50 years ago today, July 27, in sunny Vietnam-land - Where were you?

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:20:41 -0400

Forty-six U.S. F-105 fighter-bombers attack the missile installation that had fired at U.S. planes on July 24.
They also attacked another missile installation 40 miles northwest of Hanoi.
One missile launcher was destroyed and another was damaged, but five U.S. planes were shot down in the effort.
On July 24, U.S. bombers on a raid over munitions manufacturing facilities at Kang Chi, 55 miles northwest of Hanoi, were fired at from an unknown launching site.
It was the first time the enemy had launched antiaircraft missiles at U.S. aircraft.
The presence of ground-to-air antiaircraft missiles represented a rapidly improving air defense capability for the North Vietnamese.
As the war progressed, North Vietnam, supplied by China and the Soviet Union, would fashion a very effective and integrated air defense system, which became a formidable challenge to American flyers conducting missions over North Vietnam.

In a meeting with President Johnson most Congressional leaders of both parties agreed with his plan to increase U.S. military forces in South Vietnam.
The exception was Senator Mike Mansfield, while publicly supporting the President said at the meeting, said, "we are going deeper into a war in which even a total victory would, in the end, be a loss to the nation."
Mansfield proposed negotiations to end the war.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 9:22 AM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:22:37 -0400

Wow, great story, thanks for sharing. My grandfather was already retired back then and my Dad was in middle school and I only can read about these things in the history books.

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Jul 27 at 2015 12:07 PM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 12:07:40 -0400

Wow Mansfield called it right. Little did we know

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Jul 27 at 2015 12:35 PM

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 12:35:26 -0400

50 years ago I would have been about 10 months old... My uncle (US Army) would eventually enlist, go to Vietnam, become MIA then KIA on his second deployment there on 22 September 1969, about 13 kilometers southeast of Hiep Duc... I would have been about 5 years old then, but my grandmother never let us forget him... All of my brothers and my sister (4 of us) joined the US Air Force (me), US Army (younger brother and sister), and the US Navy (oldest brother) in one way or another because of him...

SGT Larry Wayne Ellis
B CO, 3RD BN, 21ST INFANTRY, 196 INF BDE
17 July 1944 - 22 September 1969
Gone, but never forgotten...

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Jul 27 at 2015 12:41 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 12:41:25 -0400

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S., as always, most interesting. However, you're beginning to make me sound like a broken record regarding where I was! We lived in Jacksonville, FL and I was 16 years old. We had a week long family reunion at Atlantic Beach, FL and I was participating in summer workouts with the high school football team! Seems kind of tame compared to what was going on in Vietnam.

Response by PO2 Ron Burling made Jul 27 at 2015 2:44 PM

PO2 Ron Burling — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:44:13 -0400

I was with NMCB 3 at Gia Le combat base, between Hue and PhuBai.