
In short, Harriman was very pleased due to Soviet’s subordinates [Hanoi] were well collaborated, it’s was discovered by Loi-Vu agent recon-teams that reported a presentation of North Vietnamese 959 Group there in such for training Pathet Laos units, and protect the trail for southern infiltration.
During events Kennedy administration expanded CIA’s covert effort to detect Communist infiltration and insinuate an expanded network of CIA saboteurs and agents into North Vietnam.
National Security Memorandum 52 authorized the CIA to employ Army Green Berets and Navy SEAL to train and advise the South Vietnamese who would execute Colby’s covert missions.
In my view point, until those negotiations were under way in Geneva and on July 23, 1962, resulted in the “neutralization” of Laos. How it came about is a complex story, and in hindsight, the results were lamentable. Harriman was stubbornly host-sponsored this Geneva agreement in his method-War-Game on the side of a “strongman” (Soviet Union) Therefore I should named it “Harriman-Highway”
WW II brought Harriman into the U.S government, and he launched a four-decade career as a powerful and freewheeling diplomat. During the war, he represented the Lend Lease program to the British and the Russians, serving as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s special envoy to Winton Churchill and Joseph Stalin. In 1943, Harriman was appointed ambassador to Moscow. This was the beginning of “a long-standing interest in U.S-Soviet relations” and his conviction that he knew how to deal with Moscow. Following WW II, Harriman helped shape American foreign policy in the early days of the Cold War.
In his “The Eurasia Great Game” stratagem, especially in period surrogate to Indochina. One used the so-called Harriman doctrine: “To stoop for conquering his goal” with Soviet Union, in addition with his books “Peace with Russia” and “America and Russia in a changing World”. Therefore, He let the elite pilots from Navy and Air Force to sacrifice their lives for his clique wealthiest narrow interest with their plights facing the “ self-miserable-disgraced tactical ”in Hilton prison at Hanoi such as created unbelievable the so-called “Rules Of Engagement”, and Jane Fonda was a ROE’ guidance counselor of Hanoi side (see in chapter Operation Lam Son 719)
So from that date above, personally it seemed to me with no doubt, I should named Harriman’s Super-Highway, instead of Ho Chi Minh Trail from the debut that ‘Laos’s neutralization day, on July,23,1962. Unsurprisingly when He met president Diem at his Palace in Saigon, with his prejudicial standpoint ‘axiom 1’ in his mind, during one hour briefing, He closed eyes as sleep on the sofa beside ambassador Frederick Nolting; though Nolting politely trying made some moved agitation for wake him up. When he opened his eyes, He wouldn’t promise anything, He boasted: I worked with Kennedy administration, but not with God! So nothing for guaranty”, He continued “I thought with my fingertips-feeling that Soviet should be seriously applied its Laos agreement stipulations”, voicing an implied as ready cohesive Axis of Evil with Red Menace. Also the key figure at Geneva was William A Harriman. Moreover, Diem’s frustration was a flatly turn-down a tempting established agreement with United States protecting South Vietnam likely South Korea by the then Kennedy administration. Thus, in this way, consequently whether U.S Troop invaded South Vietnam and sooner or later they will pull-out, not like at South Korea they left 50,000 troops, and Berlin they left 300,000 troops, according his anticipation “axiom number 3:”that the U.S could not have won the war under any circumstances, so honorable U.S troop will withdrawn eventually.
This betray was perfectly orchestrated and preceded by a campaign of denigration and disinformation in favor of the strongman Communist, which was fostered by most of the mainstream media and intelligentsia in the Western world. The venal critics were also disparaged GVN’ armed forces because they had needed American assistance in order to prevail. Meanwhile American troops were stationed in West Germany precisely because NATO could not stave off Soviet or Warsaw Pact aggression without American help, while in South Korea there also were American troops positioned specially to help that country deal with any aggression from the north. And nobody suggested that, because they needed such American assistance, the armed forces of West Germany or South Korea should be ridiculed or reviled. Only South Vietnam was singled out for such unfair and mean-spirited treatment.
Right after Kennedy and Diem assassinations, intelligence from COMUSMACV initiated joint planning with the South Vietnamese government for cross-border operations. Harriman implied operations were limited to those areas in Laos: a commencement build-up his named-Highway started in west of 17th parallel, just below Provisional Military Demarcation Line. Harriman:
“favored sending” non-U.S patrols” into Laos to try to find out the size of the military buildup”. He stood firmly to protect it against U.S advisers taking part in these patrols. Was it a clever diversion? – keeping their axis of evil’s scam on track. Leonard Unger, then U.S ambassador to Laos, weighed in. He informed the National Security Council (Michael Forrestal) that He wanted to keep MACV out of Laos. The State Department was closing ranks (Harriman’s stance was different, as for Bushes’ based count on Defense Department not State Department)
The Joint Chiefs harangued Defense Secretary McNamara to lift the ban. “The border restrictions were limiting the effectiveness of military operation in Vietnam.” In March 1964, at the urging of the Joint Chiefs, McNamara requested authorization for “hot pursuit” by South Vietnamese forces over the Laotian line for border control. This was contentious for Harriman, but it was increasingly doubtful that he could prevent a ‘change in U.S policy’, against the secret craps game agreement with Soviet Union. The Joint Chiefs were building a case for “crossing fence” that McNamara and Mac Bundy, the special assistant to the president for national security affairs, found convincing.
Still, Harriman had to be dealt with, as M-Forrestal told Bundy in April. President LB Johnson had been coaxed into supporting ‘hot pursuit’ and Bundy was about to send a telegram to Saigon authorizing it. Moreover a testified statement that Michael Forrestal of the National Security Council staff cautioned Bundy that: “To send the telegram without A Harriman’s approval is just asking for trouble!” Even if the telegram had already received Johnson approval but that was not enough? It still required an “endorsement” from Harriman. This is bullshit, unbelievable? So as we have seen, even generals who held commands in Vietnam (in Iraq too) admitted to uncertainty of that war’s objectives. A 1974 survey of generals who had commanded in Vietnam found that “almost 70% of the Army generals who managed the war were uncertain of its objectives.” Historian Walter A. McDougall has described the delusionary do gooding Wilsonian uplift, and “welfare imperialism” that accompanied America’s 1960 march into the Indochinese quagmire. The National Security Council declared it a goal of U.S policy in Vietnam to “create in that country a viable and increasingly democratic society”. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, who had more faith in technocrats than in infantry colonels, “put more than a hundred sociologists, ethnologists and psychologists to work ‘modeling’ South Vietnamese society and seeking data sufficient to describe it quantitatively and simulate its behavior on a computer”. The struggle for the third worth, he said, “might well have to be considered the social scientists war”.

Why Harriman wasn’t as a foreign policy advisor like he did in Truman administration in 1950. Why? He wasn’t a member of National Security Council like Micheal Forrestal, or Secretary, Dean-Rush? As a diplomatic-wizard, He was real a Wise-man Leader such Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas described. I supposedly would say: He was real policy-maker, command and control by his own-mastermind staffs. But with me, it seemed a ‘magical-Wizard’ because He tucked away in the shadow obscurity as a political witch-hunt; He was sure known what if everything will be happened in horrible-tragedies by his magical power referred to his outcome-plot-preplanned, and consequences effect when U.S troop pull-out of Indochina. Therefore, he hired Henry Kissinger for his representative [on his behalf] and tucked behind the political platform, keeping out of the public political spot-light, giving way to influence to George H W Bush, wise-man of next overlapped generation, continued his stratagem “Eurasian Great Game”
By way of conclusion, it is one thing to promise [U.S administration] and another to perform [Harriman]. A. Harriman was so prominent that he eclipsed every president like Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson at the sphere foreign policy platform. In this period how could I be in complete ignorance of his cunning plot; He wasn’t an honest man through and through. He’s a complete stranger to me, and two opinions at complete variance with one another. Therefore, the aftermath of the war in Vietnam was as grim as had been feared; in a time of such crisis, turn its back on South Vietnamese people. Saigon Fall with disastrous consequences but enhanced in the vocabulary-dictionary treasury such as “Boat People” “Reeducation Camp” “Killing Field”… and also on, all the sacrifices of my SOG’ fellows American comrade in arms had made there too.
(continued)

**vinhtruong** · 12-15-2010, 01:45 AM

Few SOG’ special stories

(Why 327 Americans MIA on Làos, only 10 would be released by Hà-Nội?)

“…An English-speaking North Vietnamese officer told Glenn to watch carefully, then they cut Paul Miguez’s belly open, and his intestines fell to the ground. The officer took a flame-thrower from one of his men, stuck the nozzle in Miguez’s stomach and literally melted him alive, burning him horribly while the young specialist four watched. The NVA officer told him to tell his Green-Beret friends that this is what waited for them in Route 559 [Ho Chi Minh Trail] along corridor Laotian/ Vietnam.
A number of recon-men doubted the story, thinking perhaps the One-Two had hallucinated; but they knew never to discount anything. A visiting SOG lieutenant colonel from Danang badgered the traumatized youth, even calling him coward. Then he turned his bile on Zabitosky, demanding to know why he hadn’t landed, and when he was told the Huey had been shot full of holes, he called Zabitosky a coward, too, why the Queen-Bee fearless, carried it out?.
“OK, Colonel,” Zabitosky said “ tomorrow morning, I’m going back in there with nothing but three Americans and three Yards, some body bags and ammunition. And if you would like yourfirst tour of Laos, seeing as you have not been to Laos, I want you on the lead ship with me.”
The Colonel went along but tried to scrub the insert when they took ground fire; Zabitosky already had talked with the pilot, who disregarded the colonel’s pleas. After all, Zabitosky was the operation commander, not the colonel. The colonel did not get off the helicopter with the recon team.
But miraculously, another circle Queen-Bee spotted the missing One-One, Pilton, and extracted him. Meanwhile, Zabitoslky found the team’s back trail, followed it 600 yards to a hill crest, looked over and could see gear strew where the team had been overrun. A little farther on he found black streaks where a flamethrower had scorched the ground and trees, then just ahead something was smoldering., It turned his stomach. The hideous, sadistic murder of an unarmed man surprised Zabitosky, who explained, “That was the first time I ever knew the NVA to do anything like that.” Several Montagnards lay there, too, burned to death. It was another dangerous day before Zabitosky got Miguez’s body out; enemy pressure was so great he had to abandon the Yard bodies.
Chief SOG personally relieved the ‘bellicose colonel’. Paul Miguez, who displayed incredible courage while his captors burned him alive, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
SOG recon team saw the Miguez incident as proof of what lay in store for them if captured alive; such inhumanity was borne out again and again, with particular confirmation coming from the June 1967 Hatchet Force raid in target Oscar-Eight [ forward operational Base 559 Group].

And another story like below:
“….Lieutenant Jerson was carried on; Howard was so drained that he was almost hallucinating. He laid there, silent, holding Jerson and puffing a cigarette a door gunner had given him. One pilot leaned back to give him a reassuring pat, but in his mind Howard kept seeing bodies falling, left behind, bodies of gallant Montagnards that he’d tried so hard to bring out. Almost out of his mind, Howard thought about killing the pilot though he knew that was not right and he didn’t have a weapon. Then, mercifully, he passed out.
He awoke briefly in a field hospital to find his hands bandaged, his face covered with ointment, and learned Lieutenant Jim Jerson had died. But nobody could tell Jerson’s family or Robert Scherdin’s family that good men had not given their all for them.
The recon company commander, Captain Ed Lesesne wrote Howard up for the Medal of Honor for the third time. There would be no downgrading, no minimizing his role to make a superior sound braver, just the truth.
By the time Howard at last received the pale blue-ribbon American patriotism had plunged to its nadir and in the antiwar mood of the times. The media told no one of his indomitable courage. The networks and major newspapers did not report the ceremony. It was as if it did not happen.
In 1955, every school-kid knew Alvin York’s and Audie Murphy’s names. In 1970, no one had ever heard of Bob Howard’s valiant deeds, though his body bore more scars than Navy, Lieutenant John F Kerry, leader activist of antiwar movement with three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in Mekong-Delta combat, but no bleeding, no scars, and no a minute in hospital as Senator Bob Dole said;(Kerry met a criteria requirement such as graduated at Yale university in the prejudice of the First Skull and Bones generation [W A Harriman] and the Second one {George H W Bush] He was selected by them. Thereby upon his return, based on his strong feelings that his fighting men were being sacrificed for a mission in which all generals get lost the objectives, so no longer believed. However he voluntary involved in the effort of veterans to stop the war; it’s also based axiom three that explained the war-solution from earlier 1960 in all universities).
Not surprisingly POW were still imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton at that time, took a dim view of his antiwar activities. Where they were held, beaten, and tortured for years. They were the honor soldiers, much of that time served after they refused to accept freedom on terms that violated the POW code of honor governing the order of prisoner releases.
Howard chest more true values-decorations than either of these acclaimed heroes. Altogether, Howard served five tours in Vietnam, mostly in SOG, never once shrinking from the sound of guns. “Whenever someone asks me that day why I volunteer engaged to become Project-Delta Force, Flight Queen-Bee Group Commander, SO., I tell them, it was for the honor of having served beside such SOG’ gallant men…as Bob Howard!”
So who brought our Americans fellows in arms having the feeling self-loathing Americans, and the false guilt about the noble cause of the Vietnam War? You should be recognized who when you finished this “The New Legion” master piece.

Haunting memories of brave comrades, by Stryker Meyer North
(County Times staff writer, served in the Special Forces from 1968-70)

“When I die, if the Lord gives me a moment to reflect before I breathe, my first thoughts will be not of my loved ones, nor my children. I’ll reflect on and thank God for Sáu, Hiệp, Phước, Tuấn, Hùng, Sơn, Quang, Châu, Cầu, and Minh. Captains Tưởng and Thinh and lieutenants Trung and Trọng will follow them in my thoughts. Then, I’ll think of my loving wife, our talented and unique children, ardor-folks!”

Why the Vietnamese men before my loved ones? Without the courage, strength and fearless verve as combatants in America’s secret war in Southeast Asia, I wouldn’t have returned to the United States.
Today, on the 25th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, I’ll pause to salute those warriors , men most Americans will never hear about, including the more than 3 millions U.S troops sent to South Vietnam during America’s longest and costliest war.
There are many who do not respect or salute the Vietnamese who fought in Vietnam. That’s because our country has failed to educate them about the Vietnamese, the country they sent us to and its history and customs. As Green-Berets, we fought side by side with them, laughed with them and learned about theirs families, their dreams and hopes and fears.
The first group was members of Spike-Team Idaho, a reconnaissance team that ran classified missions into Cambodia, Laos and North Vietnam under the aegis of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam, Studies and Observation Group …SOG. Green-Berets, Navy SEAL and US Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance troops manned several special operation commands throughout South Vietnam.
I joined Spike Team Idaho in May 1968, after six members of the team disappeared in a Laos target area. Three U.S Green Berets and three Vietnamese mercenaries were never heard from again and remain listed as missing in action today. By ’68, Idaho operated out of Phú-Bài, 10 miles south of Hue. In May, there were 30 recon-teams there. By November, Idaho was the only operational team left in camp. The enemy troops in Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam were well-trained, fearless and well-equipped.
Captain Tưởng and Thinh and Lieutenants Trung and Trọng were helicopters pilots who flew Sikorsky H-34, which we called “QUEEN-BEES,” into landing zones where enemy soldiers tried
to knock them out the sky. For several months in ’68, the Queen-bees were the only aircraft flying SOG teams “across the fence” deep into enemy territory. In Laos, the CIA estimated there were between 30.000 and 40.000 North Vietnamese troops keeping the Ho Chi Minh Trail open, bringing supplies from the north to South Vietnam… and fighting SOG troops.
During my 17 months on Idaho, we always left targets under heavy fire from North Vietnamese troops. The ride home was in Queen-bees and every time we asked for one, it came, regardless of enemy fire. There are many Green-Berets alive today thank to the incredible flying skills of Vietnamese Queen-bee- pilots. And without the Vietnamese or Montagnard team members, there would have been more than the 161 killed in SOG operations.
Sáu was the Vietnamese team leader on Spike Team Idaho. When I landed at Phú-Bài, Sáu had been fighting for Special Forces nearly five years. Weighing less than 100 pounds soaking wet, Sáu had a remarkable sixth sense: He could smell the enemy. In the jungle he moved with complete stealth and silence, often cursing his larger American counterparts. Hiệp was the team’s interpreter, who sometimes corrected U.S troops on their English, as well as speaking Vietnamese, French and some Chinese, Phước, Châu, Sơn and Hùng all signed up with Special Forces when they were 15 or 16. After hundreds of hours of intensive training, their age didn’t matter as they stood tall in combat.
On October, 7, 1968, Spike Team Idaho, after trying to escape from North Vietnamese trackers, was attacked by NVA soldiers, who opened fire on full automatic. Sáu had warned they were near. Although none of the Americans heard anything; Sáu, Phước, Hiệp and Don-Wolken were on alert, with their weapons on full automatic, ready to go.
In those firefights the first seconds are crucial. The submachine guns we carried fired 20 high-velocity rounds in ½ seconds. Sáu, Phước and Hiệp reloaded and drove the NVA back down the jungle-shrouded hill. We gained fire superiority, but the NVA never stopped coming at us. After a while, they were firing at us from behind stacks of dead bodies. They came at us from 2:00 pm until dusk, time and again rushing us, trying to overrun our position. We had Air Force Phantom jets, AD6 Skyraiders and helicopter gun-ships dropping bombs napalm, rockets and cluster bombs and make strafing runs. That was the first time I could recall smelling burnt human flesh. By dusk, we were low on ammo, hand grenades and rounds for our grenade launcher. Captain Thinh flew his H-34 to a slight rise above our position, hovering in deep elephant grass …thick-bladed grass that grew more than 8 feet tall. Because the grass was thick and NVA tried to close in on us again, it took us several minutes to get to the Queen-bee. When I arrived under it, I looked up at Captain Thinh, sitting there looking as calm as a Rocky Mountain breeze in springtime, and he smiled. Finally, we were loaded and he yanked us out of there. Sáu, Hiệp, Phước and I fired off our last magazine of rounds and threw our last grenades as we pulled out of the landing zone, again under heavy enemy fire. With a few minutes we were at 4.000 feet, returning to Phú-Bài. We were safe and unharmed. The Queen-bee had 48 holes from bullets and grenades in its side panels and propellers. The new American on the team quit the next day. Sáu, Hiệp, and Phước are dinner before I arranged for Sáu and Hiệp to return to their families that night.
That scene unfolded hundreds of times over the course of SOG’s history; I carry a deep, haunting guilt for having left them in South Vietnam

And why 327 Americans Missing-In-Action on Laos, only 10 would be released by North Vietnam? As we knew those circumstances above, when they captured green-berets on the battlefield…they must kill them for security aftermath: “Because we must kill them before they tried to escape.” NVA’ at level squad or platoon boasted like that. For instant: “according to his opinion is shared by SOG’ former adversaries. The North Vietnamese Nguyen Tuong Lai, an NVA officer who’d served on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, said SOG’ Green Beret “effectively attacked and weakened our forces and hurt our morale, because we could not stop the attacks. We understood that the American soldiers were very skillful and very brave in their tactics to disrupt infiltration from the North. Another former NVA told writer Al-Santoli that the SOG recon teams were unquestionably American’s finest fighters in war. So SOG’ MIA list should be hard to alive, except when they reached at high unit level of military army force, but at low level NVA they killed them first and reported their runaway to escape later.
How can in United States Americans know that situation on that spot? They know very little about Vietnam War, even though it ended just over three decades ago. That is in part because it has been seen by those who opposed the war, or at least opposed their own participation in it, like Lieutenant John F Kerry, an antiwar activist, as in their interests to portray every aspect of the long struggle in the worst possible light and indeed in some cases to falsify what they have had to say about it. In addition, this extends from wholesale defamation of the South Vietnamese and their conduct throughout a long and difficult struggle to Jane Fonda’s infamous claim that repatriated American prisoners of war who reported systematic abuse and torture by their captures were “liars” and “hypocrites.” Fonda tried to don’t know Paul Miguez be burned alive, Senate McCain two time attempted suicide, POW endured years of torment in Hanoi, Hilton. How can she keep on thinking about that video of Eastern-Europe newsmen: In Hanoi Hilton, it was a POW, naval aviator who had been forced before the cameras while being held for seven years in cell cage; While reading a prepared statement, he had blinked his eyes repeatedly, sending out a Morse code message: “TORTURE.” I thought this scene helped to endear Jane Fonda in the hearts of so many millions of America’s Vietnam War era veterans.
Because who know she was worked as a counter-espionage in Permanent Government during the CIP performance in Vietnam like a referee or counselor of Rules Of Engagement in the war-craps on the enemy side.
As a “New” Eurasian-Great-Game but “Old” activists antiwar from 1st generation Skull and Bones initiated by William A Harriman, though he passed away on July 26, 1986, still a lingering sense of guilt, was once again appeared in publicity: In February 2004, a controversy broke out about whether President George W Bush had performed his duties with the Alabama National Guard. Around the same time a photo emerged of a young Lieutenant Navy John F Kerry sitting near Jane Fonda at an anti-Vietnam war rally. The front page of the New York Time ran a short piece about the issue headlined: For Kerry and Bush, VIETNAM YEARS LOOM. The piece stated, “In Kerry’s case, conservatives are working hard to shine an unflattering spotlight on his antiwar activities and his record on defense and intelligence matters in the Senate…” Conservatives for one side Leading Democrats for the other? It’s seemed not fair. Why didn’t the story describe Bush’s opponents as ‘leading liberals’ but still voted for Iraq-War?
As the war in Iraq began, the New York Times turned its focus to the actresses, actors in a tragedy stage player from protesters against the Vietnam War. In late March, ten days into the Iraq-War, a play was written about the protesters in America headlined, Decades later 60s icons still by their message. The play described what the leaders of the 1960s anti-Vietnam War protests were doing today as the nation once again was at war. It filled readers in on the activities of the folk singer Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Pete Seeger, along with Hayden, was shown in a 1972 picture captioned, “Experienced Old Hand”. It closed with a quote from Joan Baez’s manager describing her impact on audiences today. “While her message is the same and is consistent with her message of three, four decades ago, it seems to resonate differently with different segments of the audience” Peoples don’t seem to be as interested in hearing her basically antiwar views as others, and yet the majority seem comforted hearing those views expressed by someone they grew up hearing express those views. The play was laced with a fond nostalgia and wrapped in sympathy. Nowhere did the words “Liberal or Left-wing appear”
Time magazine wrote its account of the protest movement: Voices of outrage. They’re energized and organized. But can US antiwar protesters survive their-own diversity?

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 12-15-2010, 02:13 PM

Our H-34s/leading competitor

We’re in competion with U-2, and R.F-101 for snapshot on treetop by helicopter?
In contrast to the generals, some Pentagon civilians, and South Vietnam ARVN headquarter began to realize that bombing North Vietnam was futile because of the Hanoi regime’s ability to feel free and safe guaranty by ROE’ masterminded Harriman on course of his imagination highway in keeping supplies such moving south on foot, and via also simple conveyances as bicycles.
The photo above indicate a group porters have crossing a spring on dry-season with heavy ammunition antiaircraft shell from the end of convoyed bicycle trail to a higher point on the crest of mountain as AAA positions (Operation Lam Son 719 they carried shell-152mm).
What if reconnaissance U-2 or RF 101 Woodo couldn’t clarify the rivers scenery; actually the porters were camouflage by tree-branches with foliage, their fumbling efforts at using an awkward way to cross-forward.
Now, pilot trying to pass away as fast as better, photographers took snapshot as much as better, a crew-chief with free duty respond a spontaneous attitude by flapping his hand as if hospitable? It shouldn’t be an unconscious manner? If they’re equipped with weapons, I don’t think they have enough time for shooting to us. If you ask me for respond.
Aerial photos on Ho’s Trail by Helicopter H.34 on treetop snapshot
Vietnam is a vastly diverse land. In the South a vast flooded Mekong Delta, broad coastal plains, thick mangrove swamp, tangled jungles, and it has steep mountains chain from North to South; so every year having flood. The jungle was too dense for large operations, but pretty good suitable hidden place for our SOG reconnaissance teams and the enemy too. You had to literally hack your way through vines and thick foliage, moving very slowly, mostly in small units like squad, team-sized, platoon-sized, may be company-sized patrols. Fighting in triple-canopy rain forest teaches you how to fight in triple-canopy rain forest. Fighting in mountains teaches you how to fight in mountains. And you should learn a lot simply shooting and getting shot at a lot, and working closely with others like team-work on a combat mission. But there isn’t a great deal of carryover from any of that one to the other. The biggest lesson, in fact, is learning how to be open to surprising new experiences a then turning that openness into resourceful and creative ways of dealing with the challenges you face.
Recon-team was to interdict the North Vietnamese troops coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos and Cambodia and infiltrating through the mountain and rugged terrain of the jungles into the populated regions near the coast. Recon-team did actually encounter large numbers of the enemy in the jungle, but they reported to forward operational base the detail information for bombardment, avoiding in fight contact, except for self-defense. Their mission was to search for indications of them, their infiltration routes, or base camps or other places they might be using as sanctuaries; and they frequently found unoccupied enemy positions, often clever bunkers tunneled under thick bamboo clumps, providing them with a natural cover so why in battle of Ap-Bac 1963 the enemy had a safe cover in the lest casualty.
At Khe-Sanh, today June 14, two helicopters H.34 assigned to U.S Project-Delta Special Force, unmarked camouflage by color match with mountainous wild-leaves. The weather is OK for this season just light fog will clear very soon. The morning breeze shed out from stone mountain bringing enough cool; surrounding thick foliages were standstill, now and then the fresh sea-wind floating to mainland carried some warmer humidity, few cotton cumulus drifting to west hanging on the crest of mountain; higher some cirrus stay-unmoved in the clear blue-sky demonstrated the weather today should be very good for our aerial photos. We will to compete with higher altitude photos of Woodo R.F.101 and U.2 in contrast to treetop helicopter H.34.
With this weather, I feel convinced that might God formed for us appeasing our anxiety.
Yes, we plunged over ‘razing-mode-flight’ along Ho Chi Minh Trail and a foremost is snap-shot over Group 559, forward operational base headquarter [Oscar Eight]. In the mission clearance order recommended that we must take picture from west DMZ to the South at Kham Duc, and Ben Het. But I can’t do it, in-fact the very hot spot like Oscar-Eight, I must go this first and the rest later, I don’t want the enemy being ready for welcome us with every kind of anti-aircraft artilleries!
About 40 kilometers northwest of South Vietnam is the Ashau-valley, Oscar Eight encompassed the Highway 922 turnoff from Highway 92. More USAF planes were downed at that road junction than any place in Laos which isn’t surprising since burrowed deep into the hills of Oscar Eight, defended by belts of antiaircraft guns, was North Vietnamese General Vo Bam’ 559 Transportation Group’s forward headquarter. This is the Ho Chi Minh Trail’s Control Center.
We frequently inserted recon-team over-there, refocused on its operations across the border and tapered off in country missions except in the Ashau-valley which remained SOG haunt, situated beyond a barrier of imposing mountains that masked it from coastal enclaves 60 kilometers away at Phu-Bai and Danang. The Ashau-valley stretched 35 kilometers northwest to southeast ending at Atep high land on the Laotian border. 3 kilometers wide in places, the Ashau bottom was grassy, flat and so open it was eerie; flying overhead you could feel eyes following you. Two abandoned airfields and three ghost camps haunted the valley floor, while its major road highway 548 connected with Laotian highway 922 from adjacent Laotian base areas the North Vietnamese built a network of 40 high-speed trails into the valley. Northern Ashau’ Tam-Boi mountain contained immense chambers hewn from solid rock and fitted with heavy iron door, so well constructed that they withstood B.52 strikes.

The plan was to insert at dusk so the enemy would have no daylight left to dispatch a reaction force or trackers, giving recon-team a full night’s head start. If they stumbled into enemy on the LZ, my courage Queen-Bee pilots would swoop in to extract them while the Huey gun-ships fired mini-guns and explosive rockets for air closed support.
In March, 1966 at dusk, when Queen Bee inserted at very hot LZ right in enemy’s heartland. Immediately alerted emergency mission, our Queen Bee plunged in the shower of bullets AK47, picking-up Sergeant Brown and Huston, another Queen Bee dropped rope-ladder due to no space for LZ, picking-up Alan Boyer meanwhile under shower-bullets of AK47, Boyer got hit and fall. Dead or alive, he was in enemy hands.
In the middle, 1966, one recon team was encountered a concentrated NVA ambushed. One hour fighting, later, team tried to hide to a hill crest, where there were some rock-stones easy to defend and preferred to Queen Bee pilots to put one landing-gear for picking them up. Apparently, few of them were wounded they would suicide by frustrated captured in the daylight. At night U.S pilots would gave-up. Lieutenant Hung, nickname “mustache”, by himself, an alone Queen-Bee, no copilot, no crew-chief, no door gun, in the dark of night, but just the very himself inserted them in, his conscience pricks him and his knew-how where-about a team located spot. He landed one gear on a hill crest slope picking-up all team members in the red glaring spot-light of from every individual gun-bullet, from everywhere concentrated to spot-light LZ. At last, an unmarked H.34 landing on operational home base with 88 holes of AK.47- “unbelievable”
Say Major Scotty Crerar: “neither impossible ground fire nor un-flyable-weather stopped Queen-Bee pilots…They were absolutely fearless!”

*****************

The plight of SOG’ Recon-team
Meanwhile SOG’ MIA numbers continued to climb, especially on Harriman’s Super-Highway corridor. On 31 July 1969 a six man SOG team led by Captain Dennis Neal and Specialist Four Mike Burns, was overrun 20 miles into Laos, near Highway 921. When last heard, one man’s voice radioed, “Help...help…help….for God’s sake….help” Later, our Queen-Bee rescue team found no bodies, no sign of any kind.
Then on 13, November 1969, on corridor of Harriman Highway as well, Staff Sergeant Ronald Ray, ‘One-Zero’, and Sergeant Randy Suber ‘One-One’, were overrun 15 miles west of the Ashau-valley near Laotian Highway 923. Dead or alive, they were in enemy hands. The price was too high for the so called ‘verification check’ the craps: “I feel hatred towards the checking NVA presentation on Harriman Highway in his ambitious narrow interest stratagem.”
By way of conclusion, I just determined that Harriman was working a scam, like some wicked wizard from a children’s fairy tale.

DeLuca knew SOG’ attempts to ransom POWs. The most unfathomable impediments, Tony DeLuca thought, were political limitations that crippled POW recovery attempts in Laos and Cambodia. For instance, despite a friendly government taking power in Phnom Penh in 1970, U.S,-led SOG teams were not permitted to search Cambodia for POWs after the 30 June,1970, in post-invasion pull-out. Why? Even Harriman retired from a freewheeling diplomat 1969, but his next generation, wise-man George W.H Bush continued on course of his Eurasia Great Game’s stratagem that means still keeping untouched Ho Chi Minh Trail development in manpower and material military equipments build-up there. Naturally, the U.S embassy in Phnom Penh and the Joint Chiefs still reserved approval authority for any Cambodian Bright Light, but not a single U.S-led rescue mission was approved after 30 June 1970. And also the situation was hardly more accommodating for POW Bright Light into Laos. Since November 1969, the U.S ambassador required advance coordination for POW rescues beyond SOG’ 18-mile sector; records do not reflect how many requests were denied, but not a single SOG POW rescue mission was approved in Laos. The plight of the POWs and MIAs grew and grew on DeLuca’s conscience. The truth was, he concluded, the United States was going through the motions but there was no high-level emphasis; no one would ever be retrieved. In this gut, DeLuca knew something had to be done.
In the course of Vietnam War, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Americans pilots and crewmen had been shot down and captured by Communist North Vietnam. They had parachuted into the waiting arms of the Hanoi, crashed in Laos and been hunted down by the Pathet-Laos, endured years of torment in Hilton prison at Hanoi, and been used as pawns by the Soviets. Very few of them had escaped, few had lost their youth through years of captivity, and few had never come home. And from the moment of each one’s capture, each had surrendered his future to the unknown. None had known when or if they would see freedom again.

On 18, February, 1971, the first of 6 SOG recon-teams inserted into the Ashau-valley to support of operation Lam Son 719, to tie down North VN forces and gather intelligence for when the ARVN returned along highway 922 coming out of Laos. Initially the Ashau diversion had been assigned to the 1st Brigade 101 Airborne division, which was to storm the Valley with four battalions, the specter of heavy American casualties apparently scotched that, instead a hand-full of recon-teams were giving job originally planned for a 2,000 men paratroop unit. (This genius Intelligence-War Strategy was repeated in WWII, the perfect coordination command and control between US Ambassador W A Harriman to Soviet Union and Lieutenant William Colby in the Hot-Spot) The Ashau-valley had never been hotter. Captured documents revealed the North VN had moved 11 counter-recon-companies, there to reinforce Landing-Zone watcher, tracker-dogs rear security units and infantry battalions plus two antiaircraft battalions defended this area.
Both SOG and the Air Force had suspected as much with USAF intelligence determining Oscar Eight contained the largest depot outside North Vietnam. Sergeant John Meyer who ran recon near Oscar Eight, recalled, “The area was really hot. I mean, every team that went in there got the shit shot out of it”. Just before the 1967 raid, U.S signal intelligence each day detected 2,300 radio messages emanating from there to North VN, a volume unparalleled throughout Laos. General Westmoreland believed an NVA Field Army headquarters that controlled all enemy operations in South Vietnam’s 1 Corps was located there.
Oscar Eight’s terrain favored the enemy, with the only suitable LZ in a wide bowl, surrounded by jungle high ground containing antiaircraft guns and bunkered infantry. The raid began with a dawn Arc Light by nine B.52s. Flying Covey, Master Sergeant Billy Waugh watched nearly a thousand 500 and 750-pound bombs walk across Oscar Eight, setting off 50 secondary explosions. Incredibly, the bombs had barely stopped falling when he could see NVA running from their shelters to roll fuel barrels away from a fire. Waugh radioed SOG Lieutenant Colonel Harold Rose at Khe-Sanh, “I’ve got people out here scurrying around. That sonvabitch is loaded” As the smoke cleared… Another Arc Light B.52 struck a cargo ammunition depot at the low-level of limestone “Co-Roc” setting off 2 hours secondary explosions. This is a great NVA command and Control sanctuary headquarter got hit at limestone Co-Roc, creating non communication for two weeks and less-pressure at Khe Sanh at least in during the lunar-Tet.
Those craps of Arc Light by 9 B.52 carpeted bombardment on 9 August, 1968 on Oscar-Eight, just damaged few cargo supplies; however no one human-being get hurt thank to Soviet camouflage fishing boat transmitting advance alert message to this headquarter, according to ROE craps. I considered that a “Non-Vulnerable Bomb-Game”. In turn of Soviet’s subordinate [North Vietnam] launched 107 or 122 mm Katyusha rockets, for instant at Danang Air Base. The house-wife of my Airmen family quarters, they had felt a Germany hospital ship “Helgolan” or “Hope” likely a key symbol referee for the “launching rockets-game”. One certain day, when hospital ship [Hope or Helgolan] was leaving Danang Harbor to the ocean; they were sure 100% that night Communist Hanoi launching rockets into Danang Air Base. And at the morning of that day, at the breakfast time, some high speaker in U.S Main-Compound was echoed lousy some noise that they didn’t know what the hell’s means. However, they were waiting until at 4 or 5 PM of that day, they came to Danang-Harbor, if Hospital-Ship leaving, they’d hurry up returned to the Air base and harangued to their husbands: “To night! Viet Cong launched rockets to our base, I must escaped in snatching all children to down town if you don’t scare O.K, staying here and died!!!”
They’re right, before that happened, about 10 minutes, high speaker at Main Compound once again repeated many time and let G.I have known, having enough time. And how many rockets will hit; but according ROE, there was never more than 50 rockets for every launch-craps-event.

Peering through the mist of fog, two helicopter H.34 looking like two whale have been sleeping, for sunbath on the grassy flat slope, their bodies sweated all over with morning moisture from the atmosphere condensed into drop on the cold aluminum camouflage surface. From our shelter-tents, on proceeding to the helipad through the haze dimness visibility, I could see our crew-chiefs busy scurrying around with their maintenance duties. Master Sergeant Mai was busy with his grease gun; he greased the main rotor component; meanwhile Sergeant Vang hand-pumped to refill all tanks. Apparently, we couldn’t care about flying safety operation because a special secret infiltration. However I reminded Vang must leave a quantity of fuel at the bottom of each fuel-barrel due to water subsided.
“Hey Sergeant Vang … Did you check these expired date of six fuel barrels on this 4/4 truck?” I said.
“Yes I did…and the suction-tube of hand pump wouldn’t reach to the bottom, it have a foot above the bottom for safety…no sweat I take care of it, sir!”
Vang wore black-pajama garb of peasant made from Okinawa, that remind me in 1962 when we came here [Khe Sanh] all flight crewmembers must worn those black-pajama garb; had turned in their dog-tags, military I.D cards of South Vietnam, even their U.S, cigarettes, which were replaced by Asian brands, absolutely none carrying with U.S weapon made. All crewmembers equipped with Swedish K submachine guns and Belgian-made Browning 9mm pistols, all of which, of course, had been acquired clandestinely so a serial-number check would lead nowhere.
And in down-cabin was equipped with one packet of explosive C-4 for self destroying helo when emergency forced landing.

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 12-17-2010, 07:31 PM

My spy-pilot life

Why? Why? Because we worked with a clandestine agency called “Combined Area Studies”.
As you see above, Harriman was stubbornly protected a commencing developed Ho Chi Minh Trail with P.O.L parallel. Now, another thing different is in the map geographic named Khe Sanh replaced instead of Huong-Hoa County in the past, its belonging to territory of Quang-Tri province. Population over here [Khe-Sanh] was about 3,000, the most were French coffee planters, habitation along Route 9; but in-fact due to not security, the Diem regime would evacuated them to safety area along Mieu-Giang River to La-Vang Catholic-hamlet, belonging Quang Tri territory as well.
I saw Vang look like just get out from the river, he sweat too much from his hair to forehead, all over his eyes like just crying.
“Stop pumped! Relax for a while I help you pumped it” I said
“For save time and save fuel, I told Lt Hue and Lt Khoi should refill at Dong-Ha for sparing a quantity fuel over-here.”
I must have a short briefing to Master Sergeant Donald Duncan and Lieutenant Nha from LLDB [Vietnamese Green beret]
I said “All of you must check sure your harness-belt secure while you hanging out of the chopper for snapshot pictured. After take off , I must practiced a ‘Lazy-Eight’ like U-turn but not really U-turn, because we don’t have enough horizontal space for U-turn, around over-there just were stone shield hewn from solid rock both side like giant-tall walls along of large spring, like we are concealed in deep of a canyon, Mt Tam-Boi. Thereby only one alternative is vertical I-turn when we couldn’t go ahead because it would crash into the shield rock-wall. I deadly certain sure with all of you that the above us, there’re all belt antiaircraft artilleries ready for shooting down any aircraft flyover. We used tactical flight as the small fishes hidden in the bottom coral sharp rock. This is only way for survive, rather got hit surrounded by jungle high ground containing antiaircraft guns and bunkered infantry!”
“Now Hue and Khoi take-off right away, I will… after 20 minutes. When you all set refueling at Dong-Ha trying contact with us on frequencies…FM…, VHF…, and UHF at guard frequency, Lt Hao my copilot take care of it …if have you any question…Ah one more thing…always radio on even though grounded for refueling at Quang Ngai.”
Sergeant Vang recheck for armament, a Queen-Bee H.34 carried a single rusty World War II, belt-fed 30 caliber machine gun hung from a bungee cord in the doorway with a thousand rounds stacked in a old can under the crew-chief’s seat. The H.34 had only one door on the right side, which made it relatively blind on its left, especially to the rear. When enemy A.K 47 bullets slugs hit its carvernous troop compartment, it sound like a wash tub being beaten with a base ball bat; but this tub could take a lot of hits…still O K, as flight crewmember of Project-Delta, this time we are equipped with Carbine M.2 instead of Swedish K submachine guns; meanwhile Duncan equipped with A.R.15, much lighter and more power ammunitions. Because He was tall and strong, so he carrying so much stuffs on his harness belt, more cartridge magazines than anyone, plus flashlight, binocular, maps, first-aid-kit…and camouflage-scarf showed-up his handsome to enemy.
Last year, I was checked out by Master Sergeant Donald-Duncan. Duncan and Captain Richarson, J.3 Operation of 1st Observation Group Commandos to explore the growing Ho Chi Minh Trail for becoming a Flight-Group-Leader of Project-Delta Forces. I recalled this very Master-Sergeant Duncan, specialist instructor selected me become the leader, due to recently all my fellow senior pilots were washed-out because to much hesitation and so much safety flying. During two weeks checking-out operational flight-maneuvers. At western area of Dong Ba Thin Camp, Nha Trang were the mountainous, jungle-covered terrain, natural clearings for helicopter landing zones were scarce and likely don’t have any in the most crest-ridge of mountain. Suddenly, while flying, in down cabin, Captain Richarson radioed “infiltration right here”. I didn’t see any LZ available around, my spontaneous reflection, quickly I idled the engine RPM, made a spin autorotation with steep descendent…at last, I made accuracy precise ‘quick stop’ and putting one wheel right landing gear on a big rock, meanwhile left landing gear and tail wheel agitated in the air. I still keep high power 2,800 RPM about 10 second, I hear the echoed voice from Richarson: “Touch and go 10 seconds that’s good enough, we go home now”. Shortly, I was passed this tough-hard flight examination. From now on the 1st Observation Group Commandos in Project Delta put my nickname “The Cowboy Pilot”.

Now proceeding razed-mode flight, I am imagining six years ago (1958) In that year our ARVN called Aluoi-valley and when U.S troop coming built one more airfield called Ashau Valley. This valley, when I was a rating pilot of 1st Observation Squadron at Danang Air base, everyday I flown reconnaissance mission by a tiny Cessna L.19 Bird-dog, mission air cover from Laotian/DMZ border to southern likely to visit and contacted by SCR-300 transmitter with many out-posts along on corridor of Laos/Viet. So I was never forgotten the name of those out-posts likely the name of my children; From north to south like Satram, Liton, Tourut (Tourut, now it was North Vietnamese General Vo Bam’s 559 Transportation Group forward headquarters, the Ho Chi Minh Trail’s control center) Aluoi, Ashau, Atep, Con-Gia, Aro, Poste 6, Ro, Chalang, (Chalang, now was a Camp Kham Duc. But Danang was far from Laotian border, so ‘Shining Brass’ needed a Forward Operating Base (FOB) to house recon-team, fuel helicopter, and launch operations. A quick map study decided it: They’d locate the FOB with Group of Special-Force border surveillance, a camp at Kham-Duc, 60 miles Southwest of Danang, only 10 miles from the Laotian border. As scheduled and desolate as the adjacent Laotian wilderness, Kham Duc in a bowl formed by jungle hills that held ground fog and rain for days and weeks making this isolated camp probably the most weathered in locate in South Vietnam. But despite weather problems for the time being Kham Duc had to be the “Shining Brass FOB”) Dak-Prau, Dak-Pek, Dak-gle, Darto, and Ben-Het out-posts.
That day I had flown 3.000 feet altitude in space cool air safety, now I will flying like “razing mode” with my heart beaten rock and roll, flying overhead, I could feel eyes following and the unwelcoming with every kind of weapons. [But we swore just AK 47 bullets only] I recalled sometimes I landed at Aluoi 200 meters airfield with full flap 60 degree, high down draft turbulence, once my friend crash there because strong cross wind.

After took off, I should refreshed a practice “Lazy-Eight”. I radioed to down cabin “everyone must in harnessed in secure position” I took the nose of helo heading straight down right into the bottom of a hill, even high speed waiting very closer…then I pull up the helo-nose vertical-straight to blue sky…the air speed decreasing gradually until 25 knots, I used right rudder-pedal smooth pressure on that, the nose of helo dropped down vertical on spot “I turn”. That’s fine. “I wished don’t be nervous while facing with cruel enemy!” I did know nobody down in cabin like that, but I must practice it for saving their lives too. “May be NVA troops enjoyed to see that fabulous performance and forgotten to shoot us? On the ground base, I also explained to my crew-members, why frequently I flew alone in dangerous missions, but today I needed a full crew; because we accepted facing with individual weapon like A.K, and if I got hit, copilot could bring aircraft to home base for saving lives of peoples on board. Over-there, Oscar-Eight, we had faced with two antiaircraft battalions covering their operational base, so we didn’t having any choice unless flying very low level.
Often in case emergencies like insertions or picking-ups recon-team, I experienced use H.34 Army model, because it lighter with installed equipments, [instruments just pilot side only]
I now need H.34 Marine model with ‘Tacan instrument’ guiding instrument, double panel instruments, and armor protection below for pilots and engine. Marine model was always loaded but heavier.
I recalled when I passed the flight examination from Project Delta Force 1964. My squadron commander, Major Nguyen-Huy-Anh gave me an authorization clearance of selected to anyone in squadron for forming my special Kamikaze-flight-group and aircraft too. Of course I had chosen the best-experience crew-chiefs and pilots. However the most should be single non-liable with family burden. We considered ourselves like bloody brothers, yet we’d been through things together that most siblings never shared. We had laughed hard, fought hard, and no one and nothing could come between us. I would have done anything for them, and they would have done the same for me. Now everyone must have particularly necessity specific duty for our country. In reality we are the unknown heroes. All flight missions were top classified secret, low level flight avoiding radar detecting. More bad weather, more surprise enemy were the most impossible missions that we made; at night 30% moonlight, 100 feet above the treetops. These concealed flight missions, nobody even in Vietnamese Air Force known, except SOG, Combines Area Studies LLDB. The USAF and U.S Army Aviation saluted our impossible missions. We are the young guides rating pilots but patriotism eagerly defends our country more than anyone else.
We’re on course heading to Oscar-Eight, flying treetops not because avoiding the detected-radar but let enemy non ready alert welcome us coming with various kinds of anti-aircrafts. Heading 155 degree in gyro-compass, bumping up and down to follow surface relief of terrain, in my left side The Sa-Tram ghost out-post haunted on the grass-hill abandoned since 1961, in-front us the Mt Tam-Boi, down the valley on the side of cliff, a spring flowing to the south was another located ghost out-post ‘Liton’ I opened broader my eye and feel the sun’s rays baking my face, inhaling the scent of the forest below there. Flying as low as better to blind the enemy’ eyes following us. At high level like a belt anti-aircraft on bowl valley, there were immense hewn from solid shield rock, where Oscar-Eight was located.
Like any major challenge in life, a same scene but at different altitude, different time, one was cool and one was hot, now so open it was eerie; flying overhead I could feel eyes following. I have to take it in bits and pieces. I don’t try to tackle the whole thing at once. So, even though I was trying to convince myself not to worry about it, but those images of below there would continue to ambush my mind. Everything below was drastically changed a lot since the forest was so much devastated by new human activities. Instead of so many trails and route heading to south, many new bridges crossing shallow river, farthermost, below canopy, numerous sanctuaries installed, more depot cargo but camouflage with covered forest leaves became brownish, more smoke, fume, vapor exhalation. Some crop garden mixed with various corns, potato, yucca cassava…U2 and R.F-101 how could detected, except our low level helo flying can snap-shot it by Duncan and Nha, the sheer photographers. How we could distinguish enemy group crossing on a dry-river with supplies moving by porters or military unit with weapons in hand instead of branches of trees with leave in camouflage to tract of ground for grazing.
Who guaranties for Hanoi to take by force or legal authority to overrun and to dissolve South Vietnam by axiom 1? I meditated that’s not Soviet Union, none China Communist but our big treachery-brother [Harriman and Bushes]. A horrible ‘war-game’ wasn’t real war. Had the U.S really wanted a military triumph, it could have easily achieved it, with benefit of hindsight. It has become clearer that the U.S goals were more ambitious than a superficial, bogus military victory.
All Communist countries have faulted U.S intervention in Indochinese as evidence of American arrogance of power, attempts by the United States to be the World’s policeman, or World’s Nanny. As for myself, I assumed that the United States like a Casino’s dealer pretended having goodness which He would protracted the play-game by sacrifice of little bit money to all players, or used a magical trick for taking money from this player giving to another looser, nurturing the game. At last, when the game was over, all the monies from the players should be in the hand of U.S magical dealer! In the Indochinese War, the United States had aided to support French at 1949 Secretary State Acheson persuaded president Truman French-aid 15 million, four years later proposed two billion; but recently OSS 1945 U.S parachute at north-west sanctuary ‘Pat-Po’ helping out Ho Chi Minh thousand of Carbine and machine gun BAR, and training psycho-arms-platoon of Vo Nguyen Giap; South Vietnam captured so many cadres of COSVN, CIA forced to release them. Airborne from South Vietnam just intended to seize the Quang Tri citadel were the so called make mistake bombardment on them because Vietnamese Airborne acted wrong time and way on spot They preferred the Vietnamese Marine to seize it on time table agenda.
Now the war game was over by the fall of the Republic of Vietnam [axiom1] on the cruel April 30, 1975 was not because of its Armed Forces unwillingness to fight or because of its government corruption. It was simply a trade off for economic and political gain superbly orchestrated between the superpowers, the United States, The Soviet Union, and People’s Republic of China.
“Alas! Sadly, the Republic of Vietnam was used as merchandise in this exchange!”
(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 12-18-2010, 01:26 PM

My spy-pilot life

I am trying to open my eyes broadly, broader in keeping in mind to ready accepted individual weapon bullets than antiaircraft gunners. Keeping this very low level flight avoided out of blind spot shooting, usually AAA’s enemy with direction up to the air, not at bottom to valley for the readiness shooting the fighter-bombers flyover.
Now I though should flight directly at the route in front of us, short-cut enemy sight seeing reaching straight right on a shallow river flowing back to Xe-Pon River, to northwest at quite closer a city Tchepone.
Suddenly, I downed the nose helo for acceleration airspeed passing the below river over one group of peoples might be porters, scurrying around crossing of rocks of river for grazing. Dedicated porters bent bandy-legged beneath heavy loads trudged down those paths, they were camouflage with bushed-leaves. When we passed by, Duncan saw some flapped hands to him, they didn’t fired because they didn’t carry gun.
The echoed in my helmet, Sergeant Mai laugh in saying “How you think”
So busy, I chewed up microphone hissed my muffled voice “Communist Hanoi welcomes you! Because you are his comrade buddies”
I could hear my crew chiefs, sergeant Mai, echoed me loudly: “Duncan and Nha are busy for snapshots, but I’m free… I did by my reflection of courtesy that’s it!” “Now I’m ready for the next”
I thought these flapping hands were encountered like auto-suggestion-out of knowledge by reflection not for hospitality.
Now we are passing on the nasty road, father discovered a bull-dozer with big and straight exhaust, dozen peoples scurrying around. They were at work, no one see us. I wish we will get the exciting pictures by Nha and Duncan. We’re just reaching the ‘hot-spot’. At this point, I knew I was no longer invincible. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. In the space of eight minutes just passing Oscar-Eight, I had flown from feeling as indestructible as an iron dragon to fragile as a hummingbird in a forest fire. Hoping things were going to shit. I hold the flight-control harder, my lips closed, flying with tail rotor flexible like small fish in the deep coral sharp rock, as the hard skeleton ourselves for preventing the big fish predator. I tried to keep razing closed on the left flank of the rocky mountain hewn for in right side hatched door Duncan and Nha easier took snapshot. Above us, on top of cliffs, at right side, I could see some human activities, as hanging some military clothes, some pylon antenna, telephone wires, bunkered infantry up there, of course containing antiaircraft guns I sure guessed. But everything were very quite standstill, might be enemy was never believed we are a guest without invitation! Unwelcome? I felt convinced because we couldn’t see antiaircraft at all; in turn enemy couldn’t see us too.
I had a good view from atop the helo, began to feel a bit comfortable with the calm situation. Suddenly, I hear behind the tail rotor one pair of high-explosive blasts “Palmm… Palmm.” I lower the nose helo increasing air speed; the moment passed quickly, and my thought drifted back to reality. “Oh God, Just please don’t let us lose an engine!” I prayed to some nebulous God of War as we are razing close the cliff right over the left side. We badly need natural obstacle. There’re a few thin stratus clouds hanging lower on the valley, which was fine for us but even blind spot for enemy. Now we could hear the crisp, rattling sounds of AK-47 echoing in the valley, but far away behind us. I did not utter a word, and think as like welcome fire crackers.
Shortly, I could feel my heart again thumping in my chest. It seemed to me that “enemy having alertness” I have seen some straight lines of smoke at right side of the river shooting at us. They can’t reach us, but fall to explode right in middle of river. I think…there was B.40 or B.41 with short range. The time passed too slow among so much and anywhere the explosive blasts, rattling sounds of AK47. Now in front of us, high-explosive blasts formed many vertical-pylons of smoke we could smell the bad odor. I couldn’t have any orientations where for escaped, just continued flying as fast as low I can, concealing behind all natural possible obstacles for passing this hot area. May enemy shoot to us by mortars? I never forgot the Russia 120mm mortars that burst in an extremely large fragmentation pattern. Now I can see two parallel-projectile, dark-white smoke impelled too fast forward to us, from the above the cliff at right side. First, I think again B.41, or B.40, so they couldn’t reach us. But when I realize it not…so too late, the air blast projectile I can hear in my helmet. Two terrible explosions at left side on the cliff about fifty feet made helo shaking, and their smoke could envelope our helo in the moment. That’s individual air missile like SA7, SẠ5, or SA3? If it was 85mm or 75 mm guns, they would never have smoke behind projectile. However, at last we are passing there, don’t worry. I take a deep breath getting little uncomfortable. Now we see a lot peoples likewise a full company or battalion took bath or laundry in the river. Oh…Oh everyone hurry to the bank…once again the rattling sound of AK47 but too far behind from us.
I am not a man believes in Omens, but there were many various weapons trying to kill us, and so again I prayed to some nebulous God of War again and again as bring us out of here as sooner.
Now, over-here, everything became very vulnerable quite, I reduce engine power, the cliffs were higher. The Tam-Boi mountain became our risk with a huge iron high wall in-front of us, like giant barrage and the river narrowed it, and rough-twisted to right like stopping-fence. Impatiently I am trying concentrated on my smoothness flight maneuver keeping the same high airspeed… faster…enough speed I pulled the nose of helo straight up to the blue sky, my body stick in the seat, we can feel my face longer, sagged, and heavier. The air speed decreased gradually till 25kts, I used pressure on right rudder pedal, helo nose dropped vertical down to I turn. I maintained airspeed moderate.
I hear at down cabin my crew-chief Mai complained they are so exhausted, please let them relax for a while. I should know that, so I flown over a density virgin-forest, lest human activity and surrounding there for few minutes. “O.K everyone laid on the cabin floor relaxing five minutes, and continued mission!”
Now I have time asking the rescue helicopter hadn’t contact with us. Co-pilot Hao said, they had asked for us every five minutes.
I took helo back to the trail at our left side over the jungles below with tall-thick canopy trees. The route like a long red snack rambling to southeast, sometime Duncan took snapshot through below the foliage blurring some roofs bamboo made-stored depot cargo-houses. The road continued down to slope and disappeared. I couldn’t see anything except everywhere was green thick forest. We’re get lost the trail; I tried come up little bit for finding it, but no hope…the basic secret operation mission regulation couldn’t permit us to return for searching. I changed direction to the left 30 degree for three minutes, and 60 degree to the right. I planned to continue flying this same pattern till seeing it, but absolutely not climbing higher. Five pairs of eyes are focus on the unknown road below suddenly Duncan echoed radio to me: “direction two at clock in-front of us”. Abruptly I turned helo to right and jointed it at once, and continued keeping parallel of its on left side. Now the terrain appeared clear and flat grassy, not single road, but four roads wandering to the south like four red snacks in parade, at time they changed colors mud-black and camouflage with grassy. I make decision selecting the one in left side for lest vulnerable and good vision for pick snapshots from right side helo’s door. Automatically, I should fly razing the tall-eeriest grassy reeds. Now the woods, under a dense growth of trees appeared numerous a cluster of cargo-bamboo-house. I must leaving the road, but flown parallel with it far away to left side over the thick woods. The wind from northeast so strong, it increases my helo lift performance and helps with the noise, reducing the time the enemy can hear us coming.
Now in the bottom grassy floor of Ashau-valley, once again, at this moment, I knew I was no longer invincible. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest again. Why Hanoi didn’t build the road in closer mainland to Laotian border, and I preferred to flyover the triple jungle canopies below concealed North Vietnamese troops? Our recon-teams operated mostly in Laos and DMZ discovered a new road coming out of Laos just north of the Ashau-valley pointed dangerously toward the populous coastal plain north of Hue; very heavy NVA forces made penetrations also but impossible, it was as if a curtain were being lowered to conceal enemy activities.
We don’t need mock assaults into rugged jungle landing zones, but at least safe for us to flyover. Razing flight would be reaching hill to hill toward that new position. It would be very hard to distinguish enemy concentration from antiaircraft batteries in such a melee. Over-here I couldn’t just cowboy, managing with brutal maneuvers meanwhile Duncan and Nha in snapped the scenes. I am passing on the corner of the thick wood, discovered too many roofs-concentrated troop quarter compounds, the leaves covered above became brownish and barren. The images of multilateral that flashed into my mind terrified me.
I thought Duncan and Nha took so much interested pictures, I hear sound of AK right far on my left, just on the road recently passed. The moment passed quickly, and my thoughts drifted back to reality. Although We used to hear them like a music rock and roll [because too far from us] This road on my left side will be crossing a shallow spring, I heading the helo to closer it, due to the thick and tall trees parallel both side will be great for the need natural obstacles. We peeled through the road crossing a creek, it seemed two parallel references wild-creepers bounding the equal distances, some knots with red color rags hanging on it…the truck driver just driving in the middle of two references line on the bridge submerged with water on the stone-rocks, preventing driver disorientated out of track. Oh no! Beyond the spring appeared a thatched bunker, I saw a person wore a short pant proceeding to the bank of spring, another guy laundry in plashed water. They don’t have enough time to see us, so why they won’t welcome by rattling AK? At last, we were passing very safety. Now we passed on the un-thick barren-woods with shrub branches and bushes. Oh! Not woods! A plot of land NVA used for growing vegetables, some corns, some rows of potatoes, yucca cassava… I am sure that U.2 or R.F 101 photos couldn’t discovered these things like sheer our own eyes. There were very strange in Vietnam War’s history! But right in the middle of the plot appeared a ‘scared-crow’ worn NVA uniform. But the hen-parrot didn’t scare this NVA uniform they together celebrated in free-eating.
Now this road will crossed a dry-weather spring. The scene was so different, everything so calm, no wild creepers for references, emerged on the same level of the dirty road with perfect arranged stone-rocks joined two banks of the spring; so We could considered it like ‘emerged-bridge’, and it seemed unharmed for us with no guard-bunkers.
Now we started at flat, grassy bottom of valley and so open, it was eerie. Keeping razed-flight, my right side was Aloui’ abandoned airfield and two ghost camps haunted the valley floor with major new road connected to north Laotian. With no choice, I must heading helo to the west of Laotian concealed in mountain. Though, there were not hot like at forward operation base 559 Group (Oscar Eight) but over-here I flown any altitude, even very low on the flat, grassy bottom will easy been shooting down, because both sides of valley so numerous antiaircraft batteries standby we couldn’t escape. However they were thought all tactical fighter aircrafts will come from the east. Technically, with my experience, it isn’t surprising since burrowed deep into the both side hills of valley, defended by batteries of antiaircraft guns were always in alert. Geographically, NVA established all AAA batteries at east-flank hill. So I made decision fly on the far west side of the valley.

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 12-22-2010, 08:02 PM

My spy-pilot life

NVA’s Trap was usually wide, clear LZ: Down here, once I looked for missing SOG men. Shining Brass operation were the most consistently dangerous SOG missions, not just because recon-teams went behind enemy lines into an area bristling with antiaircraft guns, but because the enemy could lie in ambush for them. The enemy often turned on a captured pilot’s survival radio’s beeper or laid out his marker panel to draw rescue aircraft into a trap. In some cases, a North Vietnamese soldier would don a captured pilot’s flight-suit and helmet, fore pen flares and wave, then collapse. When a rescue Queen-Bee came in to get him, it was blown to bits by antitank rockets: B.40, or B.41. In several instances SOG Shining Brass were aborted at the last minute when a downed pilot managed to slip an odd word or two into his radio conversation, tipping off his rescuers that he was in enemy hands. Before inserted an infiltration team we had a special agreement of secret gestures by hands or foots while Queen Bee made approach to the LZ [the trap was usually wide and clear LZ].
I recalled from a hovering Queen Bee into thick Laotian jungle above few recon-men wounded, give some sense of what our crew flight personnel faced. “When you get out of a H.34, rescue helicopter, knowing that you’re going to rappel down and you cannot see anything but the tops of trees ; you have no idea what’s down at the bottom of those trees or underneath that canopy waiting for you”. But there was no option.
Once the rescue-team was on the ground, heavy antiaircraft fire might drive away the Queen Bee. A Green Beret medic who rappelled onto a crash site tied his rope to a tree to prevent my helicopter’s departure; which was only sick humor, since my crew chief Sergeant Vàng could cut the line in a second.
Now, over this odd-rough-terrain, I had to change the tactical flight. Hurry up I radioed to my crew chief:
“Take out two hatched emergency-windows at left side…Now we change tactical flying position attitude.”
“Let them know, Duncan and Nha moved to left side at windows for taking snapshot!” Because at the barrier flank from east of Ashau Valley having many kind of AAAs like 12.7mm, 14.5mm, 23mm, 37.mm, 57mm, 75mm, 85mm; Keep heading 155 degree to Atep-Tabat. However we were still following up along the Ashau Airfield and its ghost camp. We could easy figured them out among the green of jungle up to the hills, appeared scattering some fresh pink earth like the mouth of frog [AAA’s bunkers]. Now we were flying over the barren hill. Abruptly the terrain changed likely the end of the hills-relief. Spontaneously, I dive the helo to the right down to flat floor valley. The enemy had lined the mountain valley with 20 antiaircraft artillery pieces and thousands of automatic weapons, making it a deadly flak trap for the slow-moving H-34s. Other hostile troops had surrounded the ghost-haunted Ashau Camp and were continuously raking it with automatic-weapons fire from the surrounding hills. The tops of the 1,500-foot hills were obscured by an 800-foot ceiling, we’re flown under tunnel, limiting aircraft maneuverability and forcing pilots to operate within range of hostile gun positions, which often were able to fire down on attacking aircraft.
Actually, everything scared in my eyes, my right landing gear seemed to crash on antiaircraft position, my mind was in panic situation, and main rotor-blades might cut the antenna wires. I can see the antenna pylons scattered with straight bamboo antennas too. Now I can see the liked big frog’s red mouth with the fresh red earth curbed around bunkers. We could see one North Vietnamese soldier wore military-T-shirt, he did know we are here. Two barren cannons great guns were up to sky, why they were not bounding twisted around by wild-creepers look like we had passed recently over them? I thought we should have valuable pictures of both from Duncan and Nha above just 30 feet but so ‘sorry’ no gunners on the platform-spot. In this West-frank of valley was less AAAs than East frank. We could see numerous of ‘Red mouth Frogs in the far eastern. We all were panic in wishing the gunners on the far-east frank didn’t see our camouflage Queen Been because we are the unwelcome-guests and in their down-wind from the sea-breeze. They couldn’t see and hear from us.
Still maintain at right side of valley, many roads wandering to southeast but the color dark gray muddy. Despite they are, I was still keeping far away from them but frequently cast on eyes follow them. Because not some but thousand enemy eyes followed us, they could figured out where we are not due to the camouflage Queen-Bee but than a engine droning nearer, hoping NVA didn’t heard us because the wind from the ocean flew strong velocity to the West mountain rank.
Now we discovered two oxen-carts camouflaged with green leave bushes proceeding south, I managed little bit closer for observation. There were not oxen-carts but human being pulled them. Two persons bent bandy-legged behind heavy loads trudged up to slope. How we can tell peoples in South Vietnam believed that scene? We are afraid come closer and so we didn’t care what the hell inside of the carts. Two carts were just intruding in the tall reed grass.
Now we are out of Ashau-Valley reaching at high land Atep-Tabat closer Laotian border, all roads joined together formed single road but smaller, hard for follow up. Right away I headed helo to that easy-missed-road which was trans-color back like a Red-Snack wandering in the woods. We were worry missed her, so our ‘ten-eyes’ concentrated on that. The tri-canopies of jungle concealed her for a while and completely unseeing it. Once again I follow the own pattern procedure how to search her, I take 30 degree to right first, about 3 minutes and take 60 degree left… Eventually we find her. I am flown closer and frequently contact flight with her, enemy don’t have enough time for shooting us. We are at west Bach-Ma (French White-Horse resort for R and R) about 15 miles. The road appeared very clear under the sun being hard and slicing through the noon haze. Heavy activities were beneath a green forest, everywhere were clear and flat high plateau-land. It was eerie! How altitude, position, what flight maneuvers, reactions prevented the helo get hit by ground fires? That’s big question in my mind always obsess me.
Repeated-factor applications were the only method: accelerated airspeed, flight razing-mode pattern, sometime the helo would hit the ground or trees. At this point, we knew, we were no longer invincible. We could feel our hearts thumping in our chest for long, in the wished swift-space of few minutes passing. As for me, even though I was trying to convince myself not to worry about it, those images of helo shot-down would continue to ambush my mind.
In-front of us, now so many roads appeared concurrent to a village, county? I keep followed a broader road in the right side closer the heavy woods. If I felt so much risk, I would turn to hide over natural obstacle (woods). Once again, I see one person bent bandy-legged behind heavy loads trudged down that path. Suddenly, we found out one strip parallel with that road emerged a line-pipe it seemed POL from northwest to southeast. That we guessed it! Now we detected so many big and small houses scattered along both side of a small spring. They were military quarters or cargo depots? Who know? Theaters, auditoriums…Oh! Oh they were playing ‘volley-ball’, crowded spectators peoples down there. Automatically, I increased airspeed though I was used in almost maximum engine power.
But everything sound completely quite. Because they were enjoyed the volley ball game, and do not have enough time for reaction. We were just passed the very hot spot, but quite, nothing happened…now the atmosphere became fresher, I began to feel a bit comfortable with this situation. I had a good view from the helo cockpit, but there were just too many of things must worry. Our mission was not accomplished yet. That moment passed quickly, now my thoughts drifted back to reality. I reduced airspeed to normal RPM, and followed the single road to south like never left a sweet-lover behind, but hoping not for my whole life?
Ahead, there were a numerous squared heaps of earth. What that? Opened ammunition depots? Down there showed-up many crossing-roads in zic-zac around many large bamboo and thatch-houses. Right in the middle located a biggest house, on the thatch-roof that we see covering by the green color nylon, for what? For preventing rain shower or made reference point for us not get lost in orientation? The fearless calm me like the hell. Oh I do know they were busy for watching volley game.
Right here, recently the Yards in a recon-team discovered a huge of heaps rocket-missiles 122mm and 107mm Katyusha, made from Soviet Union, and 140mm China made for target Danang Air Base, but bitterly the yards just took snaps pictures, not authorized to destroy them? That why CIA hired montagnard tribe-men not our patriots Vietnamese like LLDB [Vietnamese Green Berets] Though disadvantage in operation, the CIA-funded Mountain Scouts penetrated Laos, however, these courageous but illiterate. Montagnard tribe-men could not comprehend map reading and couldn’t associate what they discovered with a recordable location. However the crucial purpose was that they are absolutely to obey CIA orders. Because this is a scam war-game for credit-interest of two super powers; instead of the sacrifice of both peoples in South and North. The tragedy initiated by U.S Company Dynasty. These 122mm rockets were the unwished gifts to Danang habitants who wouldn’t accept these gifts as a token of their scam. How long that last the protracted war was terminated? The mastermind of Averell Harriman and Bushes calculated in the secret-plan of crammed “Pennsylvania-Game” likely coaches that Kissinger was in position quarterback, and Donald Rumsfeld was linebacker.
Meanwhile U.S forces and South Vietnam forces have searching and killing enemy, in contrarily CIA protected them, and nurtured the war, except CIA, William Colby’s pro-government but not on the counterespionage side. Their goals might: U.S forces must having “combat-training”, and CIA concerned “American First”, welfare-imperialist? Between creditor and debtor: U.S and Soviet.

I must relax little bit, I let my copilot took control. For years as spy pilot experience, this area was nothing to snap, all the thick tri-canopies jungle without any human clue activities.
“You get it…and managed flown whatever Duncan and Nha could easier snap-photos”
I smiled and turned the control over to Hao. That’s O.K, as my copilot usually to fly little bit higher than me. “Oh no sweat, none eerie down there” I said. But too long I had no reservations about letting Hao fly the machine. He was not only a fanatic about mission preparation, but a damn good stick as well. Tomorrow I will check him out for become an Aircraft commander of Project-Delta force; the final test flight examination was “autorotation at night without landing light in the condition 30% moon-light.”
Abruptly, a flock about thousand parrots projected up from below foliages, few of them get kill by main rotor, theirs feathers bleeding dropped down on my windshield.
“You’re a wicked-wizard” I yelled high voice for pumped out the unrefined air staying too long in my lung, instead of should be taking new batch some another fresh pure air in the atmosphere. In the cockpit, I start a first cigarette of the day, I feel so exhausted, but maintained these precious moment to comfort myself. I remember today I forget say prayed as my wife often to remind me the must for every mission like read in check-list procedure before take off or landing.
The sun was shining and most of the fog had burned off. The big blades above were continued spinning created the monotonous sound, a dull uniformity. I would like go to my bed now! But how can. Yet in spite of my sometimes obsessive personality, for a special operations pilot who should have been at the point of the spear. I felt like I’d just had my wings clipped. At that very moment I was supposed to be flying a Queen Bee on a lightning raid into the heart of Oscar-Eight [559 Group headquarter] The brothers enemy were always trying to shot me down meanwhile I was just to defend the South Vietnam’s sovereignty. In fact we are not enemy, both of us from north and south, were really the “venal new-legions” by two super power of Soviet and U.S but neocolonialism both Communism and imperialism binding with their war production. They needed to resolve blowing-out in liquidation all delete war materials in this dumped-area. “Oh God, this axis of evil will not find a safe haven here!

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 12-28-2010, 08:06 PM

My spy-pilot life

(Conflict between the acting and permanent Government) Abrupt down-draft wind made me came back to reality, the river below us, there was Ben Giang and far east at right bank of river was Ben-Hien, there were a old French ‘out-post 6’ near to Laotian border to the ‘out-post Ro’ on the Route 14. The French built this route for explored timbers and intercepted in dissolution the revolution of Can-Vuong’s Revolution-Movement.
Today, we have the chances flying passed two revolution-movement’s cradles: one was at northeast Mt Coroc, north of DMZ, at Lap-Cap Pass. The King Ham-Nghi revolted-movement, there’re a cradle buried with jewel-gold; and below here, there was a smuggle traffic of opium and gold from Laos to Thuong Duc County.
Now, the terrain below us, with my spy flying experience, I must take the control and fly lower keeping farther the bank of river, and followed a small foot-path sometimes wider, and twist narrower. The ground level was easy up to slope appearing a big plot with a lot parallel furrows. On there were mixed in various vegetable, plus corn and potatoes, yucca casava…Under a big tree-shadow, some stored cargo-houses were there, I should be sure that there’re the NVA locations But the crop was the most evil state due to the flock of starving wild-parrot frequent food-attacked; even though there were having two scare-crows worn military uniforms but hungry parrots didn’t mind scared.
NVA’ units had excellent psychological-warfare forward to the montagnard tribe-men, so why they keep isolating far from montagnard neighboring; these terrains though at high level but so much evidences NVA’ activities, a small foot-path became wider road by setting down of thousands…thousand of a foot. Now the foot-path crossing by a ‘monkey-bridge’ (a bamboo-made bridge bound together by bamboo skin strings, they didn’t use nail down there. I was sure Duncan who never forgot took picture this bamboo bridge, clear enough with 35 meters high). Beyond the hill were numerous new-bamboo-houses located arrangement both-side of the small spring. There were easy to distinguish between house of tribeswomen and NVA. Because the houses of tribesmen were old and arranged on a village with I uniform shape, and the floor house above the ground level 7 feet, underneath they raised poultry, hogs, cattle…And they raised the crop specific only corn, or yucca cassava, or rows of sweet potatoes…They didn’t need to conceal them by camouflage.
Now we’re flown over a crop-plot of tribe-men. For thousands of years the montagnard had practiced the primitive agricultural technique of downing trees, then burning them to fortify the soil with ash; that’s only the fertile substance; they’d grow row crops there until they’d exhausted the nutrients, then move on and do it again, leaving a patchwork of squarish clearings at various stages of re-growth across the countryside. These snap-shots, Duncan should have explanation the differences between NVA and tribesmen row crop plots to Captain Richarson, operation executive officer.
The abandoned Chalang out post was deep in the intersection of creeks surrounded by grassy hills. I recalled in summer 1962, three unmarked H.34 that engaged operation “hit and run” at the first light of the day, were air-assault landing from three crest-ends of creek; three killer-teams had intent to capture NVA general Nguyen-Don but failed. After 7 minutes, we got a general NVA fatigues, one jean pant, and some condoms…my landing gear touch-down on the new unknown grave melee in row yucca cassava trees. Now, there was D-1 Binh-Tram [sanctuary], only about 20 miles northwest of Kham-Duc, where Laotian highway 165 almost reached the South Vietnamese border. In the northern of two recon-teams was authorized to operate in. Recently, the rockets and mortars pounding the Marine and Air Force installations at Danang, it was suspected, came from this D-1, Binh Tram [NVA troop sanctuary]

On 18, October American newspapers were reporting the 1st Air Cavalry Division’s violent clash with the NVA 66th and 33d Regiment in the Ia Drang Valley, the first major U.S ground combat of the war. But no one would read about the momentous, top-secret doings that day at Kham-Duc [Shining Brass] this is the first U.S in a very just “combat-training” according from the masterminded of wise-man A Harriman. Who knew his anticipation standpoint? And so why General Westmoreland managed the Vietnam’s War was uncertain of its objectives.
In front of us, a devastation-jungle appeared a grey-marshy road, few Molotova-Trucks in muddy stuck. Crowded peoples there, they unloaded from truck to buffalo-carts, beyond a bull-dozer with huge exhaust straight on the sky might stuck in the muddy too. From a red-road color stemming from many grey-mud-roads, we saw many tree-trunks emerged on marsh. Beyond the muddy, some Molotovas were proceeding very slowly with heavy loads to up slope, disappeared under the woods’ foliage shadow. We were swiftly flying over, no one having enough time for seeing our scared-faces, but I did think Duncan and Nha were so busy for their duties!
Now we were over an abandoned Dak-Prau out-post located at altitude 4.500 feet, at the left side near Laotian border, the highest mountain of the South Vietnam was Mt Ngoc-Linh at the top level (6200 feet) too many helicopters crashed over there due the high-velocity turbulent weather. I had two complete crew members of the elite-Queen-Bee were perishable crashed over there, included Master Sergeant Ralph-Reno, Staff Sergeant Donald Fawcett, and operational officer Captain Edwin McNamara. We found out all remains, except only Ralph Reno. Our chopper-pilots called “the Evil Triangle” over here.

*****************
Conflict between the acting and permanent Government
Because Harriman was not close to President Lyndon B Johnson, the most problem was political conflict the least US foreign policy. Thereby right after Johnson took office, and in March/1964 he was given charge of African affairs at Department of State, and next year he was appointed ambassador at large. Johnson would like keeping him out of his sight; because such as his vice-president position, Johnson knew who killed Kennedy (In the photo with Diem, Johnson explained to Senator Humbert Humphrey “We are involved an assassination this man…now this happened right here!” Harriman is noted for supporting Cabot Lodge the coup against President Diem in 1963 on behalf of the number Three-post of the State Department; President Johnson’s confession in the assassination of President Diem could indicate some complicity on W. A. Harriman’s part. Till 2005 in the book “The secret History of CIA”, high officer in CIA, confirmed, William R. Corson confessed by from Harriman secret order”.
So Harriman’s Super-highway [HCM’ Trail] was well developed due to refusing to approve by himself, none-authorized incursion against enemy sanctuaries in Laos. Theoretically, although Hanoi still denied it had a single soldier in Laos, by October 1965 its security, engineer and logistics troops there numbered at least 30,000 not to mention an additional 4,500 men passing through each month on their way to South Vietnam. About two hundred truckloads of supplies rolled down the Ho Chi Minh Trail monthly, and by the fall of 1965 the U.S Air Force already knew the enemy had spun its 900-miles road system the length of Laos, all the way to South Vietnam’s Central Highlands. On 2 October 1965, fresh U-2 photos disclosed new roads in Laos, while other aerial photos included our helicopter H-34 flown on treetop seeing new truck traffics, and discovering few emerged and submerged stones-bridges passing over. In contrast 1959 till 1963 were very few activities that I had flown many missions along Ho Chi Minh Trail. NVA build construction on surface road, by a group combined 30 to 40 persons, carrying a weave basket from strings of bamboo threading; inside basket with soil, stones, rock, and may be grass, foliage… to fill the holes of low level (In 1978, I did the so called route construction hard labor when I was a POW at near Vietnam/China border) That the way’ NVA road construction. And beside on it, a French made-bulldozer at War War-1 with the big and tall straight exhausted-chimney had been passed by back and forth. In flight low altitude passed over in posture of view bird, a hasty snapshot at a moving scene that we couldn’t distinguish male or female workers under their flat-hats.

By a long-standing interests in U.S-Soviet relations, Harriman’s conviction that He knew how to deal with Soviet in the so ridiculous craps ‘CIP and NLF’; it was fashionable the then so called ‘National Liberation Front’ assigned for favor Soviet (The Soviet Union of course desire to see Communist established at an early date in Laos and South Vietnam, and would regard this development as opening up new opportunities in the area of Southeast Asia as a whole) According a North Vietnamese history published in 1994 also emphasized the importance of the Laotian corridor. [Harriman protected it with any price for his prejudicial standpoint ‘axiom 1’ means abolition GVN] By January 1971, read this account, “ the supplies stored by the various troop supply stations (the Binh-Tram) of Group 559 in the campaign’s area of operations had risen to 6,000 tons, which together with the High Command’s supply reserves was sufficient to support between 50,000 and 60,000 troops in combat for four or five months. In addition, more than 30,000 tons of supplies were stored in Group 559’s warehouses along the strategic transportation corridor” [that means during General Westmoreland was on charge Vietnam War as field commander, no allies troop were there, except the Strategic Air Command carpeted the bombardment campaigns with real meaning ‘Rolling-Thunder’(only demolition plans for plotting prudently the farsightedness “International Super Highway” to Indochina network World system, according NVA colonel Bui Tin in his diary: Route 559 damaged at 0,18%, less than one percent) But sure not like so much different with ‘Linebackers’ later on in 1972. Commented Lt General Dave Palmer perceptively: “Linebacker was not Rolling Thunder”- It was real war. And again the Hanoi agreed. “This war was different than the first war of destruction,” observed a history of PAVN, contrasting Linebacker with the Rolling Thunder campaign earlier in the war. So why general Giap was relieved even though this time the enemy massed larger forces and made massive attacks right from the first day of operation, their intent to launch the Easter Offensive on March 30, 1972 was completely fail.
It’s a coincidence, the truth was itself demonstrated: early March 1972, Soviet General Pavel Batitski was in Hanoi to assess (inventory) NVA request for military support. While fierce ground fights were raging along the DMZ, in the Central Highlands, and on the approaches to Saigon. This time the NVA massed larger force, using many types of modernized technical weapons and equipment. Right after Soviet General Batitski left Hanoi. At noon, on 30 March 1972 the long-anticipated NVA offensive began in Military Region 1 with widespread attacks by fire. By midnight about 4,000 rounds of mortar, 122mm rockets, and 122mm, 130mm, and 152mm artillery fire had inundated friendly fire bases across the front. In contrast with hindsight, by December/30 1972, after eleven days of B.52 attacks on Kham Thien, Hanoi. They fired 1,242 SAM and had none left. And that is why? Of course, Soviet and United States actually got a conspiracy of silence, peace agreement in January which had been under pressure of these Two Super-Powers. (China washed away by the Soviet Union) This is a debut at prepared movement in which Soviet Union would take over her influence all three countries in Indochina peninsular.
Meanwhile, because of the expansion of the battlefield [into Cambodia] NVA requirement for combined arms combat operations demanded the transportation of an ever-increasing quantity of supplies and technical equipment. So how do you think the U.S Seventh Fleet’ radar couldn’t able detected 759 Naval-Group smuggling supplies, the small-boats [PRC made] navigated to Sihanoukville? However, CIA clearance let ARVN destroyed Three boats of Navy Group 759th in decent-interval three different spots equivalent interval-distance for seeing good in logic-looking; such as one in further south at Camau, 1962; one in the northern near DMZ, 1972; and one right in middle Bay Vung Ro, north Nha-Trang 1965.
Now, NVA’ supplies overwhelming over top of every sanctuaries; and a clearance for the Cambodian incursion there was also no longer any doubt as to the importance of Sihanoukville to the NVA. The forces conducting that operation captured large quantities of confirmatory documents, including ship’s bills of lading and trucking company records that laid out all the incriminating detail. In the past situation gave NVA forces almost free rein in that country, and of course Cambodia and Laos had been used for years as sanctuaries for NVA forces, routes for the infiltration of men and material, and base camps providing a full range of support, including medical, logistical, and training facilities. At the same time, the advent of the Lon-Nol’ government resulted in closing Sihanoukville Harbor, and renamed Kompong Som Harbor, to the enemy, throwing supply back on the Ho Chi Minh Trail as his sole line of communication for all forces in the South. That in turn both concentrated the interdiction target and made the enemy more determined to protect his remaining line of communication under the ROE’ umbrella for their scam. Given the scattering of North Vietnam troop’s logistic traffic, the interdiction tactics of the past no longer seemed sufficient. “The dispersal factor has been accomplished perfectly.” Molotova-Trucks in dim light move at night [according under the umbrella of ROE] they move to one place, stay and hide, unload, then pick-up another truck and move on down, hiding in the canopy, so it’s just an extremely difficult problem”. To overcome those tactics, the Seventh Air Force decided to create choke points, areas that could not be avoided and through which they would make it almost impossible to move, and forget the rest. All this was a part of the aerial interdiction campaign aimed at the enemy’s logistics offense, but…only CIA selected target, the pilots just push a button to drop bombs.
On the basis of circumstantial evidence, the small group of young officers, may be included Lieutenant John-Kerry, working under General Alexander Haig in the White-House, part of Kissinger’s National Security Council staff, seems the likely source. Perhaps Haig himself was the principal author, a prospect congruent with his later involvement in and reaction to the operation. This like a relay-control box directed by Permanent Government – Company-dynasty as the masterminded brains of a coach George H.W Bush, the grit of Donald Rumsfeld a linebacker, but every member of the team-work had to have the skills of Henry Kissinger a quarterback. These were the ultimate team work effort.
Four key-targets were chosen, each a rectangle measuring one by two kilometers and sited at one of the prime input areas used by the enemy: (1) the Mu-Gia Pass, (2) the Ban Karai Pass, (3) the Ban Raving Pass, and (4) an area just west of the DMZ. A series of new sensor fields using improved technology was installed, and upgraded drones with higher altitude capability were going to be used to monitor the sensors. The target boxes were scheduled to get 27 B.52 sorties (9 Box B.52) a day and 150 tactic air sorties, sufficient to ensure ordnance arriving every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, for the next 60 days. The risk, said CIA, was that “we’re putting the B.52 right up in the SAM envelope” the area the enemy had covered with surface-to-air missiles. The bombing would be impressively supplemented by E.C-130B gunship, including this year B-57G’s, old airplanes given a new life and a new mission with the addition of multiple sensor capabilities in secured watch out once untamed Hanoi undisciplined.
Infiltration of enemy troops was being tracked closely. For most of 1970 it had been running at about 60% of the previous year’s numbers, then in late October that changed dramatically. CIA briefed on 19 infiltration groups headed for COSVN and due to arrive in February, along with 17 gap groups. General Abrams was told: “when we fill in the gap groups? That comes up to 14,450 moving into the COSVN area in one month. This is an all-time high since back in 1968”. It appeared that the manpower to match the enemy’s vigorous logistical offensive was now on the move. So they seem to be able to work on the roads, keep the trucks going, still fire the anti- aircraft, still move the supplies, and unload and load it, backpack it, and all that. So I would say that they’re right on schedule. I don’t think it means that somehow they’re going to screw it up.
When all supplies was completely O.K in the South from DMZ, Harriman’s staffs produced “The Rules Of Engagement” twining with the use of those forces still in Vietnam, was further curtailed by what was known as “The Cooper-Church” amendment to the defense appropriations bill, a measure denying funds for U.S ground force operations in Laos and Cambodia. (Which bore their names by Kentucky Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper, and Idaho Democrat Senator Frank F Church) progressively with “Case-Church” amendment later says that South Vietnam must do nothing. No military equipment, no American forces, nada, zip. And finally with the scam as the same Iraq-War in seeking a remedy for: “That exhausted the patience of the American people” and gave pressure on Congress forced withdraw combat troop after the project of WIB had done while been inventory. “Of course the Congress holds the purse strings.”

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 12-30-2010, 02:41 PM

My spy-pilot life

The Cruel April, 1975: Saigon Fall: Thereby, this left the enemy’s sanctuaries and lines of communication once again safe from American interference, this time by Congressional action influenced by Harriman overlapped to next wise-men’s generation including Bushes, and Bush’s senior staffs as: Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Cheney, Theodore Shackley…formed WSAG (Washington Special Acting Group) to the end by “the cruel April-1975”—Saigon fall.
Meanwhile, the enemy was contemplating his next round of dry season operations with overwhelming supplies. That was one thing. But there was something else, much more extensive and perhaps more risky, in the minds of Harriman’s staff-planners, a thrust into Laos to interrupt the enemy’s buildup of supplies and perhaps preempt his planned offensive. Much earlier in the war, when he still had an abundance of American troops and firepower, Abrams as same as Westmoreland, had looked hungrily at the enemy’s cross-border base camps. “You know!” He told the staff, “We would really have this thing by the neck if it wound up all being conducted in Laos, fighting over the goddamn caches. That’d be the climax of the interdiction. A lot of it smashed up en route and all that, and then finally when they get down there at the end of the line, we move in and scarf it up! It could have quite…ah!” That was in the spring of ‘Monkey-year’ 1969, two years earlier, and a lot had changed since then.
Now “Cooper-Church” 1970 amendment leashed his ground forces, American troops had in any case been drawn down by more than 200,000 and all the emphasis was on passing the burden of the war to the South Vietnamese (a continuous troop rotation withdraws for saving many Airlines avoided bankruptcy likewise during in second’s Iraq War)
This situation gave enemy forces almost free rein in that country, and of course Cambodia and Laos had been used for years as sanctuaries for enemy forces, routes for the infiltration of men and material, and base camp providing a full range of support, including medical, logistical, and training facilities. I recalled when I had been attending at Maxwell Air University, Montgomery, Alabama 1967. Every coffee break times, too many classmates asked me so various question about Vietnam War…What I thought of the war…? The immensity of the war at that time was too much for me to respond accurately their questions. And I recall telling them that:
“I thought it made no sense to try to defend South Vietnam so long as the border areas of Laos and Cambodia were conceded to the enemy. I had no quarrel with resisting the spread of communist governments, but I could see no strategy being applied that had prospects of success.
Nevertheless, I remember telling the interviewers that my patriotism was stronger than my unhappiness about poor leadership” But now I knew by policymaker as Permanent Government.

Suddenly, the Changing Nature of the War, presented at a commanders conference in mid-April, it began with this observation: “The nature of the military conflict in South Vietnam has been under change since Tet-Offensive of 1969 or General Abrams took over from General Westmoreland. In my vision that was to another period between US combat troop “coming” and now beginning “withdraw” such as from “Search and Destroy” now “Clear and Hold” for withdrawing. Although shifts in the level of violence, type of military operations, and size and location of forces involved are characteristics of this change, the allied realization that the war was basically a political contest has, thus far, been decisive”. Abrams had not lost track of the importance of that lifeline. When Director of Central Intelligence, Richard Helms (George H W Bush always behind him in the reign of second Skull and Bones generation, aiming for a plot to Watergate’ scandal) visited Vietnam, Seventh Air-Force commander General Lucius Clay described his job of the moment as carrying out instructions given him by general Abrams “He wants that Ho Chi Minh Trail in such a shape that a crow has to carry his rations to fly over it!”
That task was now more difficult due to the drawdown of U.S forces and budget constraints. Two years earlier, General Clay recalled, some 30,000 sorties a month were available for use throughout Southeast Asia. Now that was down to 14,000 sorties (only 45%) Meanwhile, the enemy had expanded his road and trail network, which gave him many more options in movement of supplies to the South, and increased antiaircraft defenses along Harriman’s Super-Highway (Ho Chi Minh Trail) Thus it was planned that 70% of the air effort would be applied against enemy lines of communication during the dry season offensive and, for the first time, all available B.52 would be used almost exclusively in the Laos interdiction campaign. The successes achieved in pacification and security within South Vietnam made this approach viable.
Increasingly threatening North Vietnamese air defense now brought the complex of “Rules Of Engagement” into even greater prominence. These prescriptions or more often restrictions governed where and under what circumstances aircraft could retaliate, what forces could be employed in the DMZ and for what purposes, and a range of other situation. According axiom 1, based on Harriman doctrine on a “strongman side” of war-game, ridiculously, one bitter but insightful joke of the day was that the reason the Air-Force used two-seater aircraft was so one man could fly and the other could read him the Rules Of Engagement. Deception replaced coherence.
During these later years a common practice was for MACV to request, often in advance of anticipated enemy offensive, certain “authorities” which were often temporary relaxation of existing Rules Of Engagement. “It may be necessary to hammer at Washington planners again about our authority in the southern half of the DMZ” where they were allowed to operate only with very small elements, General Abrams observed in May-1969. He also foresaw the need to request authority to use B.52 in the DMZ. “It that goddamn artillery outfit is going to have a wingding on Ho Chi Minh’s birthday, may be the day before we’ll have Roosevelt Day or something and run B.52s through there to help the 84th or whatever it is get ready”.
General George Brown, noting that the Rules Of Engagement permitted his air crews to strike enemy installations from which they had taken fire, said, “We’re trolling all the time”. What the Seventh Air Force commander meant was that they were running aircraft in with the expectation that they would be shot at, thereby permitting them to unload on the enemy missile and gun emplacements. “We can always entice them into shooting at us”. General Brown affirmed. Sometimes, though, that proved too dangerous a tactic. In March 1970, MACV reported, F.105- Thunder-chiefs targeted against an interdiction point on Route 7, east of Ban Ban in the Laos panhandle were fired on by four surface-to-air missiles. The aircraft took evasive action and thus suffered no damage, (this case designed for war-game between air-defense and counter… for pilot practiced training) but as a result of the incident instructions were issued prohibiting operations within the SAM envelope. Unfortunately that action also ruled out strikes against the best interdiction point on Route 7. It has been determined that none to cut cargo carrier system off from struck into enemy due to the existence to ‘nurture a protracted war’ or let enemy supplies continue flooding to South – what a ridiculous war! No, the WIB’ ambitious was exploited how to take evasive action test by sophisticated sensor-electronic-devices, when the pilots heard in his helmet sounds like: “SAM… SAM … SAM” reacted rough jerky-turns to escape. I dare said a plot for nurture to war-protraction in the axis of evil scam.
When this was briefed to General Abrams, he reacted heatedly. “The Air Force does not have the authority to attack that site, even when it’s fired at, right?” He asked General George Brown.
“No, No, sir! We can’t attack that!” General Brown confirmed.” Under those circumstances” said Abrams, “I just don’t see how you can call on people to go up there to work. That’s the whole point in this thing, the lack of authority to attack that damn site, or any other site up there in that area that opened up on you. Of course, we’ve tried to get the authority, and I’ll be goddamned if I understand why we can’t, because the photo recon guys that go in North Vietnam, they can attack anybody that shoots at them from North Vietnam.” Also we couldn’t attack the site have been installed air surface missile because few Soviet technician at work; we can’t attack, MIG on the parking lot or moving in taxiway unarmed, unprovoked and even on the air with Soviet instructor pilot being training or unequipped fire power. Who know…who tell? The secret agreement with China and Soviet wasn’t military and industry targets that are not the objectives because their personnel in there.
Referring acidly to comments by the Pentagon press secretary on the matter, General Abrams said: “All this crap about we can take whatever action’s required to protect our own forces, protective reaction, all kind of great patriotic speeches have been made about that! And if the principle doesn’t apply here, I’ll be damned. Of course, I suppose there are policy questions that I don’t know about. Anyway, I must say, from a rigid parochial position, this is very difficult to understand”. So as, have seen we, even generals who held commands in Vietnam admitted to uncertainty of this war’s objectives?! What the hell of war?
Controversy over the Rules Of Engagement, and the application of those rules, would continue throughout the remaining years of the war. Resumption of bombing in North Vietnam on two occasions and expansion of offensive action there to mining of the key ports were among the most momentous decisions of the war, and among the most efficacious. Meanwhile, North Vietnam for a number of years enjoyed a rear base spared the ravages of war.

North Vietnam “double-cross”, Colonel Bui-Tin maintains that, despite all the allied effort, North Vietnamese mediatorated: “operations were never compromised by attacks on the trail” Even though B.52 attacks sometimes caused major damage, he admitted, “We put so much in at the top of the trail that enough men and weapons to prolong the war always came out at the bottom”.
However, much of the allied air activity that occasioned these concerns had to do with interdiction of the enemy’s logistical offensives. At MACV there was respect and even compassion for the enemy’s tireless efforts to move the goods. When an intercept revealed that two transportation battalions supporting a way station on the trail had only 58 operable trucks out of the 133 assigned. A deadline rate of about 56%, General Frank Mildren, deputy commander of U.S Army, Vietnam sized that up. “Well, you know,” he observed, “We have a hell of a time maintaining better than 70% in hard surfaced motor pools, lighted conditions, shed to work under, goddamn, all the support they get. And these poor guys are out in the woods getting bombed, driving over lousy roads in the dark-night. I’m surprised if they keep 50% or 60% running. That would be pretty good under those conditions.
What interested Abrams most about all this was what the enemy intended, “You’re got a story going around that he’s opted for protracted war” he reminded at a June 1970 WIEW “You don’t need all this tonnage for a protracted war. We’ve got a lot of things here that just don’t add up! Either we’ve been kidding ourselves before, or something. How about this protracted war, and then here’s all this damn tonnage?” Before that question could be resolved, it was time to anticipate the enemy’s next dry season campaign and the logistics offensive preparatory to it. Countering that would be more difficult, in part because the complex of roads in use by the enemy had expanded dramatically, from 750 kilometers as recently as 1966 to 3,700 kilometers in 1970, and work continued on further expansion. MACV was thus faced with countering a stronger enemy effort with a reduced force. The solution was to allocate a planned 70% of fighter sorties to interdiction, a higher percentage of a smaller total than in earlier years. That meant fewer sorties would be available for South Vietnam, but it would be worth it if interdiction could really make a difference.
But there is evidence of periodic substantial success in the interdiction campaign in a history of PAVN published in Hanoi. “Because of the expansion of the battlefield [into Cambodia and Laos], our requirement for combined arms combat operations demanded the transportation of an ever-increasing quantity of supplies and technical equipment ”said this account” At the same time, however, the enemy’s AC.130B aircraft established control over and successfully suppressed, to a certain extent, our night-time supply operations. The number of Molotova-Trucks destroyed by enemy aircraft during the 1970-1971 dry season rose to 4,000 of which the AC.130B by itself destroyed 2,432 trucks (60.8 percent of the total number of trucks destroyed during a period enemy had stored overwhelming more than 30,000 tons of supplies in Group 559’s warehouses along the strategic transportation corridor) Our supply effort, conducted during a single season of the year and using a ‘single supply route’ could not respond adequately to our requirements”.
It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the enemy, especially after Sihanoukville and the southern supply route through Cambodia were closed in 1970. “It was the only way to bring sufficient power to beat on the fighting in the South” confirmed Colonel Bui Tin, and thus an absolute necessity. Of course MACV understood that reality full well, expending over the years of the war an immense effort in analysis, tactics, aircraft, sensors, ordnance, and manpower in an effort to constrict the enemy logistical flow. In the end the results seemed to mirror a famous comment, supposedly CIA’s (Richard Helms) take on the whole war “Everything worked, but nothing worked enough in the plot of WSAG’ mastermind”
General Alexander Haig [sent by the WSAG (Washington Special Action Group) to fresh-look into what was happening in the war zone] arrived in Vietnam. Haig’ some discussions with Abrams and others were prickly, his unsavory habits relentlessly political. “I’d hate like hell to think that the President Nixon was justifying his actions on faulty information, or lagging information” said Haig, voicing an implied criticism. That apparently related to Nixon’s announcement that the operation targeted COSVN headquarters. (It’s violated the ROE with his counterpart Soviet in war game?) Haig maintains, and frankly this is what he was getting from his cabinet and from the briefings we were getting, that it was ‘ambiguous’ Well, yes, agreed the MACV briefer, “It was ‘ambiguous’ at the time”. Obviously there was unhappiness in the WSAG over some procedural matter, perhaps an assessment of the North Vietnamese outlook on negotiations, even as the operation itself was proceeding admirably!
Those at MACV had their own concerns about ‘ambiguity’ and they weren’t shy about bringing them up with Haig. “We have two of your messages” he was told. “One of them says
‘go get ‘em’ and the other one says ‘hurry up and get out’. What’s it you people really want?” “Well” Haig responded, “Its go get ‘em’ until the end of the period”
Virtually on the eve of the Cambodian incursion President Nixon had announced another huge decrement of U.S forces in Vietnam, 150,000 over the next year, and Haig sought some sympathy for Nixon’s predicament from those at MACV. “What the president really wrestled with was, we were pressuring ‘for God’s sake don’t announce another troop withdrawal in the midst of this mess here’. And he said, “Well, it’s still ‘ambiguous’. I’ll go all out with 150,000,
And if Hanoi really means they want to settle, there’s some signal in that announcement”.
It was still ‘ambiguous’. Besides the Haig visit there descended upon MACV in the middle of this operation what Abrams described as “that whole goddamn flood of messages” from Washington. One suggested expansion of South Vietnamese armed forces above the 1.1 million levels that was already proving extraordinarily difficult to achieve in both manpower and budget. Another asked for a plan to reduce South Vietnamese forces 100,000 to save money. Yet another message stressed ensuring that Colonel Cavanaugh’s work was utilized in targeting the air effort. Steve Cavanaugh ran the Studies and Observation Group conducting clandestine reconnaissance and the like. “What the shit do they think we’ve been doing?” Abrams exploded. “I mean, what were we doing it for? Just to give Colonel Cavanaugh a job?
Eventually, Ho Chi Minh Trail as a sole line of communication for all forces in the South that Harriman mastermind and his next overlapped wise-men’s generation [Bushes] were to always protected the Trail. After the Cambodian incursion there was also no longer any doubt as to the importance of Sihanoukville to the enemy. The forces conducting that operation captured large quantities of confirmatory documents, including ships bills of lading and trucking company records that laid out all the incriminating detail. At the same time, the advent of the Lon Nol government resulted in closing Sihanoukville Harbor and renamed Kompong Som Harbor, to the enemy, throwing him back on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. That in turn both concentrated the interdiction target and made the enemy more determined to protect his remaining line of communication.
Crucially, on 26 January 1971 (before Operation Lam-Son 719 started) the text of an intercepted enemy message was forwarded to McCain and Abrams. “It has been determined that the enemy [South Vietnam and her allies] may strike into our cargo carrier system in order to cut it off” the document read.” Prepare to mobilize and strike the enemy hard. Be vigilant!”

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 01-05-2011, 01:46 PM

My spy-pilot life

William Colby & the Secret War: For telling the Colby’ stories, we must emphasize a ‘tactical’ triumvirate of like-minded leaders: Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, General Creighton Abrams and CIA Chief William Colby in operating the Vietnam War. However, in sharp contrast to a powerful ‘strategic-figure’ in the covert-dark commanded and controlled yet no one known him – William A Harriman, a Cold War architect, a masterminded of ‘Eurasian Great Game’, a surrogate war to Asia from Europe to Korea/Vietnam-wars and the last period of Middle Europe, or Central Asian, and also his initiator into the Skull and Bones Society, along with his deputy Prescott Bush (father and grandfather of two Bushes-presidents)
William E Colby (4 January 1920 to 28 April 1996), intelligence officer, was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the son of Elbridge Colby, an army officer and educator, and Margaret Mary Egan Colby, an ardent Catholic who guided her son in the path of that religion. William Colby was also influenced by his father’s liberal views and by the family’s peripatetic movements to locations as diverse as China and Vermont, where he studied at Burlington’s high-school. He had learned to ski as a high-school student. He attended Princeton University, where he felt himself to be an outsider, educated as he had been at public schools and presenting, at five feet, eight inches, topped by eyeglasses, the appearance of a young man unlikely to win acceptance through athletic prowess. He graduated with an A.B in 1940.
In 1941 He was voluntary joined the US Army and in 1943 the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).The OSS trained him for special missions, and he served behind enemy lines in French and Norway. In an effort to prevent German troops from being redeployed through Norway to be used against advancing Allies forces in Germany. He led the raid to destroy the ‘Tangen’ railroad bridge- a daring and spectacular success, though the bridge was soon rebuilt.
In 1944 then-Lieutenant William Colby had parachuted into Nazi-occupied French as one of the OSS’ most elite operatives, to help the Resistance disrupt German defenses behind the Normandy beaches. A year later, as head of 100-man sabotage unit, he was sabotaging Norwegian rail lines to prevent German units from reaching the Reich before its collapse.(By sympathizing the Norway-foster, He got the chance in Vietnam war trying to help this country to send personnel and P.T Nasty boat involved into the so called the incident ‘Gulf of Tonkin’?) While several of his OSS colleagues became founders of US Army Special Force, Colby joined the new postwar civilian intelligence agency, the CIA. His career progressed steadily.
In 1945 Colby married Barbara Heinzen; they had four children. He obtained a law degree from Columbia University in 1947, the same year that Congress approved the formation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). After working for a short time in a law firm, Colby in 1949 joined the new agency. He served in Stockholm (1951-1953) and then in Rome (1953-1958), where he helped to arrange the secret subsidization of political parties to prevent communist electoral victories. Most of the recipients were centrist or slightly left of center, a political alignment that proved effective in combating communism but that gave Colby the reputation of having endorsed the “opening to the Left”.

According to “Commando-Vaught” for Second Indochina Wars/1954-75, in April 1959, and “Aid to Russia 1941-46” of WIB-Bones investment (Website: VietnamGear.com, surplus C. Rations were used in both Korea and Vietnam) Thereby in 1959 to 1962, Colby, a mediator with W A. Harriman at WW-II, was now assigned station chief in Saigon, and headed the agency’s Far East division from 1962 to 1967. Then from 1968 to 1971 he directed the Phoenix program in South Vietnam, and head of the entire CIA later. According to Prados, a historian and author of 10 other books on national security, Colby thought the United States could win the war by supporting President Ngo Dinh Diem. Unfortunately the Skull and WIB Bones in the then Kennedy administration did not and encouraged the generals who overthrew and killed him and his brother. The intrigue in Washington [Harriman’s mastermind order to kill Diem] Langley and Saigon surrounding 1963 coup was a rat’s nest; Prados struggles manfully, with only partial success to penetrate it.
In Phoenix Program, which sought to identify and eliminate communist activists (The Viet Cong) at the village level. Colby felt that the program was superior to the use of military force, which he believed was too blunt an instrument and alienated the Vietnamese. Nevertheless, estimates of the number killed under Phoenix range as high as 60,000 people. (Colby put the number at 20,587). Phoenix has also been defended on relativist grounds-the Viet Cong assassinated nearly 40,000 of their enemies in the period from 1957 to 1972. But none of these arguments could prevent the program from becoming a focal point of the antiwar movement. Although Colby maintained that the deaths characteristically arose in combat and not as a result of cold-blooded murder, critics of Phoenix labeled it an assassination program and a crime against humanity. At a General Conference of the United Methodist Church held in Atlanta, the majority of delegates approved a statement calling American involvement in the Vietnam War “a crime against humanity” then rejected a resolution that would have condemned “the appetite of North Vietnam to wage cruel and inhuman war”.
After Phoenix, Colby rose within the CIA’s Washington bureaucracy, and on 4 September 1973 President Richard Nixon appointed him director of the agency. During his tenure the press and Congress turned on the CIA, accusing it of crimes and misdemeanors ranging from assassination plots to espionage against Americans at home. When in 1975 both houses of Congress set up inquiries into the activities of the intelligence community, Colby offered significant if limited cooperation. For example, he handed over to the Senate committee- chaired by Idaho Democrat Frank Church (Frank Church and New Jersey Republic Senator Clifford P Case authored an Amendment, which bore their names Case-Church Amendment of 1973 caused President Ford has his hands tied double knotted. That’s says American must do nothing. No military equipment, no American forces, nada zip – at the direction of the then Godfather George H W Bush, emperor-II of Skull and Bones Dynasty) details of the CIA’s recent operations against the left-leaning government in Chile. The agency’s attempts to sabotage the Chilean economy had contributed to the downfall of South America’s oldest democracy and to the installation of a vicious dictatorship. Colby’s candor on such matters shocked colleagues in the CIA, some of whom never forgave him for opening up the activities of what was, after all, a secret agency.
His only daughter, Catherine, had died after a painful illness in April 1973, and colleagues speculated that the tragedy unlocked what some regarded as Colby’s already overdeveloped Christian-conscience. Though he sternly denied that his daughter had opposed Phoenix, perhaps Colby did want to atone for his part in the program. It is also clear that he disapproved of certain of the CIA’s activities that he called “deplorable” and “wrong” and wanted them stopped. In any case, he realized that a display of flexibility in his dealings with Congress would increase the agency’s chances of survival.
With CIA morale at a low-ebb, Colby’s enemies began to line up. On the Left, a coalition of muckraking journalists, Vietnam War critics, and ambitious legislators refused to give him credit for attempting to open up the agency. On the Right, conservatives such as Barry Goldwater disliked Colby’s liberalism and concessions to the Church committee, Colby had become politically vulnerable, and on 30 January 1976 President Gerald Ford, under pressure of second generation of Skull and Bones, replaced him with George H W Bush (behind political platform, Godfather A Harriman was working to derail George H W Bush’s head of CIA by slotting him as director). Colby had introduced some significant reforms, such as the prohibition of assassination as instrument of national policy and the practice of informing select members of Congress about the CIA’s activities, but his intelligence career was over, because he was always on noble cause of US administration side, wasn’t on Permanent Government side. But personally, I should presume that all plan setting up above was originated by the next Skull and Bones’ generation [George H W Bush] described by Evan Thomas and Walter Isaacson.
Colby’s life continued to be eventful. In 1978 he published his memoir, “Honorable Men” in which he defended himself against the Left over Phoenix and against the Right over his decision to clear the air while director of the CIA. He was right as for the Skull and Bones, it’s seemed to me, they don’t have “Honor”, however they should have “Duty” and “Country”- In 1982, following the enactment of stringent secrecy legislation in the administration of President Ronald Reagan, the US government began proceedings against Colby for making unauthorized disclosure, in the French-language edition of his memoir, about American efforts to retrieve secret codes from a sunken Soviet submarine. His agreement to pay a $10,000 fine in an out-of-court settlement barely covered the cracks between Colby and his enemies on the Right.
In 1984 Colby divorced his first wife and married a former diplomat, Sally Shelton. He had resumed legal practice and lectured widely, taking up a new cause- the campaign for a freeze on nuclear arms. On a spring day in 1996, Colby went down to the waterfront near his weekend home in Rock Point, Maryland, and launched his canoe into a stiff breeze. Until his body was found several days later with no evident signs of foul play, the press had one more chance to speculate about the fate of a man whose manner of death seemed to conjure up the enigma of his life.
May 14 1996, the remains of former CIA Director William Colby were buried with military honors, Monday at Arlington National Cemetery. After a private service for family and friends, an urn bearing Colby’s ashes was transported by horse-drawn caisson to its final resting place in a clearing surrounded by maple and pine trees. For Tuesday, a public memorial service is scheduled at Washington National Cathedral.
Army marksmen fired a 21-gun salute, and a bugler played taps as a flag was presented to Colby’s wife, Sally Shelton-Colby. William Colby, 76, disappeared April 27 while canoeing near his Rock Point, Maryland, vacation home. His body was recovered eight days later.

From a certain contemporary press report:
Autopsy finds Colby likely collapsed before falling out of canoe: May 11, 1996.
Former CIA director William Colby died from drowning and hypothermia after apparently collapsing from a heart attack or stroke and falling out of his canoe, the state’s medical examiner said Friday. Colby’s body was found Monday after an eight-day search that included helicopters, divers, dogs and sonar equipment. Colby, who disappeared April 27 while canoeing near his waterfront home in southern Maryland, was found lying facedown in a marshy riverbank.
-An autopsy found that Colby, 76, had suffered from hardening of the arteries, Chief Medical Examiner John Smialek said in a statement.
-The death was ruled accidental, rather than from natural causes, because even though there was evidence Colby was ill before falling out of the canoe, in the final analysis it was the drowning and hypothermia that killed him, said Jeannette A Duerr, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Hypothermia is a dangerous drop in body temperature.
-No blood clots were found, although they could have dissolved during the week-long search for his body, the medical examiner said.
-Autopsy also showed that Colby had died a short time after eating, and that he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.07 percent due to having wine with dinner. No drugs were found in his system, the medical examiner said.
John DeCamp, a lawyer from Lincoln, Nebraska, and Colby’s close friend and confidant, said Colby’s death was not an accident. He stated that Colby was prepared to disclose that missing P.O.W’ were working for a dope smuggling operation orchestrated by General Colin Powell, Pentagon official Richard Armitage, and George H W Bush. This former CIA director disappeared in an apparent boating accident, and a body was later discovered (minus the life jacket, Colby’ friends, his wife as well insisted he always wore while boating).

From a contemporary press:
Former CIA director William E Colby wasn’t the sort of fellow who liked to be addressed as the Mr. Colby “Call me Bill, please,” He asked in his affable way.
In his last media interview April 23, four days before he collapsed and drowned while canoeing near his southern Maryland weekend retreat, the ex-spy chief appeared more youthful and vibrant than you might imagine a 76 year-old should look like who began his long intelligence career as a commando parachuting behind Nazi lines with the Office of Strategic Services in WW II. Nor did Colby seem beaten up by his extensive experiences in both the Vietnam War and the Cold War, two terribly different yet impossibly intertwined American conflicts.
“I’ve been lucky” Colby said, smiling modestly, insufficiently summing up on the streets of Washington his life and CIA career. It was appropriate to chat with the retired spymaster over a cup of espresso at a sidewalk café near The White House; Colby would insist on paying, of course. Besides his tenure as director of central intelligence in the early seventies, Colby may be best known as the head of the CIA’s Far East Division during the hottest period of the war in Vietnam
“I’ve defended (Phoenix) as a necessary element of the war!” Colby said: The communists, curiously enough, say it was the most effective program ever used against them…The Phoenix, I always thought, was not all that effective. But if you have a secret Mafia inside your population you better find out who they are, and that was what Phoenix was all about, to identify who they were. And if so (they should) either be captured, convinced to surrender, or in a fight, shot. It was a war”.
In seeming contradiction to the bloody and corrupt tactics of that assassination spree, there is evidence to support the notion that Colby wanted to help the Vietnamese people. He supported the broader Pacification Program, which encouraged and helped villagers to protect their hamlets rather than live as refugees and see their homes destroyed by Viet Cong attacks-or American bulldozers.
“ We would take people out of the refugee camps and put them back in their old villages, put some protection around them, give them some guns to protect themselves, begin to rebuild the village, or the bridge, or the irrigation ditch or whatever was necessary, and they would start up their lives; really decent lives. That was the strategy of the Pacification Program” Colby said.
After leaving the Republic of Vietnam and the battles that ultimately consumed the small nation, Colby continued to ascend the ranks of the CIA. The well-known architect of many of the Agency’s dirtiest tricks became more and more open about them. When appointed director, he revealed so much to Congress that some of his colleagues whispered that Colby must be a KGB asset. President Gerald Ford soon dismissed him from the job after only two years, in order to appease the critics.
Of the nagging conspiracy theories suggesting CIA involvement in President Kennedy’s assassination, William Colby was in Vietnam in November 1963. He said: “Olive Stone came to see me once to get the material released that the CIA had, and I said I believed in releasing it, may be save the names of a couple of agents.”
“Believe me, if the CIA had anything to do with the murder of our president, I would have discovered it in the early seventies and I would have revealed it. I revealed a lot of other-thing”
“He’s should be killed due to knowing so much secret dishonest schemes of the Axis of Evil [Permanent Government scam] In 2003, author Mickey Herskowitzs praised Prescott Bush in “Duty, Honor, Country” instead of a deserved prize for William Colby because he didn’t have prosecuted in “Trading with Enemy Act in 1941, December” like Prescott Bush in 1943.
(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 01-14-2011, 11:25 PM

My spy-pilot life

(In the Chapter William E Colby & The secret war: The Vietnam War could be fully understood only when one really experiences the hardship of dense jungle ground-operation, feels the adrenaline rush, faces the invisible enemies, escapes the harrowing death, and fight alone behind the enemy line...! But they are all the excitements of warfare adventures)

For carrying out the Eurasian Great Game, there’d resumed the Vietnam War in second period (1954-1975) Indochina Wars; So right after the Geneva Peace Agreement that divided Vietnam into North and South was signed in 1954, Mr. Allen Dulles, Director of the CIA, assigned Air Force Colonel Edward Lansdale to South Vietnam to assist Premier Ngo Dinh Diem in consolidating his position in the South and organizing paramilitary units that had been left in place in North Vietnam before the Communists came to power. Colonel Lansdale assumed the post of Deputy Director of the Office of Special Operations that was directed at that time by Brigadier General Graves Erskine. His mandate was to take charge of secret Counter-Insurgency Plan’s operations in Vietnam as he had done for Philippine President Magasasay who was successful in exterminating the rebel forces of the Huk Communists during the 1950's. Colonel Lansdale’s organization in Vietnam was called the Saigon Military Mission and it included Major CIA Lucien Conein, Agent-19 a professional spy who would play a very important role in the political upheavals that characterized the First Republic in South Vietnam.
Just before the North was handed over to the Communists many Vietnamese civilians were recruited by Colonel Lansdale. Most of them came from the Vietnamese ethnic minority known as the Nung and some were native to Mong Cai Province, which is situated near Hai Phong Habor. Others came from areas near the Chinese border, however, they were all sent to Long-Thanh County for training in the basics of counterinsurgency. By the time Vietnam had been officially divided in two, the Nung had been well trained and assigned to small teams. Subsequently, the warships of the U.S. Seventh Fleet put troops ashore near the areas that the Nung recruits called home and ordered them to infiltrate and remain inactive in place until they received further orders. Weapons, radios and gold were pre-positioned in secret locations to be retrieved when needed. One of the undercover spies at this time was a man named Pham Xuan An [Triple-Cross] but Colonel Lansdale was not aware that he was an agent of the Vietnamese Communists who had infiltrated our organization.
In every special operation conducted behind enemy lines, especially those that included cross-border missions into North Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia, the participants were usually divided into two groups: the operations team which was usually nicknamed the “Team” had the duty of actually going ashore to carry out the mission they had been given and the support team, which had the responsibility for providing the transport that would drop off and retrieve the operations team as well as provide fire support when required. Infantry teams did not have an inherent transport or fire support capability by either air or sea and therefore could only undertake duties that fell into the category of the former. By contrast, the Air Force, which did not have its own operations team, could only participate by providing transport and support. As for the Navy, it was unique in that it could undertake both special and support operations because in its make-up was an inherent capability to perform both tasks mentioned above.
The special operations that were carried out by the various teams such as the Thunder Tigers, Black Dragons, Air Commando, CAS Queen Bee flight Group, Squadron 219 and the Delta Force took place within the territory of the South Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia while the later incursions into North Vietnam were undertaken almost exclusively by the existing units of the RVN/Navy. The operational elements of the Navy were the SEALS and a transportation-support unit which was known as the Sea Patrol Force (SPF). In an operational sense SPF was considered a unique unit of the Special Forces that could undertake special missions inside North Vietnam. Those missions included shelling targets on shore, capturing and detaining fishermen to develop intelligence and distributing pamphlets, etc… all without the assistance of any other force. Both the SEALS and the SPF operated under the authority of the Coastal Security Service (CSS).
Below there was a TRATA Team, and some cross-checks of Communist Hanoi’s presentation on Laos territories in readiness for the War-Game “NLF and CIP Craps

Standby for alert-operation
My crew-chief, master sergeant Mai who I admired not only his skill experiences but also his quick reaction in any cases emergency, It is therefore I’d chosen him as a leader of crew chief Team in my new Flight assault infiltration in Project Delta Force of US Green beret.
Just yesterday, when STRATA’ reconnaissance Team captured a prisoner, then I was receiving an order to fly to pick-up him back home base for investigation. The engine was missing fire and lost power RPM. Mai was rose his arms to his neck stand for turning it off. I was stayed clinging in my cockpit-pilot chair waiting. He has opened in front access-door, did odd things for more than five minutes and then made me a signal to turn on the engine again. Great job, it was running great. I’d had no time to investigate his talent now but later after this came back flight mission.
For forty five minutes, I’d landed with NVA prisoner, wearing a khaki uniform and shoes instead of Nam-Dinh rubber tire sandals.
Mai stood nearby looking on the prisoner who was conducting into a Dodge. I ran toward Mai, puzzling asked him:
-Eh Mai! What effective medicine you doctor gave to this camel? He quickly answered:
-So easy! Replace a spark-plug to any cold cylinders. That’s all!
He quickly held my hand, pulling me without having any other question, to a tree shade and whispered:
She asked me almost anything about your private life. Have you any affaire with her?
I quickly asked:
-Then what was your answer?
-I said that you’re unmarried, twenty five years old, happy single, free… what a stupid to tell her that you’re married!
She also asked me:
-You guys are going home, aren’t you? But when you guys going to depart?
I answered:
-Probably not hence we’ve changed job and location.
She gave me this piece of paper, telling me to deliver it to you immediately after you landed.
-Let me see it!
“Vinh, I need to see you tomorrow at 9 AM at the side of the creek as usual, OK? “
Only a simple message but I’d had to read over and over again, and still want read again.
Her home was only five hundred meters from helicopter landing pad. I saw her youngest brother Cu-Ty Playing in the front yard and called him. Every time I came here,
I’d given him MM chocolate but not this time because I’d had no time to stop by Quang-Tri to purchase it. So I had to give him my emergency technical chocolate candy, thinking of post effect of constipation this four-day nutrition could bring to him.
-You deliver this piece of paper to your older sister Ni, OK? I slipped to his hand a chocolate candy.
My message gave her an appointment at 10:00 instead of 9:00 as of her wish because I’d had to check ride flying for First Lieutenant Hao’ refreshment practice due to VNAF regulations, recommending her that I would shake my wing over her house’s roof when done for her readiness.
I used to wait her at the spring side in advance as usual but this time, she already there stood waiting for me.
-Had you waited for me long hadn’t you?
She forced a smile saying:
-I’ve just coming here!
I recognized a mild essence ‘Soir de Paris’ perfume that I’ve just given her and contradicted myself for not wanting her to use, instead of preferring to enjoy her own natural pleasant scent. Suddenly I fear to look at her serious and anxious sad face today which looks like older age with deep eyes and pale cheeks totally contrast with her lovely behavior brightly appeared in her grace eyes last visit. My feeling was bolder than my practical flying with Hao who had ceased flying more than two weeks as Air Force regulation required. More violation if there were in emergency- circumstances such as off-engine quit for forced-landing. I got sweating and filled with concerns in our minds
My love affaire with her had lasting for more than six months but we’d actually met each other here just a couple times, due to my next busy militarily duties upon reports from STRATA’ reconnaissance Team after its mission, and for standby emergency alert on the other side of Viet-Lao boundary
On many standby-days at this Huong-Hoa district, I went around for mountainous hike during off-duty time. Doctor Capt. Tri of LLDB (Combined Area Studies) one day asked me to go hunting. I picked up a Czech assault machine gun from my tent. When passing a dry fall as if there was a good luck when I saw a young lady doing her laundry at the fall side. Her long dark hair covered her shoulders. A little noisy sound made her turning over and looked stunning at my face. I’d felt uncontrolled before her glint eyes; took off my hat and smiling cheered her:
-Welcome lady!
She was shy trying to say some words back and continued doing her laundry. I stepped up asking nonsense question:
-You’re doing your laundry aren’t you?
-I’m doing laundry for my parents.
-How clean beautiful water is!
-Yes, the up source water in this dry season comes without dirty red color.
I felt disappointing of hunting. I asked to leave, later quickly coming back, fearing she’d not being there, with a bar of Cadum soap for her as an opening gift. When I came again, she was ready to go home. I ran toward, dropped the soap into her basket and told her the effect of using this soap. She was puzzled as if being uncovered by people. I had sputter, doubted nobody would doing laundry everyday:
-Will you come back here tomorrow?
-Tomorrow here this time! She surprisingly answered.
-How you’ll answer if your parents have questions of your everyday laundry? I was up to a trick and asked.
-I take advantage of hot sun and clean water. By the way I have a big size family.
-I’ll come early. Is that OK?
She looked down, shy and quickly went home. I’d kept a decent distance for her comfortable, walking slowly until her sight disappeared.
&

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 01-17-2011, 10:19 PM

My spy-pilot life

At ninth visit that day, fog covered mountainous Khe-Sanh area but I found out the ‘rendezvous’ because every tree, rock, bushy mimosa and other plants, wild red fruits were well known familiar to me. Those fruits were sweet but shouldn’t be Adam and Eve’s forbidden fruits. On winding down hill trail, I suddenly remembered a phrase of a poem: “The dark night is accomplice of love” But how about the foggy day? No poet mentioned about it. May be “Fog makes no sin”.
Sitting on a block of stone waiting long for her appearance, on the scene within very slow minutes passing calm mix with my terrible heart beats. My flying-suit became so wet because so much stagnant fresh heavy fog, I was worried for her safety on the way to come here. I opened broadly my both ears to listen to even a light noise. Abrupt tiny noise made me concentrated seeming very similar a small wild animal pads-on on the dead leaves. Suddenly, a noise was closer and clearer like foot steps, I’m sure confident that was her steps closer. I was just kidding, made a Tarzan howl by both hands but it turned out to be a turtle dove sound. Finally she ran quickly toward me:
- This is me …you are there...you are there?
I teased her by continuing my howl to answer: “Hu…Hu…Hu…Uh…”
I thought she wouldn’t be lost because this beautiful place is her choice. The Khe Sanh’ fog melt away very late, as early as noon by wish to be cleared. After that would be a lot of sunshine without a slight wind. That’s local weather. But it was better than hot Lao’s wind which was tough enough that the colonial French used it as a punishment for prisoners of Lao-Bao’ prison.
Today she appears so beautiful with nice cloths. Her oval face looks similar to her mom’s. Her small high nose looks like Virgin Mary’s, probably came from her mom’s long kneeled praying in front of St Mary’s portrait. There was a beauty dimpled on her right cheek, a beauty uneven upper tooth on her left mouth side. She dressed a black Thai’s style Maxi-Robe, a white shirt fitted to her fluently small shoulders with innumerable buttons. Her long hair was tighten into two plaits covered those shoulders. Her face that day looks naïve, younger than her actual age of 17, she looked at me with her bright eyes as if she’d known I was distinguished her beauty fashionable and justified for her making up. A chain of bean rosary hung on her chest as a proof of a devout religious woman.
-You’re beautiful today like a student of elementary school asking for candies!
-What you’d give me now?
Her surprisingly question made me thinking of a next gift will be a tiny decanter ‘Soir de Paris’ perfume for her which I didn’t bring that day.
-Next time OK? Sorry, I bring nothing today.
-I like your silken purple scarf.
-Oh no, it’s full of my sweat.
-It doesn’t a matter for I like it.
I faithfully followed her request without fearing her thought of my unsanitary lifestyle and quickly told her:
-Keep in mind to wash this dirty scarf with extra detergent!
She quickly took it and hung around her neck without knowing my concerning of it’s odor on her
Fog was begun slowly melt down. Everything appeared in likely fairyland. From the sky looks down normally but more fairy looks from earth I thought.
-Come down into the water for fun!
I came with her into the funny noisy sounds of waves beating walls of rock caused by our swimming. She walked like a fairy flying on cloud. Her Maxi-robe twisted with waves on walls of rock. I look on and murmured myself:
-For makes no sin please!
But there was no more fog now. I struggled myself between sin and saint nights after nights about a life of a spy pilot, short and risky as her mom frequently told her:
-Make no friend with that risky pilot guy!
Her mom was right, as many local folks such as my chauffeur, that no mother would ignore her daughter’s happiness. I was assigned leader of any Delta Force pilot flying from CAS (Combined Area Studies) that I was qualified after one month check-out for professional qualification. Then I chose a risky flying-team as her mom had said:
-with criteria such as… Live short life, no future, self-destructive, undependable…
That means an unmarried, brave, well-trained guy who’ll go into death more than live.
-How slowly you walk!
Her urging made me awaked but my boots kept me slow from full of slippery rocks and pockets of deep water that make it dangerous.
-Be careful!
But too late, I don’t know if her loud warning made me falling down painfully on rocks, so quick to this day of my life. I stayed lying, eye-closed and quiet when she asked:
-Are you all right?
-Oh pity on you! She blamed herself for my falling, pulled me up.
-Let me have a rest. I feel terrible pain! I refused.
I felt my head got inflammation at the rear caused by internal bleeding. She saw a bruise on it and reported:
-Your head was swollen injured!
-No problem! I’ll be OK, Don’t worry! I said.
She sat down, rubbed her hands on my head which was now on her thigh. That made me feeling better but I exploited by keeping on pain. Her sweat dropped on my face with no taste, no odor that I’ll never forget and didn’t know if it came from hot weather or from her concerning for me. I gazed at her anxious face now more beautiful as I wished. I asked myself to quell my temptation when I was with her. I rose up sitting.
-Let down lying for good!
-I kept lying long enough to make your legs numbed.
She helped me standing up from behind. I felt something warm and not really soft stuck on my back and wishing this moment to be halt. I took off my boots and hung them on my neck by their laces. I pulled her hands:
-Have a shower at the fall with me for fresh air!
She agreed. I prepared for myself this morning an under-wear and a short pant for this event. I asked her:
-Have you any swimming stuff?
She was shy, answering that she was OK, that this warm season would dry her cloths quick enough before coming home. We swam side by side to deeper water. I felt disappointed myself for my junior swimming level when I was watching her advanced swimming styles. I frustrated when diving deep under her only to see nothing more than her Maxi robe twisted by her attractive legs.
-I suddenly felt bad probably from my injury.
-Have you able to walk?
-Probably with your help.
She held me tight. Her body stuck to mine well enough to turn my pretending into real failure! I finally lay on the sand.
-How you fell now?
-Better!
-Come on! Relieving your head on my legs!
-I don’t want hurting them.
-No problem!
I enjoyed her sweat again, feeling tender. I opened my eyes, seeing her ever before beautiful face never ever seen on earth.
-Are you looking at my red beauty mole?
-Yes very pretty. A good fortune for you future!
-You can read fortune, can’t you?
-I’d learned some from the books of Dr. Pascal. He insisted red beauty moles like rare plants which should be growing on deep woods.
-I have another one on my left breast. Is that area deep and is it good too?
-Yes. Empress Cleopatra had shown her breasts to Emperor Ceasar and said: “With
my red nipples, I shall giving birth a bright prince, future king of his own subordinate country for you!
-So mine! Is that good?
-You’ll be First Lady!
-You’re kidding!
At this same spot last time, we were taking shower under creek-fall. My perfect pilot eyes witnessed many chicken skin spots, unknown color around a lemon grain size spot under her wet thin fabric.
I think other way today that those small spots would be gems on Adam and Eve era’s fruit. I wished I can eat that fruit even if being go to hell later! I found everything from her is overwhelmingly far gracious than my wife.
-Are your legs hurt? Let me go up sitting!
-Staying put. I’m fine. She said after several times forcing me to stay put and then she told fairytales. Her local dialect made my ears twisted, but my hearing skill got better until being addicted.
-Let me rolling-turn my flying-suit into a pillow now so you should be able to tell fairytales later OK? I insisted and she agreed, because I was worrying her numbness.
Her local dialect began: “A long time ago, there was a king hunting in a forest.
After chasing a wild animal, he got tired and was trying to take a break. Suddenly he saw the climbing plant and a wild watermelon at the end of it. He quickly ate part of it, threw it at the side of the trail and urinated into it. Early next morning, little girl Ut came to collect dry wood for her family cooking had randomly saw and ate the rest of it for reducing her thirsty. A few months later, her belly was bigger and she after all gave birth to a nice boy. Seven years later, the king came hunting back there and got only a young phoenix at the end of the day. When the king went to collect the wounded bird, a six years old boy brought it for him and said:
-You shot this bird, right?
All high ranking mandarins, many of them teachers of the king had come up and praised the boy as the same time:
-This boy looks exactly like your Majesty at childhoods!
The king, with his sixth sensitive organ, had immediately loved the boy, carried him to his home. Ut his mother nervously came out. The boy pointed his finger to the king and introduced to her mother:
-He is the king!
-Who’s father of the boy? The king asked.
-Ut told the king the story of the wild watermelon seven years before. The king murmured himself: “I’ll ask my father to make her queen-.probably this is my fate”.
Get pregnancy from digestive organ is always a fairytale those old days but how about getting pregnancy from streamline this science era? Why she deserved upper part of the streamline for me? A thoughtful person like her must be romantic and that is the real meaning of human lives.
I respected and considered her like a luxury tea cup for display only, not for use to prevent damage. A heroic pilot- the world is small under pilot wing- like me is great in missions but feeble in front of her. She is immense!
The sound of helicopter was clearer and closer. Lieutenant Khoi probably came to get me back for an emergency mission. I thought.
-Honey, I’ve had an emergency flying mission. I must go back the camp now.
&

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 01-28-2011, 09:07 PM

My Spy pilot life

-Come to the block of stones. I have to ask you many things. Ni said softly.
She made me tremble trying to make no eye contacts with her sad eyes. She patted my right ear and said:
-What’s wrong made your ear red? She softly asked.
-Probably this new pilot helmet is too tight.
-Nobody up on the air for you to show your new helmet! She lovely chided.
I had no discussion with her about this new helmet type which has a deeper goggle than the old one for better services. Her fingers patted on my hair for my great felling:
-Your hair was full of sweat after a lengthy fly?
I no longer felt tremble when a human two way circuit went through my hair strings and tremble again when her hands pressed my cheeks:
-I couldn’t sleep last night, hoping sunrise soon so I can tell you many things but now I forgot all. I had a dream last night seeing you howling me as usually as last times from my back yard.
After ending my confusion of her local dialect “chộ” for dream, I urged:
-Continue please!
-I ran so quick that I’d struck at large water jar hurting my leg right here…
-You poor pity lady! Let me see it.
I had no first aid kit there so I’d just applied my bare hands on her injury, concerning, caring. I just thought ridiculous about the beauty of montagnard women well over the urban women. For a moment I wished to have a honeymoon with her. She looks very similar to a young sexy French lady on the beach of Canne (in France) in her robe and high heel shoes. I waked up from being hypnotized.
-Yesterday, Sergeant Mai told me that your family had planned an engagement for you to a well educated, well to do and beautiful girl. Is that true?
I thought she just made up a story and trying my best probably last tactic to uncover as much as possible my private life:
-My risky spy pilot life had giving me no chance even to think of, let alone to having a fiancée, for her own risk of being a widow.
-Why you’d chosen a strange job? Why not a teacher for safety? She asked loudly, sadly and frustrated.
-I answered for fun;
-If I was a teacher, I’d never having a chance met you today.
-Sergeant Mai also said that you guys are going to change mission and area. Is that true?
-Yes, we won’t be spy pilots but ranger pilots instead.
-What difference between them? She asked, curiously.
-Spy planes fly over enemy’s territories with explosives on board for in case emergency destroy all, Sweden tiny arms, no sign. Pilots wear no uniform. Ranger planes fly over their own land with their own uniformed pilots. I explained slowly.
-I pray St Mary every night for your safety. She sighed as imploring with her breath and sad face.
-I fly on the air, closed to heaven; so I’ll pull you up there. Don’t worry! I teased.
-Hey, it’s never easy to go to heaven. No kidding on this.
-Huong-Hoa district is inside the country. We helicopter pilots can land everywhere. Don’t worry!
She looked more relax but asked me:
-Look like have you something to concern about?
-I’m worrying about my mission tomorrow!
-You guys will leave here tomorrow, right?
-You’re too careful.
-For our own lives!
-I couldn’t sleep since that night.
At 18 years old, she knew that and comforted me:
-Let play stone throwing game!
I lost that game. I comforted myself, as a pilot who eats on earth but works on air, I couldn’t be lost. I remembered a theorem aerodynamic equation ‘1/2GSV2’ which is defined can help me win.
Now I tried again and did a lot better with a thin plat-stone gliding on the water surface. She applauds: -“What a pilot is!”
My nostrums were almost broader for a proud moment. I asked her:
-You look pale recently. Have you any health problem?
-I don’t know. I’ve had fewer sleeping recently, may be I was praying much more.
-How you feel! You OK?
She slightly shook her head, sadly looked up quietly. I had no guilt because I had made no promise. I’ve treated her like my home-front montagnard younger sister. I kept myself no commitment. I want to go back to my jobs but having self struggle between sin and saint matter. I’ve acted noble-minded as I chose Lieutenant Vui for partnership and spared him from dangerous missions for his family burden. I try to do the same on her. I told her:
-Yesterday I came to your back yard intending to inform you that I’ll be here the day after tomorrow but when I was going to howl, your mom just came out from back door. That made me being choked and difficult to sleep all night.
-Have you feel better now?
-I’m fine. I touched her hair pin and had question:
-Why you wear only the same chrysanthemum shape hair pin. May I give you another one next time? Or you just like it?
-I like what you like. You forgot that you said this white pin was beautiful when you’d first met me. That’s why I wear it even I have more than one.
-You might give me a double white chrysanthemum shape hair pin next time. I like that shape. Let’s sit on flat stone surface. I’ll give you a good food.
I concerned all cakes in thinking about my stomach upsets last times with her different kind of cakes that I ate. I remembered every time we pilots flied to Quang-Tri for lunches, paying by an American official, I just watched good foods and pals having lunch without touching my chopsticks. They’d thought I was lovesick. This time I asked:
-Do you bring chopsticks?
-Two pairs, fish sauce, six shrimp cakes…
-You did forget green pepper, didn’t you? I wished.
-I did bring them, an important seasoning. It’s a good smelled spicy.
-I have to confess this to you. I got stomach upsets last times because of eating too much salty and spicy food from your holding hand that I couldn’t refuse, now…
She looked being sulky, tears on her cheeks. I shook her shoulders. She removed my hands. I didn’t know what to do. I felt failure and weak but thinking myself as another Napoleon of this era. Suddenly, she glanced at me with forgiveness:
-I got risk of your unwashed hands so I used my hand for better sanitary, you know?! You say no thank but blaming on me! You’ve had taking cares only by me from our first day. And you…She complained lovely.
-I just used my hands for massaging my wound. I did what you wanted. From now on I won’t let you disappointed on me.
-You said like I was daughter of the bitch. All I wanted was just good meals for you and a saying of thank for my cooking skill.
I thought this-highland-folk was too conservative unlike urban folks. Her bamboo shoot fingers wide opened each cake covered by banana leaves; satisfied with green pepper mild spicy odor. I was scary on latter one, doubted myself on my effort to suffer this crusade.
-Did your mom know your well prepared meal?
-Sure, she already knew our relationship. She understood me, smiled and even reminded me to cook correctly.
-I have chopsticks this time so it’s up to your taste. No stomach upset because white rice is good for digestion.
-Good foods! Real good!
I felt numbed at my buttock caused by long sitting on stone so I asked her to move:
-Honey, let go hand washing and take a hike for better muscles.
She responded well. We walked on dead leaves. Noisy sounds from them made me thinking of self defense and survive class in Okinawa which teaching of many wild vegetables printed on thick set of game cards.
-Is there myrtle fruit here?
-No, there are only wild fruits.
-Go finding them and try their tastes.
-Don’t eat them much. They cause… not able to flying. Don’t eat this sour wild red-berry!
-That’s why people called “bride” (berry in Vietnamese) but not “banana” or “mango”!
-Why?
-Because all brides are shrewish talking. I mean sour or berry.
-Included me on my daughter in law duties?
-You are not berries but acrid.
-Which one you like?
-I like acrid for well full, no berry for stomach upset.
-God help this village you know. Wild fruits are good remedy-medicines which used as treatments for sore throat, laxative. They grow everywhere this dry season.
-My military school taught me: Any fruit or leaf that monkeys and birds can eat, people can eat safely too.
-Yesterday, I saw your plane flying over my roof and landing for a while after that. I thought you came back to pick something you forgot. You’re right? She asked jealousy and interrogative.
-Supersabre F100 of US Air Force intercepted my plane yesterday back and Capt.
Richardson had ordered me to take off immediately after landing. STRATA’ Team was encircled tightly by a NVA’ regiment on top of the hill; I tried to rescue evacuate them and don’t have to report it to radar center.
-Where is that center?
-On the top of Son-Cha Monkey-mountain, Danang. A duty electric-technical operator found out not my plane IFF on his radar and asked Seventh Fleet, Pacific US Air Force and VNAF for code call-sign number. After that, he made a mandate dispatching intercept procedure for return to forced landing in the nearest airfield (Khe-Sanh) and after all ordered to shoot down if my aircraft continue flying in crossing border, made no return-landing.
-What is code number IFF on the radar screen?
-IFF means Identification Friends or Foes, a number for every plane taking off except my secret mission. I’d head cursing from Sergeant Duncan, urging me continue for the sake of our comrades in great danger. But I wouldn’t. I must return.
-Why not flying back for rest?
-I’ll being shot down due to no code number. But I continued following as secret order for international intercept; at the same time two F100 knew who I am for that mission impossible and went back to their Udon airbase in Thailand. Firstly I found two aluminum objects reflect from afar that I suspected Mig-21 until they closed in front of me as closed as I could read letter USAF on their fuselage. After I’d landed, two supersabre F.100 saluted me by making ultra pass-supersonic sound and came back to Thailand. My job was a rescue mission to save Strata’s Team which had lost for over two months and was encircled by a NVN regiment. A member of the Team was missing after exchanged fire with enemy not found yet. The rest five of them were waiting for rescue. Their wounds were severed. I flied alone with Duncan because of that, no copilot, no crew-chief.
-You were crazy! Who’ll rescue you if you got shot at time, wounded and who will bring your plane back? She screamed lovely.
-You’re right but I needed my plane still in light weight which was able to land from high level to save one ranger who lost his HT1 radio but still having his red piece of plastic-panel. Suddenly Duncan loudly called “I saw SOS word appeared on green-carpet on signal in the middle of thatch on a hillside” .I shouted: “Where?” He answered: “At 4 o’clock direction for heading way”. I immediately made a sharp turn to the right, seeing letter SOS appearing on a green carpet. At the same time I had heard five others called for help. I turned off radio for easy to flight maneuvers.
-Very interesting but I has concerned and kept praying to St Mary for your safety.
She cut short interrupted at my story.
-OK from now on I’ll never tell this story again!
-Please continuing! Since ghost fearer always wish to listen to ghost stories. Please, please!
-After only one round of flying. I found Red piece of panel hanging on a tallest tree, a man making right code signals. With flying experiences, I kept engine at 2,700RPM for the plane staying put on the top of the tree and released hoist-cable down with the help of Sergeant Duncan. Suddenly cable got trouble and at the same time the sounds of AK machine guns noisy came from other hillside and there were several sounds of AK from behind too. The fuselage tail bump probably got hit as I experienced before. I loudly urged Duncan. “Get secure your belt, came out and bring him up by your hands at any cost or he’ll be captured”. I saw Duncan at work. The rest of the Team was discovered by the enemy, the fuselage got more hits and the main blades got hit too. I increased to 2,800RPM to prevent the plane from shaking and kept it staying higher altitude setting. I also let the blades of the propeller cut small branches around the tree. Duncan finally pulled him into the plane and I came to the next target LZ. Duncan nervously reported that the man got blooding on his head. I’d heard the Team leader, Duc calling for landing at his advantaged yellow smoke on LZ spots. I shouted: “No yellow. NVA troops will see if…” He responded: ‘No problem. They already knew we were here” I’d heard enemy’s heavy mortars and machine guns shot from below the valley, more intensified. I landed on hill top by my one right landing gear on the rock, another and tail wheel shaking on the air. I never did the wonderful precision quick-stop like today. Thank God! I saw Duncan was pulling the rangers one by one. The last one was Team leader, Deo-Van-Duc made a wide pain smile. I took off risky from East Truong-Son mountain range, on HCM trail to the South; below here was a particular trail reserved for bicycles route, in contrast to generals, ARVN headquarter, some Pentagon civilians began to realize that bombing North Vietnam was futile because of the Hanoi regime’s ability to keep supplies moving South via such simple conveyances as bicycles, each bicycle can carry 400 pound of cargo, heading to South Eastern of Hoa-Son village, Minh-Hoa district, Quang-Binh province, above the DMZ, 17 parallel. There’re rumors saying that many treasures from Emperor Ham-Nghi were buried deep inside along Ma-Cu mountain chain of Hoa-Son area.
Just after landing at Phu-Bai airport, there was C123 transport plane which brought them home for resting relaxation at a tiny camp on Island Bich-Dam, Nha Trang province. Dr Tri himself took care of them. He ordered them a couple spools of rice-gruel soup each meal for their health diet regardless of their protest. And after regaining their health very significantly, they were allowed to come back to mainland.
-Pity on them! How cruel for not giving them more food to eat! She said.
-The doctor was right. If they ate more food, they had died by stomach overloading and my heroic rescue was nonsense, you understand?
-Let’s go home! My mom was anxious for us after dark.
-OK let’s go.
I held her hand with anxious going through well known trail. Before coming to route 9, we had to take off mimosa thorns and another kinds of durst trying to clinging on her Thai’s maxi-robe. She feared being seen by her neighbors and feared most of their report to her parents which was followed by punishment. Like reading my thoughts, she asked:
-Why you look so sad and talk a little today?
-I’m thinking of my next plan and responsibilities on my next fly. I half smiled and lying myself for not telling the true that will be able to make her frustrated.
&

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 02-07-2011, 12:21 AM

My Spy pilot life

I returned to Khe-Sanh in the middle of 1964 for aero-photographic mission competed with U-2, RF101 Woodo and H34 helicopter, Three of us taking pictures from Mu-Gia Pass to Benhet especially Forward-Command post of NVA, Group.559; RF101 Woodo reconnaissance plane has flying level of 10,000 feet, Spy plane U 2 for much higher than that H34 helicopter on the treetop.
I let Hao controlled our plane to Khe-Sanh, listening aggressive and happily to Hue province Radio station music. I thought she would be very happy seeing me after two years long waiting. I courteously took control over Hao’ duty to flying myself for faster to old home-coming:
-Take a break! Let me get it. I saying
I recalled in the past in which she usually said “I’m anxious every time hearing plane flying over, often to be frustrated when it was not your. My mom understood that and gave me comfort”. I pressed her:
-How you distinguished my plane to others?
-Your plane sounds lovely! Other planes sound more roughly. There’s how different between female ears and male ears?
-Right! Passenger plane high level usually is much higher altitude and therefore quieter.
I made a fast low pass approach landed with full speed for hurry to Khe-Sanh, clear sky and well known green hills in front of me. I imagined how her happy face will be when the sounds of the blades cut to the air that she was breathing. The close the plane on Khe-Sanh, the faster my heart was beating. Aircraft descending if so on like this, my eyelid was blinking fast as informing something strange ahead. There are changes below. No even house base. There is just wild high grass. No spot of her home. I was confused in front of sun flare and my tears came out in full:
-Hao, let go landing for your practice.
I saw colored Thompson, Major, was waiting for me at this only a US Special Camp in this area. I came right down to a local tribe minority-soldier for information. He told me that local government had ordered people to moving out of this area to Cam-Lo for security reason.
-How long had they moved?
-Two years.
Major Thompson called me in his briefing-room for immediately meeting. In front of maps, he recommended proudly that our aero-photographs (air-photo snapshot) of Forward Group 559 Command post headquarter should be very clear, instead taken from U 2 and FR101 at high altitude level are rending indistinct. The enemy is never matched our high-tech of U2. It was foolhardy of us to go flight as lower without air cover. Do you agree?
- Yes! Everyone, unanimously had proud of agreeing at this.
-Is there gasoline here? I asked Thompson in very serious attitude.
He said six barrel containers of gas were just come from Quang-Tri this morning by Dodge. I counted myself that means 1,200 liters, excluded water under bottoms, only less than 1,000 liters of them useful. I reminded Major Thompson this amount of gas was enough for only one plane. He said 115/145 gas will come for him tomorrow by a convoy.
I went to the landing pad to examine. I reminded crew-chief Vang who will fly with me today.
-Sergeant Vang, did you give away dregs-water from the bottom of the gas tank? I cautiously asked.
-I gave away almost one quarter!
-Try pumping three full gas tanks. “I let you at home today because this mission will be very dangerous. Give me two safely belts for Duncan and First Lt. Huynh-Thuan-Nha of Special Unit LLDB. Let me pump them. Come to First Lt. Hao tent and tell him taking care himself for relaxation, bring back to me his HT1 radio for spare. I fly alone today”. I said.
How feeble but also romantic a man who is going to dye for love instead of his country?
Is anyone considering him a dummy hero? I felt frustrated of this devastated formerly my lover’s land. For this occasion, may I have luck for discovery an enemy nest: the forward Command Post of Group 559 where my reconnaissance mission spotted as outpost “Liton” and “Tourout” which located deep at a fall between walls of two upright hillsides full of anti-aircraft guns and traps along deathly the Aluoi, and Ashau valley
“Heroic acts make hero!” I thought of a traditional folk saying. I looked at the fall. A romantic rendezvous that I must fly over each taking-off and landing with my wet eyes and linking to a beginning verse from Kieu poetry of a legendary poet:
“As watching such things as making sick at heart!”
I felt bad of thinking she lost me but in reality I lost her instead. Where is she now? I felt myself crazy one time coming back to that romantic creek for clinging view of its sky and touching of its rock-blocks, its mountainous roaring and desert mute in despair, for reviewing what was lost now. All now is still live in an open-minded romantic pilot who was struggled up and down in many live and death battles of an endless war on his country. That was a torn, sad and bitter land of the whole country, not the South alone.
A local montagnard soldier friend of her family told me that after a short stay in Cam-Lo, her family had moved to La-Vang parish, I recalled a folk verse:
“Who ever go to La-Vang-Parish!
Tell her my hello if she was there!”
But that was a sorrowful, pitiful, grievous voice of a dramatic, tragic and deadly empty desert. Only the lovely eyes of that beautiful woman are still living in my mind, forever.
If the spirit moves me with the forest of my heart where wild-flowers of my feeling for her were entirely platonic grow. There are blossoms of remembrance Forget-me-nots so blue. And purple velvet pansies. To tell my thoughts of you; and roses that will always bloom. Whatever be the weather Whose fragrance is the memory of days we spent together

The Long-term agent team: the Secret War
To command the clandestine VNAF squadron that would penetrate the North, William Colby sought out a flamboyant pilot with a thin Clark Gable mustache and a penchant for black flight suits. Though only thirty years old, already he was a Lt Colonel and commanded Saigon’s Tan Son Nhut Air Base and seemed willing to fly anything, anywhere-but did that include piloting unmarked C.47 deep into North Vietnam, Colby asked?
The pilot smiled and said “When do we start?” The gutsy flyer eventually wound head his country’s Air Force and go on to be South Vietnam’s president-Nguyen Cao Ky (Permanent Government don’t worry about dignity of the leadership, because South Vietnam eventually be dissolved later on, according the ‘Axiom-1’) Ky recruited his best pilots, included myself, but months of training would precede their first operational flight. To help them, the CIA brought in National Chinese instructor pilots with hundreds of missions over mainland China very similar to what Ky’s crewmembers would fly-100 feet above the treetops, at night, under 30 percent moonlight.
CIA air experts at Takhli, Thailand, were tasked to help Colby plan the North Vietnam aerial penetrations; he couldn’t have found a more capable group. Colonel Harry Aderholt, likely the most experienced special operations officer in the Air Force, had just finished the CIA’s Tibet airlift, where unmarked C.130s had penetrated Chinese-occupied Tibet to parachute supplies and guerrillas to the pro-Dalai Lama resistance. On loan to the CIA for secret projects since the Korea War, Aderholt’s Thailand based organization had just been redirected to support the CIA’s expanding guerrilla force in Laos, using Air America planes, when the infiltration analysis job was assigned.
Assisting Aderholt was probably the CIA’s finest aerial infiltration planner, USAF Major Larry-Ropka, Studious, intense, a perfectionist, Ropka had planned all the Tibet flights, and if not one plane was lost, it was largely because he applied his whole being to such a task.
With 90 percent of the North’s population arrayed along its coastal lowlands and Red river Valley, Major Ropka could see that any approach from the Tonkin Gulf-the ‘front-door’-was certain to be met by MIG and antiaircraft gun. Therefore, he planned aerial infiltration routes through the less-populated mountainous border with Laos- the ‘back-door’- where terrain masking and electronic confusion were most effective.
To improve the ‘back-door’, Ropka had Air America planes in Laos climb to 5.000 feet, where they would appear on North Vietnamese radar, fly a ‘back-door’ approach, then descend to low level, below radar, and turn back to Thailand. After dozens of false alarms, the North’s air defense network would stop alerting fighters and antiaircraft units, and wouldn’t be able to distinguish between Ropka’ feints and the real infiltration flights, which were soon to begin.
The first airdropped group, Team “Atlas”, never came up on its appointed frequency; the plane that delivered them disappeared. Colonel Ky personally flew the next airdrop mission, inserting Team “Castor” deep in North Vietnam. Three months later Hanoi held a much-publicized trial for three Atlas survivors. Then Team Castor went off the air, and CIA handlers realized Team Dido and Echo were under enemy control, so they were played as “doubles”. The last team parachuted into North Vietnam in 1961, Team “Tarzan”, was presumed captured.
Recently U.2 pilot, Captain Power was shot down and captured on the Communist territories. Despite such losses, at least Colby now had an infrastructure for conducting his secret war that he could improve and build upon. But something beyond Colby’s control unexpectedly came into play. Two months after Agent Ares paddled ashore; another CIA component of George Bush’s class, expedition landed half a world away, in a debacle forever to be known by the name of its locale, The Bay of Pigs. The catastrophic failure of the Cuban-exile landing so embarrassed President Kennedy that he appointed General Maxwell Taylor Commission concluded the Cuba project had escalated beyond a size manageable by the CIA. It recommended a worldwide review of other CIA enterprises to learn if any had grown beyond intelligence operations and if so, switched them to military control. That action had been seriously hurt by the adverse tendency of Skull and WIB members.
Some chronicle’s accounts have tied George H.W. Bush to support work in the CIA’s 1961 Bay of the Pigs invasion. Recently, if any vice president in US history could fairly be known as “the secret-arms-deal vice president”, he would be the one. George H.W. Bush, Zapata offshore drilling Company, formed in the 1950-the firm is said to have scouted for the CIA in pre-Bay of Pigs surveillance of Cuba. Zapata Offshore organized a subsidiary to carry out Kuwait’s first deep sea oil drilling in 1961. Here analysis has to rely on implication and common sense. Adamson, Loftus, The Nation magazine, and the U.S journalism effort named Project Censored all posited some direct George H W Bush – CIA connection emerging between 1954 and 1963. Zapata provided commercial supplies for one of Dulles’ most notorious operations: the Bay of Pigs invasion which will be the main target of Kennedy based on seized under the Trading with the Enemy Act. The government acted against, seized the assets of many companies related against the alien property custodian under 1941, December of Trading with the Enemy Act such as Zapata de Mexico, Zapata International, Sea-cat Zapata, and Zapata Overseas. Why they want make money by exploitation of oil? Seven decades ago Hitler would like to exploit by “Synthetic-Fuel” for guaranteed national question on to reduce the dependence on foreign oil. Hydrogen fuel cell technology truly becomes a viable alternative.

(Continued)

**vinhtruong** · 02-15-2011, 08:50 PM

My Spy pilot life

William Colby’s growing secret war fit the commission’s criteria perfectly; during the summer of 1962 the CIA agreed to transfer these Southeast Asian programs to the military in 18 months, dubbing it Operation Switch-back. But on the very day scheduled for Switchback-1/Nov/1963- South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated. Then three weeks later, President Kennedy was assassinated as well; further delaying the transfer. The military had yet to create a unit to absorb the CIA programs.
After two presidents’ assassinations (Kennedy and Diem), under OPLAN-34A, issued on December 15, 1963, McNamara having instruction, intended to send only a symbolic message, limiting targets to “those that provide maximum pressure with minimum risk”. However, despite McNamara’s insistence that OPLAN-34A missions commence on February 1, 1964, it wasn’t until 24 January that “Military-Assistance-Command, Vietnam (MACV), finally organized the covert unit to take over the CIA programs; soon it would be the largest clandestine military unit since World War II OSS. Commanded by an Army colonel, it would include elements of all services, from Army Green- Berets and Navy SEAL to USAF Air Commandos, operating as SOG, the Special Operation Group, and a descriptive label that made a mockery of security. A few months later the unit was renamed, yet its acronym remained SOG, only now, SOG stood for Studies and Observations Group, a supposed gathering of quiet analysts devoted to academic study.
The Studies and Observations Group was neither subordinate to MACV nor its new commander, as General William Westmoreland; it answered directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in the Pentagon, often with White House-level input, Skull and Bones encircled in controlled around J.F Kennedy. Only five non- SOG officers in Saigon were even briefed on its top-secret doings: Westmoreland, his chief of staff, his intelligence officer (J-2), the Seventh Air Force commander, and the commander of US Naval Forces, Vietnam.
SOG’ charter authorized operations from South Vietnam and Thailand into Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam, with contingency planning for northern Burma and China’s Kwangsi, Kwangtung and Yunnan Provinces, plus Hainan Island. Officially SOG would answer solely to an office in the Pentagon’s high-status E-Ring called SACSA, (the Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities) a two-star general whose small staff responded only to the Joint-Chiefs’ operations officer (J-3), with unprecedented direct access to the Chairman of the Joint-Chiefs. Any money SOG needed would be buried in the Navy’s annuals budget.
Heading SOG’ secret war and bearing the title Chief SOG was a WWII paratroop officer who’d come into Special Forces in the 1950s, Colonel Clyde Russell. A veteran of combat parachute jumps in France and Holland with the 82nd Airborne Division then commanded the Europe-based 10th Special Forces Group, then the 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. With OPLAN-34A allowing no time for contemplation, Col Russell’s Saigon staff fell back on the tried and true and structured SOG like the old OSS, into air and maritime sections because these are the ways agents are transported- plus a psychological operations section similar to the OSS Morale Operations Division.
The CIA offered Col Russell the agency’s unique logistic channels for exotic hardware, such as suppressed weapons and wiretap devices, via the agency’s top-secret Far-East logistics base at Camp Chinen, Okinawa. Nearby was another office created by Operation Switchback, CISO, or the Counter Insurgency Support Office, which provided specialized logistics aid to SOG and Special-Forces.
Another CIA contribution was a clandestine C-123 transport squadron from Taiwan, flown by Nationalist Chinese pilots; known as the First Flight Detachment, these four SOG airplanes bore removable U.S insignia and formerly had flown with Nationalist China’s top-secret 34th Squadron, which had been penetrating mainland China for more than a decade, inserting and supplying agents and dropping CIA sensors. The 34th Squadron U.2s had flown over China since 1960, spying on the Lop-Nor nuclear test site and Kansu missile range. First Flight’s C-123s had proved a tough target for SAM and MIG, penetrating the mainland two hundred times.
“First Flight” evolved from the Civil Air Transport Service (CATS) a CIA airline founded in 1949 to evacuate Chiang Kai-Shek’s followers to Taiwan. In 1954 CATS by C-119 supplied encircled French paratroopers at Dien Bien Phu, and then in 1958 supported a coup attempt against Indonesian strongman Sukarno. CATS thin cover side became Nationalist China’s 34th Squadron.
In addition to the covert Chinese squadron, the CIA turned over its three-year-old long-term agent program, which by 1964 had airdropped 22 teams into North Vietnam. Of these only 4 teams: Bell, Remus, Easy and Tourbillon- plus the singleton Ares-remained intact. Meanwhile, the agents to be inserted were being instructed at Camp Long Thanh, 20 miles east of Saigon, where Green Berets and CIA officers taught them intelligence and sabotage techniques, rough-terrain parachuting, weapons handling, Morse code and survival-skills to sustain them for years in North Vietnam. As a SOG officer coldly confides “most trainees were not capable of going
Any where and we had to get rid of them; at the same time, we couldn’t turn them loose in South Vietnam because they’d been briefed and was briefed again on operations in North Vietnam”. The solution was to do with them exactly what they had been trained and paid to do: ’parachute into North Vietnam’
The six-man Team Remus parachuted in April 16, 1962, near Dien Bien Phu to ‘establish a base area from which intelligence collection activities could be launched’. It was together ‘enemy military, political, and economic information; located supply drop zones and safe areas for possible infiltration of additional agents; collect available documents; and recruit sub sources and support personnel’. In 1964, Remus reported that it had sabotaged a couple of bridges, McNamara was elated. W Colby recalled that the Secretary of Defense “was just as excited as a baby” over such reports.” I remember him thinking this was a big deal, like that’s going to change the course of the war”. Because it was believed to be successful, Remus was reinforced five times. With the 1966 change in the agents’ mission, the team began to make excuses about why it had provided so little useful information. In 1967, SOG ordered the team to ex-filtrate two agents. They claimed it was too dangerous.
Intelligence collection by observation and exploitation of locally recruited sub sources, nothing remarkable was ever reported, according to SOG documents. Nevertheless, Team Easy was reinforced four times with a total of 23 men. When alerted that some of the team members were for exhilarated, Easy “went off the air” and stopped all radio communications.
Team Eagle was inserted near the border with China on June 27, 1964. Its mission was to conduct sabotage operations on North Vietnam Routes 1 and 4, the Mui-Nam-Quan rail line and the Mai-Pha Air Base. There was no evidence that Team Eagle ever carried out any of these operations. It was also supposed to produce intelligence reports on these targets. According to a SOG assessment,” The information received was of little or no value”. In 1966, Eagle was tasked with the road watch mission. The result, according to SOG, were the same “The mission was not completed”. In 1968, the team was instructed to move south for exhilarated. Eagle reported it was not able to get itself in position to be exhilarated. Contact with the team stopped shortly thereafter
The final team considered operational in late 1967 was Team Red Dragon. Inserted on September 21, 1967, this seven-man team was located in Northern Province of Lao-Cay and Yen-Bai (Hoang-Lien-Son). These provinces were situated in Red River Valley along the Chinese-North VN border. Major rail, road, and water routes ran through these provinces. Team Red Dragon was to conduct sabotage and intelligence missions. According to the documents, it was largely unproductive and its security status was a matter of question since its initial radio contact. Apparently, there was a serious disagreement over whether the team had been captured and forced to work for the North Vietnamese as a double agent:” U.S personnel were convinced the Team was under Hanoi control, while the South VN counterpart case officer felt otherwise, ”Contact was maintained in 1968, but Red Dragon went off the air in 1969”
In May, June and July/1964, they were airdropped as Teams Boone, Buffalo, Lotus and Scorpion. All were captured. The few quality agents-in-training reinforced the in-place, Teams Remus and Toubillon.. SOG began recruiting fresh agents for a 21 week training program at Camp Long Thanh. It would be a slow start.

(Continued)