Listening to every transmission from 35,000 feet
Episode 18.
Of the 36 SAMs launched against US aircraft this night, two met their marks, F-105Gs, both. No American lives were lost. One F-105 limped back to base in Thailand with its battle damage. As you heard, the other F-105 that was hit made it to Laos before it became unflyable. The two crewmembers ejected safely and were rescued at dawn.
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When all the excitement is over and things begin to settle down on the airwaves, we are briefed about the “negative items” message. It’s definitive: No POWs were found.
What an emotional let-down.
On the way back to Kadena AB on Okinawa, I vow to myself that I will get on the next Combat Apple mission to the Gulf of Tonkin. I want to intercept the North Vietnamese Air Defense Command’s daily reports of air activity from all sectors to their central headquarters. I know that it will be their assessment of what took place. We (the US Department of Defense) use that information to craft the wording of our press releases depending on how much the North Vietnamese government knows or doesn’t know at that point.
We land a little after sunrise at Kadena.
I succeed in getting on the next Gulf Bird even though I don’t have proper crew rest. My good buddy and fellow Vietnamese linguist Bruce McClelland does the same thing. He too is chomping at the bit to help intercept the North Vietnamese After-Action Reports.
Once back over the Gulf of Tonkin (only a few hours after we’d left), those reports are rich. In fact, it is so significant that I have the pilot adjust the timing of turns in orbit to be sure not to lose the signals even for a few seconds.
Finally back on the ground at Okinawa, I insist my way into translating and transcribing the recorded reports, rather than leaving it to shift workers. Again without proper crew rest, Bruce and I help complete the translating of all the recordings. We call in other senior linguists to assist with certain technical phrases.
During that team translation/transcription, Colonel Frisbie yet again hovers over us. From our work is produced a “Critic” Report due to the US President and National Security Council with highest urgency. The report explains what the North Vietnamese understood about the events of that night.
John Gargus explains in his book, The Son Tay Raid: American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten, that Colonel Frisbie and a major from the 6990th hand carried a copy of the tapes and our report to the Pentagon ASAP. The first press release came out with Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird’s press conference on Monday November 23rd.
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.
Click Here: The audiobook is now available.