Listening to every transmission from 35,000 feet
Episode 11.
For my part, because I have trained on all positions on this RC-135M, I scan all areas for indications of what’s going on elsewhere, even beyond my 11-Op responsibilities.
These Navy aircraft swarm toward Haiphong harbor over the next hour and a half, a continuous beeline of America’s top naval strike aircraft concentrating their menace on the enemy’s most important harbor.
[NOTE: History records that this 59-aircraft diversionary strike turns out to be the largest nighttime Naval operation to this point in the war. There had not been a night carrier operation this large since June of 1944, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 26 years prior.]
I’m constantly scanning, rolling my dial, searching. The dial is excellent for fine-tuning. It’s like a miniature of one of those steering wheels that have a knob so that a city bus driver can drive with one hand. Clockwise takes me through the next few frequencies up.
2:08am. We hear the five USAF F-105 “Wild Weasel” aircraft arrive over Son Tay, each with their two SAM-site-killing Shrike missiles. This relatively small formation has snuck in from the west, while all the NVAF Air Defense Command has their focus on Haiphong in the east. The F-105s establish a taunting orbit, just daring a SAM site to lock on to them. They are looking for the Fan Song radars. If a Fan Song shines on them, the F-105 will pounce. It’s the epitome of a wild west duel: Weapons loaded and cocked, aimed right at each other. The SAMs and AAA are daring the F-105s to come in on them. The F-105s are daring the Fan Song radar to activate.
2:18am. “Alpha, Alpha, Alpha!” is broadcast by Cherry 1, the MC-130 announcing H-Hour of the Son Tay Raid as they have just released their 2 million candlepower Mk 24 flares over the Son Tay POW camp. The helicopters then land, their 56 Green Berets storming into a massive firefight. Within minutes, they have secured the camp, neutralizing between 40 and 100 NVA soldiers. Not a single American casualty.
2:28am. “Negative items” is broadcast both over the UHF radios and the FM radios by Capt Dick Meadows to Lt Colonel Bud Sydnor, the Ground Force Commander. The Green Berets have searched the entire Son Tay POW camp—and there are no POWs. This is immediately heard by Colonel Frisbie standing next to me. Colonel Frisbie is clearly concerned. His conversation with General Manor at Monkey Mountain is grave. This Hognose is amazing as an airborne command post, making this very important conversation effortless and clear in this mentally and emotionally difficult, confusing moment. We cut through the fog of war.
2:30am. “Pull back by the normal plan” is broadcast by Lt Colonel Sydnor to begin withdrawing all troops from the Son Tay POW camp. The HH-53 helicopters Apple 1 and Apple 2 are called back in to extract the Green Berets.
See more photos and stories on this website and in Who Will Go, which is just as much to honor the wives and family as the men themselves.
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