The White Falcon - 14.08.1964, Page 1

U.S. Retaliates Against
North Vietnamese Attacks;
Reinforcing Action Taken
.Washington (AFPS)—Sixty-four attack sorties against
four North Vietnamese patrol boat bases and an oil storage
depot supporting the bases were launched from the aircraft
carriers USS Ticonderoga anc
night of Aug. 4.
Secretary of Defense Robert S.
McNamara announced that the
sorties were taken in retaliation
against “unprovoked aggression
on the high seas” by North Viet-
namese surface vessels Aug 2 and
Aug 4 against the destroyers USS
Maddox and USS C. Turner Joy.
Secretary McNamara also re-
ported moves taken to reinforce
United States forces in the Pacific
area. These moves included:
• Transfer of an attack carrier
group from the First Fleet to the
Western Pacific.
• Movement of interceptor and
fighter-bomber aircraft into the
Republic of Vietnam.
• Movement of fighter-bomber
aircraft into Thailand.
• Transfer of interceptor air-
craft and fighter-bomber squad-
Cdr. Graham
USS Constellation during the
5>-------------------------------
rons from the United States to
advanced bases in the Pacific.
• Movement of an anti-sub-
marine task force into the South
China Sea.
• The alerting and readying for
movement of selected Army and
Marine Forces.
Secretary McNamara said pre-
liminary reports on the retalia-
tory strikes showed that “the oil
storage depot, containing 14 tanks
and representing 10 percent of
the petroleum storage capacity of
the country was 90 percent de-
stroyed.”
“In addition to damage to the
bases and to their support facili-
ties, approximately 25 patrol boats
were damaged or destroyed.”
Mr. McNamara reported that
two U.S. aircraft were lost and
two more were damaged; all
others have been recovered safely.
Winning Newspaper-1963
WHITE
U.S. NAVAL STATION, KEFLAVIK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ICELAND
Volume III, Number ,28. Friday, August 14, 1964
ADMIRAL’S INSPECTION — Vice Admiral Paul H. Ramsey, Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic,
inspects Naval Station personnel in Hangar 831. The Admiral’s inspection lasted almost an hour during
which time he asked questions and checked on such items as dog tags and ID cards.
Inspects VP-7
VP-7 Commanding Officer Cdr.
Thomas A. Graham left Keflavik
at 8 a.m. today after having
been here since Sunday for in-
spection of VP-7 Detachment 13.
While at the Naval Station,
Commander Graham was briefed
daily on Detachment 13’s mis-
sions. A zone inspection of Hangar
831 and Line Area and Barracks
745 was held Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Cdr. T. A.
Graham conducted a VP-7 person-
nel inspection. An All Hands
Briefing was conducted at And-
rews Theater on Thursday.
On hand to greet the commander
as he arrived Sunday and wish
him well as he departed Friday
were VP-7 Detachment 13 Offi-
cer in Charge Cdr. W. C. Toole,
Jr. and several VP-7 officers
who included Lt. Cdr. P. F. Yos-
way, Lt. (j.g.) F. W. Gullett,
Lt. (j.g.) J. B. Scanlon, Lt. (j.g.)
F. H. Gerwe, Jr. and Lt. (j.g.)
Jack Jones.
Detachment 13 arrived at Kef-
lavik May 4. The other half of
VP-7 went to NAS Rota, Spain,
where the commander is return-
ing.
Commander Graham first re-
ported aboard VP-7 on Nov. 16,
1962, as Operations Officer, at
NAS Jacksonville, Fla. (VP-7’s
home base). In May, 1963, he was
appointed Executive Officer of
(Continued on Page 2.)
Cdr. Thomas A. Graham, USN
Mr. McNamara said the strikes
by the U.S. aircraft were carried
out of low level and the weather
during the attacks was low ceiling.
“The aircraft encountered heavy
anti-aircraft over several targets,”
Mr. McNamara added.
Vice Adm.
U.S. Naval
Ramsey Reviews
Station Keflavik
“No civilian centers were close
to the bases attacked,” the Secre-
tary said.
“The destroyers Maddox and C.
Turner Joy are continuing their
routine patrol in international
waters in the Golf of Tonkin,” Mr.
McNamara concluded.
Vice Adm. Paul H. Ramsey, Commander of the Naval Air Forces Atlantic, inspected
the Naval Station personnel at Hangar 831 Tuesday at 9 a.m.
As the official in charge of all Naval air facilities in the Atlantic area, Admiral Ram-
sey came to Keflavik from his headquarters at Norfolk, Va. With him was a 23-member
inspection team which conducted the Naval Station’s annual ComNavAirLant Admin-
istrative Inspection during Aug. 4-12.
Lt. Robert I. Bush
Air Force Officer Awarded
Distinguished Flying Cross
AFI — First Lieutenant Robert I. Bush has been award-
ed the coveted Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. The
award was for his action in a missile field test.
He was presented the award at the 57th Fighter Inter-
ceptor Squadron’s Commander’s Call. Lt. Col. Timothy I.
Ahern, commander of the 57th, made the presentation.
Bush, while assigned to the 437th1
FIS, Oxnard, Calif., flew the F-
101B (Voodoo) and was selected
to field test an air-to-air rocket
at Holloman AFB, N. M. The
test was conducted under actual
intercept conditions and he car-
ried a radar operator to guide the
aircraft to target.
During the test one of the
rockets exploded upon being re-
leased from the bomb rack. The
aircraft immediately caught fire
and flames filled the cockpit.
Bush, believing that the radarman
had been injured and had not
ejected, stayed in the flaming
cockpit until the last possible
second before ejecting. The radar-
man also had ejected safely.
Bush enlisted in the Air Force
in July 1956 and went to Avia-
tion Cadet Pilot Training at Reese
AFB, Texas, and was commis-
sioned in April 1960.
the admiral was greeted by Capt.
Stanley E. Ellison, Commanding
Officer of the Naval Station.
During the review of Naval per-
sonnel, the Navy Band, conducted
by Floyd Krick, musician first
class, provided the traditional re-
view music.
On inspecting the personnel,
Captain Ellison accompanied the
admiral as the latter closely no-
ticed the appearances of each man.
Standing in long lines at strict
attention to be inspected, the men
of the Naval Station made an im-
pressive scene in the aircraft
hangar.
The inspection continued for
almost an hour — during which
time Admiral Ramsey asked
questions of the men in the ranks,
checked on matters such as Dog
Tags and ID cards and asked
one sailor how old he was.
When the inspection was com-
pleted, Admiral Ramsey spoke to
the personnel attending the in-
spection, commenting that from
among all the units under his com-
mand in several oceans and on
two continents “The group here
looked among the best.”
When the admiral finished his
remarks, Captain Ellison declared
the rest of the day to be on holi-
day routine.
The admiral and his inspecting
team left Keflavik Wednesday at
9 a.m. for Argentia, Newfound-
land.
Admiral Ramsey became a
Naval officer upon graduation
from the United States Naval
Academy in 1927. In his route
through the ranks to the admir-
alty, he served in assignments
overseas as well as his stateside
duty and spent a great deal of
his time at sea.
Pay Bill Sent
To President
For Signature
Washington (AFPS)—Congress
passed and sent to the White
House, Aug 3, a bill providing
$207 million in pay raises for all
United States servicemen except
enlisted men with less than two
years service.
(President Johnson was expected
to sign the bill within the next
few days, insuring that the pay
boosts would show up in the next
military paychecks after the Sept
I effective date.
The House of Representatives
passed the bill on a voice vote.
The Senate had passed it July 20.
There was no discussion before
the House vote, although Rep.
Robert L. F. Sikes, (D-Fla.) is-
sued but did not read, a state-
ment describing the pay raise as
too small.
Rep. Robert W. Kastermeir,
(D-Wis.) took the floor after the
vote to say Congress had erred in
omitting draftees and under-two-
year enlisted men from the in
creases.
In its report on the bill, the
House Armed Service Commit-
tee said that it had omitted those
raises because the men involved
are in a training status and also
because they are assured of three
or four pay increases in the first
II month of service due to rapid
promotions in the training period.
Some members of the commit-
tee, including Rep. L. Mendel
Rivers, (D-S.C.) have pledged
they will seek a pay increase for
these men next year.